3909 WINSTON CHURCHILL - 1922 - Holland Bros - Survived
Despatched to Holland Bros in April 1922 for Albert Holland's Peacock and Dragon Scenic Ride. Originally named PRINCE ALBERT but this was later changed to Winston Churchill in preservation. The late Eric Middleton bought this engine (for £250) directly from Hollands of Swadlincote, Derbyshire in about 1952 . It had been laid up and abandoned some years previously and had become pretty derelict by the time it arrived at Hartlebury. The engine was completely restored by Mr Middleton and was later sold and rallied in the 1980's by the Hardwick family - the famous West Ewell scrap yard owners. Now owned by the Marchington family.
Winston Churchill with Eric Middleton at Hartlebury in 1950s. Reproduced with permission of University of Sheffield
Looks like Winston Churchill at Hartlbury?
Different lowloader to above
Winston Churchill when owned by the Harwicks. Photo courtesy Darren Clark
Jack Harwick Jr with Winston Churchill and crew.
Quote from Darren Clarke, Grandson of Jack Hardwick Jnr:
Just a short note to say it was lovely to see the mention of my late grandfather Jack Hardwick Jr, his passion was these engines. I remember Gladiator in the engine shed unfinished in the late 70s, and Winston Churchill was his pride and joy! Such a shame there are none of these left in the family.
Quote from Darren Clarke, Grandson of Jack Hardwick Jnr:
Just a short note to say it was lovely to see the mention of my late grandfather Jack Hardwick Jr, his passion was these engines. I remember Gladiator in the engine shed unfinished in the late 70s, and Winston Churchill was his pride and joy! Such a shame there are none of these left in the family.
Interesting notes from Mark Rigg who knew Winston Churchill in the early days of preservation.
I have a soft spot for this engine as it was the first engine I worked on as a young teenager not long after it arrived at Eric Middleton`s place at Hartlebury - that would have been in about 1952.
Eric had paid £ 250 for it , in basically derelect condition , and it looked very woebegone as it had been abandoned by Hollands in a gravel pit some years previously . This was an enormous amount of money in those days . But it was generally complete except for the dynamos and the crane pole.
Eric and the rest of the regular 'Hartlebury Gang' soon had Winston ( Eric was a great admirer of Winston Churchill as our great war- time leader and just recently back in office as Conservative Prime Minister ) stripped , cleaned , brightwork polished and largely repainted .
I think it was in 1954 that Winston was steamed for the first time - somewhere I have a photo of me working on Winston taken by the `Birmingham Post` who did a feature on the forthcoming `Hartlebury Steam Party` when Eric invited anybody who was anybody in the steam world to come and play with his collection of engines, all entertained to tea and cakes made by his sister Doris and her helpers .
I remember Tommy Glover - an old showland driver - I think he drove Burrell Scenic Lord Curzon at one time - coming over to Hartlebury and giving us the benefit of his experience .
Winston Churchill was certainly Eric pride and joy and alway kept in immaculate condition - We constantly polished with emery cloth all the bright work of the motion . Many years later I saw it at one of the Rushmore rallies when Hardwicks owned it . They had had the bright work satin chromed (and it was peeling off in places) to save cleaning it - and it looked awful ! Eric would be so upset to see it .
My highlight of my memories was being allowed to steer on the annual trip to Worcester Show. Frank Holl usually drove and he got a bit of a move on along the Kidderminster/Worcester dual carriageway road !! . Quite an experience . There wasn`t the traffic about in those days, but I often think about it as I'm regularly that way now.
Eric managed to get the proper scenic crane pole and its bits and pieces - probably via Tommy Glover - he seemed to know where all these bits were - and I remember setting it up in the field at Hartlebury and doing some demo lifts with a suitable load . It needed several strong blokes to assemble it on the engine, which maybe is why people don`t bother these days .
By the mid 70's Eric was having mobility difficulties and he started to dispose of some of his collection . I think Neil Corner paid about £ 5,000 when he bought it - and that seemed a lot of money then - what would a scenic cost to day ...........?? .
I have a soft spot for this engine as it was the first engine I worked on as a young teenager not long after it arrived at Eric Middleton`s place at Hartlebury - that would have been in about 1952.
Eric had paid £ 250 for it , in basically derelect condition , and it looked very woebegone as it had been abandoned by Hollands in a gravel pit some years previously . This was an enormous amount of money in those days . But it was generally complete except for the dynamos and the crane pole.
Eric and the rest of the regular 'Hartlebury Gang' soon had Winston ( Eric was a great admirer of Winston Churchill as our great war- time leader and just recently back in office as Conservative Prime Minister ) stripped , cleaned , brightwork polished and largely repainted .
I think it was in 1954 that Winston was steamed for the first time - somewhere I have a photo of me working on Winston taken by the `Birmingham Post` who did a feature on the forthcoming `Hartlebury Steam Party` when Eric invited anybody who was anybody in the steam world to come and play with his collection of engines, all entertained to tea and cakes made by his sister Doris and her helpers .
I remember Tommy Glover - an old showland driver - I think he drove Burrell Scenic Lord Curzon at one time - coming over to Hartlebury and giving us the benefit of his experience .
Winston Churchill was certainly Eric pride and joy and alway kept in immaculate condition - We constantly polished with emery cloth all the bright work of the motion . Many years later I saw it at one of the Rushmore rallies when Hardwicks owned it . They had had the bright work satin chromed (and it was peeling off in places) to save cleaning it - and it looked awful ! Eric would be so upset to see it .
My highlight of my memories was being allowed to steer on the annual trip to Worcester Show. Frank Holl usually drove and he got a bit of a move on along the Kidderminster/Worcester dual carriageway road !! . Quite an experience . There wasn`t the traffic about in those days, but I often think about it as I'm regularly that way now.
Eric managed to get the proper scenic crane pole and its bits and pieces - probably via Tommy Glover - he seemed to know where all these bits were - and I remember setting it up in the field at Hartlebury and doing some demo lifts with a suitable load . It needed several strong blokes to assemble it on the engine, which maybe is why people don`t bother these days .
By the mid 70's Eric was having mobility difficulties and he started to dispose of some of his collection . I think Neil Corner paid about £ 5,000 when he bought it - and that seemed a lot of money then - what would a scenic cost to day ...........?? .