The Sinews of Peace

In July 1945, soon after fighting in Europe ended during World War II, the British held post war elections in which Prime Minister Winston Churchill's party failed to be reelected. Suddenly adrift after years of wartime struggle Churchill was at loose ends. US President Truman invited him to come to America, at his convenience, after the war with Japan ended. On January 9,1946 Sir Winston and his wife set sail for New York, aboard the Queen Elizabeth along with 16,000 returning Canadian soldiers. The Churchill's arrived on January 14 and immediately set off by train for Miami, returning to Washington in March in order to travel (by rail, on US Car No.1 above) with President Truman to Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.

Truman's aide-de-camp, Major General Harry Vaughan, was a graduate of Westminster College. College president Franc McCluer asked Vaughan to see what President Truman could do to induce Churchill to come to Westminster. President Truman thought the idea of bringing Churchill to Missouri (Truman's native state) was a wonderful idea. On the bottom of Churchill's invitation from Westminster College Truman wrote: "This is a wonderful school in my home state. Hope you can do it. I will introduce you." So it was that two world leaders, Winston Churchill and President Harry Truman, descended onto the little campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. The National Churchill Museum is now located there.

On March 5 Churchill gave his The Sinews of Peace speech better known as as the "Iron Curtain Speech".

...From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow...

Toad

Sam and Winnie's Birthday/ St Andrew's day in scotland

Dunan Castle-my little bit of Scotland 

To all our Scottish friends Happy St. Andrew's Day. St. A is the patron saint of Scotland and half a dozen or more European counties.

Perhaps more importantly, today is the anniversary of the birth of Samuel Clemons and Winston Churchill.


The 2 met twice and did not form a mutual admiration society.  Each felt he was the center of the known world, and didn't cotton to intruders.  Twain the older, and more experienced of the two men found listening to Churchill trying.  When asked about their first encounter, after a dinner in London, Churchill was effusive over their conversation.  Twain replied "I had a good smoke."

Whenever I'm asked who in history I would wish to have dinner with, my list ends with these two.  If you haven't yet read Cita Stelzer's "Dinner with Churchill" put it on your holiday shopping list, it makes a great winter read.

Toad

The Peacock's Anachronism

I've written before that I believe Mr. Irons may be the most beautiful man ever invented, and take cold comfort knowing he is somewhat older than I. Still, I am envious of his 30+ year marriage, knowing I'll be very old before hitting that landmark. I even pretend he dresses himself.

As gorgeous as he was in the original Brideshead Revisted, today we concentrate on his role as Rupert Gould in Longitude (2000). An early scene, set in immediate post WW I England had him wearing a navy suit with wing collared shirt, a shirt style which was then becoming an anachronism. Worn with a polka dot bow tie he was stunning. Since whenever I wear a tie it is always a bow, I've longed for a non formal wing collared shirt since.

Imagin photos of the salesman's patron saint, Winston Churchill, and

Edwardian era Vanity Fair drawings.



I had designed and redesigned MY shirt hundreds of times over, never once considering, much less answering the question of why I needed an anachronism. I could have consulted the master ADG , but I didn't need to be egged on, I just needed to do it.

My opportunity came early November. A Groupon offer by a local haberdasher offered 2 custom shirts for 1 low price. I snapped it up. 16 weeks into a 6 to 8 week schedule, including 6 days for UPS to ship the package across town, the goods arrived Tuesday.

Cream, (I don't care for white) with all my bells and whistles. I like it, but it falls under the I'm going to have to wear this, lest it wear me category, taking pains not to dress like either Hercule Poirot, or a waiter. The French placket front may have been the step too far. Nonetheless, perfect for dressing for dinner at the manse.

Toad