Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2016 | Page 56

SOCIAL SCENE Churchill Trail launched! T he new Churchill Trail was launched at Ventnor Winter Gardens, with Winston Churchill as a child, played by Ebb Phillips, and actors playing his parents, Randolph Churchill and Jenny Jerome. Winston’s parents met at a party on a yacht moored off of Cowes and Randolph proposed to Jenny two days later in the garden of Rosetta Cottage on the seafront. All these facts and more have been painstakingly researched by local author Anthony Churchill who has written an impressive coffee table book on the connections between the Churchill family and the Isle of Wight. It is on this book that the Churchill Trail is based, and covers the whole Island, 56 including Churchill Chine that Winston and his friend Jack Seely inadvertently formed when clearing a flood on Seely land. David Thornton, CEO of VIOW, gave an opening address and introduced Anthony Churchill, who gave an inspired talk based on his book. VIOW presented a cake for Anthony’s birthday and Jamie Macaulay thanked everyone for coming and proposed a toast to Anthony. Leaflets on the Churchill Trail have been distributed across the Island and on the cross Solent ferries. More information on the book can be found at www. winstonsisland.co.uk. Pictures by Jo Macaulay www.visitilife.com June/July 2016_MASTER .indd 56 14/06/2016 01:49