Fat, greedy THIEF!
June 2nd 1940
Winston Churchill came for tea today. He’s an old mucker of Lord Cavendish (they were both rusticated from Harrow for liberating the school goat and letting it loose in the Gymnasia!) Lord C introduced us as ‘my wonderful gardening girls’ and S and I went as red as apples.
I was agog at how small and fat the PM was (about 4 foot 5!!!), so short in fact that he accidentally twanged my knocker with his pipe as he passed a drop scone. He looked troubled though and later Lord C told us he had ‘a lot on his plate.’ I’ll say! He scoffed 14 drop scones in as many minutes and very well licked his knife.
Eventually Mr Churchill asked us where we found the strength to awake every day and continue weeding and I rather boldly stated that weeds were our enemy, and we shall fight them on the beaches, and on the land, we shall fight them in the fields and in the hills. We shall never surrender. The British Prime Minister raised a half smile and Sylvia thinks I impressed him awfully.
Oh Frabjous day! Calloo! Callay!
June 4th 1940
Winston Churchill stole my speech! The very cheek of it! Scone-gobbling, knocker-twanging thief! He’s just delivered MY speech to House of Commons about someone called Duncan. I’m livid.
Lord C was kind and suggested was it ever thus. Apparently when they were at school, young Winston regularly stole matron’s buns from her massive undercroft.
Grrrrrrr.
What an amazing story. I know nothing about gardening, but stumbled across this story when looking for info about Mr Churchill and his connections to tea.
I’ve bookmarked this site, while I know nothing about gardening; I can tell that this place is going to be full of gems like this. Thank you for sharing this!
Peter
Editor
leafboxtea.com
I suspect this was a bit tongue-in- cheek, although Churchill was definately a character.
Check your spelling! DefiInItely not definAtely. As in ‘finite’.
[...] to House of Commons…To read Jennifer Claridge’s entire diary entry, visit her blog at Floreat ChatterlyLearn more about Winston Churchill (1874-1965) Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a British [...]