Memories of 10 Downing Street

MEMORIES OF 10 DOWNING STREET
I was six and a half years old when World War Two commenced in September 1939, and I lived in Oxhey Nr Watford Hertfordshire only about 20 miles North of Central London.
My father, who worked for the LMS Railway and had already served in the First World War, being wounded in both legs and badly gassed, was in fact in the local Home Guard.
My mother had to do War-Work in a factory (no choice) as my sister and I were both at the local school. My mother was also a Fire Warden at night during Air-Raids.
My Mother's Cousin Was Mrs.Georgina Landemare (Who had been married to a French Chef who had died) She was in fact Mr Winston Churchill's Cook/Housekeeper..
One of my most enduring memories as a small child, was when my sister and I were taken to Number 10 Downing Street to visit Georgina.

On arrival we had to show our Identity Cards to the Policeman on duty at the front door and were then ushered inside.
I can well remember the entrance hall where there was an enormous wooden packing case which had just been delivered. Members of staff were opening the case and eventually we were able to see what it contained. A gigantic Globe of the World approx six feet high, which revolved effortlessly at the touch of a finger.
We were told that the Globe was a gift to Mr Churchill from America, I often wondered what happened to it, although I believe it is now at Chartwell.
In due course Georgina gave us all Tea in the Housekeeper's room, then we were asked if we would like to go round the house with a maid to help her draw the 'Black-out Curtains' I really think this was done so that my Mother and her cousin could have a chat on their own. We accompanied the maid, into various rooms, one of which was Mr Churchill's bedroom, where she closed the curtains and carefully turned down the bed.
It was only some weeks later we learned that at that time Mr Churchill was in the middle of the Atlantic on his way to talk with President Roosevelt.
Georgina continued as Mr Churchill's Housekeeper for many years until she retired. She thought the world of Mr Churchill, although she often told him off when he absent-mindedly wandered around stark naked, he would always apologize to her profusely! Not only did Georgina work at number 10 Downing Street but also at Chequers and Chartwell.

On one occasion Mr Churchill entertained the King and Queen when Georgina cooked a magnificent dinner.

She always maintained that Mr Churchill saved her life on one occasion. She had been working in the huge kitchen at number 10 when the Air-raid sirens went off, she sent all the staff down to the underground Shelter but stayed in the kitchen trying to finish some complicated dish she was making. Suddenly an irate Mr Churchill appeared and dragged her off to the Shelter.

When the "all-clear" sounded and she returned to the kitchen, the bomb blasts had shattered the over head glass Lantern window into millions of pieces, the whole area including the kitchen table, where she had been working was covered in dagger-like shards of glass. But for Mr Churchill, Georgina would certainly have been seriously injured if not killed.

When Mr Churchill died Georgina attended the Funeral as a guest of the Churchill family, and shortly afterwards was told that he had bequeathed two of his paintings to her. _
She, in turn, bequeathed them to her daughter.

Georgina in retirement was encouraged by Mrs Churchill to write a Cookery Book, entitled "Recipe's from No 10" with a Foreword by Mrs Churchill. I have a copy of this book which has since become quite a valuable rarity.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.