CHURCHILL (WINSTON)
Menu signed ('Winston S. Churchill' and 'Clementine S. Churchill') for a celebration dinner in honour of Churchill's 80th birthday, given by the Woodford Division Conservative Association, 230 x 152mm., Manor Hall, Chigwell, Tuesday 23 November 1954; with accompanying typed letter signed from Churchill's personal private secretary ('L.M. Shillingford') to John Redfern returning the menu duly signed and sending their '...best wishes for the work which you will be doing for the new Chigwell Division...', 8vo (191 x 121mm.), dented by paper clip at head, 10 Downing Street, 9 February 1955; a black and white photograph of Churchill speaking at the dinner by Gerald J. Sharp of South Woodford, 158 x 214mm., with mount 222 x 270mm.; with an invitation to the dinner, a telegram from Churchill dated December 1952 thanking Redfern for his kind message, and a letter from Woodford Conservative Association asking him to contribute to a portrait of Lady Churchill by John Napper to be presented to Churchill as a birthday present (6)
Footnotes:
John Redfern (1928-2018) was chairman of the Woodford constituency Young Conservatives when he attended Churchill's 80th birthday dinner, which also marked Churchill's thirty years' service as MP for Woodford. Redfern went on to become a lifelong member of the Conservative party, enjoying a close association with Winston Churchill and his wife during that time, and continuing to work tirelessly for the constituencies of Woodford and latterly Chigwell and Epping Forest until his death in 2018. The portrait of Clementine by John Napper to which the final letter refers was presented to Churchill at a meeting of his constituents in the Girls' County High School at Woodford prior to the dinner on 23 November 1954. It was deemed an excellent likeness and received a far better reception than the infamous portrait of Churchill by Graham Sutherland presented to him a week later by both Houses of Parliament. The signed menu and accompanying material have been in the possession of John Redfern's family until now.

Menu - small tear at spine ends, thread loose

Letters and invite clean, old indent of paper clip top blank margin of TLS

Telegram - chipped with loss at margin

Photo - slight fading, mount spotted on back cover