Hastings Winkle Club
Category
Gold
Date
Unknown
Materials
Gold
Measurements
15 x 2 x 2 cm
Order this imageCollection
Chartwell, Kent
NT 1102834
Caption
The Winkle Club of Hastings was founded in 1900 by a group of local fishermen. To this day, every member (or ‘Winkler’) is obliged to carry a winkle shell with them, which they must produce when asked by a fellow member to ‘winkle up’. Failure to do so results in a fine (£1 at the time of going to print), with all funds raised going to local causes. In 1955, the year after he retired from his second term as prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965) was invited to become a member of the club. At a time when he was offered countless honours from organisations around the world, many requests had to be declined. When the invitation from the Winkle Club arrived, however, he accepted straight away, saying: ‘This is one thing I want to do.’ Traditionally, members of the club carried either a hollow winkle or one filled with wax. Befitting his status as a ‘Distinguished Member’, however, Churchill’s was made from solid gold.
Summary
A model of a Winkle in gold, set with the initials "H.W.C." on a rectangular cushion. Hastings Winkle Club.