JANUARY 2013
C H A R T W E L L B R A N C H T C C ( U K ) Twinned with the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Ottawa
ISSUE 25
THE NEWS President - Mr Randolph Churchill A REGULAR NEWSLETTER A REGULAR NEWSLETTER GIVING INFORMATION AND A REGULAR NEWSLETTER GIVING INFORMATION AND UPDATES TO THOSE INTERESTED GIVING INFORMATION AND UPDATES TO THOSE INTERESTED INUPDATES ALL THINGS ‘CHURCHILL’ TO THOSE INTERESTED IN ALL THINGS ‘CHURCHILL’ PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISTRIBUTE TO IN ALL THINGS ‘CHURCHILL’ PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISTRIBUTE TO ANYONE YOU FEEL FEEL FREE MAY TO BE INTERESTED PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO ANYONE YOU FEEL MAY BE INTERESTED ANYONE YOU FEEL MAY BE INTERESTED
THE NEWS Winston versus National Trust? The Lakes Waterbird When, a hundred years ago, Edward Wakefield built a prototype seaplane, the Waterbird, and tested it on Lake Windermere, Winston Churchill, who was then First Lord of the Admiralty, jumped in beside him. With their combined weights the rickety machine could only just get airborne and it limped to a maximum speed of 38 mph. That flight was pivotal in creating Churchill’s enthusiasm for what was to become the fleet air arm, which was to play such a vital role in two world wars. But the testing of the Waterbird led to an almighty row, because Beatrix Potter, after making a fortune writing children’s books, had recently moved to the area from London and violently objected to her rural idyll being disturbed by the noisy flying machine. Together with Canon Rawnsley, who went on to found the National Trust, she started a campaign against them. Not surprisingly, as she was up against Winston Churchill, she lost that battle, but her war was eventually won when the National Park Authority, with the support of the National Trust, imposed a 10mph speed limit, in the face of vociferous local opposition. One of the consequences of the speed limit is that one hundred years after the first ever successful flight of a seaplane, the event can’t be commemorated with a flight by a replica Waterbird. At a lunch today to celebrate that centenary, the heroism of the pioneer aviators was shown to be in stark contrast to the bloodless men who are now in charge. Reprinted by permission of Jonathan Denby - ‘slow-life.co.uk - well worth a look if you like The Lakes.
Interestingly
it was Churchill who coined the word ‘seaplane’ in about 1913 when he made plans for a war establishment of 100 of them
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THE NEWS
Golden Eggs Our next meeting 19th February This will be in the Mulberry Suite at Chartwell and given by Ian Thompson, a volunteer at Bletchley Park. The meeting is timed for 11.00am with 11.30am start. Members entry will be free but visitors will be charged £3.
Cautious Winston? This interesting piece of memorabilia from our new member Adrian Mezzetti records WSC’s visit to Wills Hall in Bristol, on 14th December 1929. The lunch menu consisted of: cream of barley soup, poached halibut, grilled lamb cutlets and madeira pudding. Although signed by him he has the astuteness to add “on trust” just in case the declaration should be challenged in the future. Thanks Adrian
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COMMENT As we are at the start of a New Year perhaps some of you will be making ‘resolutions’. I resolved last year not to make resolutions again and at a personal level I am sticking to it!
However with regard to our branch my resolution is to promote membership to as wide an audience as possible. I am delighted and pleased to report that we have had an influx of new members recently and I take this opportunity to offer them a sincere and warm welcome. As you will see from elsewhere in this issue our next meeting will be an ‘open’ meeting to hopefully appeal to a wider audience outside of our current membership. As there will be a small charge for non members we need to be able to identify them, therefore the committee decided that some form of membership card should be issued to members. Providing I can sort the technology membership cards will hopefully be available at the February meeting for collection and at subsequent meetings for those not able to attend the February meeting. Another development for 2013 will be our Corporate Membership of The Churchill Centre UK which will cement our relationship with our ‘parent’ organisation and I believe is appropriate following our successful visit to Cambridge last year. In addition don’t forget to visit our much improved web site www.chartwellbranchtccuk.org During 2013 it is likely that much will be made of the impending 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War and it will give us an opportunity to explore the input of WSC during this period which has been quite neglected. Mention has already been made regarding his coining of the word ‘seaplane’ at about this time, as he was an ardent flying pupil during 1913 (more later) but perhaps more importantly his decision to cancel the Grand Manoeuvres scheduled for 1914 meant that the Third Fleet was concentrated in the North Sea instead of being dispersed in the Atlantic at the outbreak of hostilities. Lots to write about.
Let’s make it ...
GREAT! 4