When Churchill visited Bristol

IWAS most interested in your photo of Winston Churchill's visit to Bristol in April 1941. To Mrs.Churchill's right, in the light overcoat, gloves and bowler, is Harry Lush, then head of Bristol's CID.

The third man, extreme left, in the homburg and black overcoat, is Walter Thompson, Churchill's devoted bodyguard throughout the war.

Everyone in the photo looks pretty casual but Thompson's face is pinned on something.

It was said he never let the old man out of his sight.

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There was an incident during Winston's visit that may not be documented in the Post's archives.

In those days there was a large area of slum-dwellings in central Bristol, much of which fell victim to the bombing.

From St Jude's, behind Old Market, out a far as Brandon Buildings, adjacent to Brandon Hill, there was poverty people today cannot imagine.

While Churchill was in this central area a group of women hurled abuse at him along the lines of: "You started this lot – when are you going to finish it?"

Maybe they had suffered in the bombing – maybe they had lost their homes.

Mike Mapstone

Email:dorrit@talktalk.net