Churchill (Winston)— Freedom of Blackpool

A complete set of 7 privately produced records relating to Churchill’s Honorary Freedom of Blackpool, 4^th September and 4^th October 1946, with related ephemera, comprising:

i) Recording of the proceedings of the council at a special meeting held on the 4^th September, 1946 which resolved to admit Churchill to be an Honorary Freeman of the County Borough of Blackpool:

3 vintage records, in original buff paper sleeves, numbered 1&3, 2&5, and 4&6; each record with a gold printed label titled ‘‘Mayoralty of Ald. Frank I. Nickson … Admission to the Honorary Freedom of Blackpool of the Rt. Hon Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill … 4^th Sept.,1946. Trevor Jones, Town Clerk. Privately recorded by R.G. Jones of Morden, Surrey’

ii) Recording of the presentation of the Freedom to Churchill, at the New Opera House, Blackpool, 4^th Oct. 1946:

4 vintage records in original buff paper sleeves, numbered 1&3, 2&4, 5&7 and 6&8; each record with a gold printed label titled ‘Mayoralty of Ald. Frank I. Nickson … Presentation of the Honorary Freedom of Blackpool to the Rt. Hon. Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill … 4^th Oct., 1946. Trevor Jones, Town Clerk. Privately recorded by R.G. Jones of Morden, Surrey’

The records housed in red cloth record box with hinged lids and carrying handle, the box rather worn

iii) County Borough of Blackpool, Presentation Ceremony booklet

Honorary Freedom to the Right Honourable Winston S.-Churchill O.M., C.H., M.P. Presentation Ceremony. New Opera House, Blackpool 4^th October, 1946, [4pp.], 4to, [Blackpool:] Gazette & Herald, [1946], rather creased

***This document contains the order of proceedings and a note about the recording of the event which reads ‘The proceedings of this ceremony are being recorded and relayed. Unnecessary noises (other than cheering and applause) will interfere with purity of the process.’

This event was reported in the Manchester Guardian which noted ‘The three thousand people who heard [Churchill] inside the Opera House cheered to the echo and went home happily inspired, no doubt to dream of that fine morning, of which Mr Churchill spoke when 250,000,000 Europeans will waken up and demand the federation of their separate countries. Mr Churchill was in good form: so, too, were the people of Blackpool’ (Manchester Guardian, 5 October, 1946). The Times reported that on the way to the presentation Churchill “drove through eight miles of cheering crowds, who delighted to see the well known gestures, the famous V sign and the hoisted hat. Blackpool, being just Blackpool, did the job thoroughly.’ (Times, Saturday Oct. 5, 1946)

iv) Churchill (Winston)

Christmas card, signed “Winston S. Churchill” in blue ink, the card with a mounted colour print of the ‘Island of Choisi’ after a painting by Churchill

v) [Churchill (William)]

Printed letter from Churchill offering Christmas and New Year greetings, on House of Commons headed paper, with typed address to Mr and Mrs R.G. Smith of Bispham, Blackpool