John Crace distills the Mayor of Londons portrait of Winston Churchill down to a self-regarding 600 wordsWhat better way to begin a book about the Greatest Englishman than with me? Ive always admired Winnie and I feel sure he would have returned the favour. But back to Churchill for a while. Who was he and what did he do? To find out, I went to lunch with his grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames, at Simpsons. Sadly, after a hearty side of ox and several bottles of Chateau Margaux, Fatty dozed off before we got very far, so Ive had to rely on my amanuensis and the cuttings folder.So here am I in the bowels of the House of Commons, sitting in the very chair where Winston saved Britain in its darkest hour. While pygmies such as Halifax and Chamberlain preached appeasement, Winston alone stood firm against the Narzis. That took some guts. Imagine what Britain would have looked like under Herr Hitler? A granite version of the Pantheon of Agrippa as the Hall of the People, the Elgin Marbles given back to the Greeks, and not a Boris Bike in sight. It doesnt bear thinking about. Continue reading...
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