Rob
Four Star General
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Messages
- 26,622
Today I was fortunate enough to get a VIP tour of of the Cabinet War rooms and Churchill Museum in London. I was lucky enough to be invited ' behind the glass' as it were and enter the Map Room, Cabinet Room, Churchill's bedroom etc where the public cannot go. I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable tours I've ever had. I had an expert guide from the CWR who brought the place to life with its history and anecdotes regarding Churchill. It was a humbling and moving tour and only served to increase my respect for the man who was arguably the greatest war leader in history. His chair in the cabinet room spoke volumes for the tension heaped on the great mans shoulders. The right hand arm of the chair was marked by his signet ring repeatedly tapping against it during vital meetings. The left hand arm of the chair has a deep deep gouge out of it where he sank his finger nails into it as he made decisions that meant life or death, victory or defeat for Britain.
Although he held over 200 different meetings in CWR and ' Cat napped' in his bedroom every afternoon , he only ever slept overnight there three times. The place was pretty squalid with no flushing toilets and vermin in the lower areas and it was Churchill who insisted a huge concrete slab (10ft thick) was put in place above the complex. He thought this and steel frame of the building would suffice. It was only in recent years that it was discovered that the complex was not steel framed at all! . On one night during the Blitz the corridors began to fill with smoke and (fire was the biggest dread as the CWR was full of vital and secret papers) staff were starting to evacuate. Nobody could find Churchill, he was located on roof watching the air raid with his backside firmly ensconced on a warm chimney thus blocking the smoke that was now pouring back into the CWR!^&grin
So many anecdotes about him we know ' If I were your husband etc etc'. But there was another slightly more vulgar one I learned today. He was in the toilets at some posh do and went to leave without washing his hands. A man also in there said to him in a posh voice ' At Eton we were taught to wash our hands after going to the lavatory' . To which he replied ' At Harrow we were taught not to p*** on our fingers'!!
I cannot recommend the CWR enough if you are in London, great visit and the accompanying Churchill Museum is superb.
'This is the room from which I shall run the War' ^&cool
Best
Rob
Although he held over 200 different meetings in CWR and ' Cat napped' in his bedroom every afternoon , he only ever slept overnight there three times. The place was pretty squalid with no flushing toilets and vermin in the lower areas and it was Churchill who insisted a huge concrete slab (10ft thick) was put in place above the complex. He thought this and steel frame of the building would suffice. It was only in recent years that it was discovered that the complex was not steel framed at all! . On one night during the Blitz the corridors began to fill with smoke and (fire was the biggest dread as the CWR was full of vital and secret papers) staff were starting to evacuate. Nobody could find Churchill, he was located on roof watching the air raid with his backside firmly ensconced on a warm chimney thus blocking the smoke that was now pouring back into the CWR!^&grin
So many anecdotes about him we know ' If I were your husband etc etc'. But there was another slightly more vulgar one I learned today. He was in the toilets at some posh do and went to leave without washing his hands. A man also in there said to him in a posh voice ' At Eton we were taught to wash our hands after going to the lavatory' . To which he replied ' At Harrow we were taught not to p*** on our fingers'!!
I cannot recommend the CWR enough if you are in London, great visit and the accompanying Churchill Museum is superb.
'This is the room from which I shall run the War' ^&cool
Best
Rob
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