February 4, 2015

London was adorned for the 50th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria. Young Winston wrote his mother that he hoped that she had not been looking for a letter from him because “I try to and think of sensible sentences for my letter but they are very hard to think of.” He had no trouble thinking of a subject. He was so excited at the prospect of seeing the Jubilee that he implored his mother to request permission from the school for him to journey to London. “I am looking forward to seeing Buffalow [sic] Bill, yourself, Jack, Everest, and home. I would sooner come home for the Jubilee and have no amusement at all than stay down here and have tremendous fun.”

He was particularly pleased to learn that his father had made tentative contacts regarding his admission to Harrow in the autumn. Lord Randolph was also attempting to form a new Centre party in alliance with disaffected Liberal, Joseph Chamberlain, and the Whig leader, Lord Hartington. The plans floundered on the lack of enthusiasm of Hartington, the refusal of Randolph’s close friend, Lord Rosebery, to join them, and the public disagreement between Chamberlain and Churchill. While the latter two continued their close personal friendship, they agreed to terminate their political alliance. When told that Randolph was attempting to start a new Centre party, one wit commented: “Yes, all centre and no circumference.”