20th local celebration of naval battle takes place in Winchester House Club


Remembering Trafalgar Day in Putney

Despite terrible weather, Covid and tier two restrictions a small band of brothers celebrated Trafalgar Day this Wedneday (21 October) in the riverside garden of the Winchester House Club.

This is the twentieth such celebration organised by local resident Hugh Thompson. Hugh said, “It’s easy to forget the significance of this great event and this lovely man. Traditionally we sat down in pubs in Smithfield or Fleet Street. Last year we had it at the Alma in Wandsworth, because of the new restrictions we were planning on a picnic, luckily, given the terrible weather, we could raise glass to our Hero under cover overlooking the Thames at my club.”

The fact that the weather was bad didn’t deter the loyal four as the day after Trafalgar in 1805 there was a violent storm which caused almost as much damage as the battle.

They celebrated sporting Nelson masks purchased from the National Portrait Gallery.

Ian Harrower said, ”My dad who was in the Navy and at five of the end of the war landings and would have been proud to raise a glass to the Immortal Memory”.

Edward Russell Walling whose father captained a submarine said, ”He was always on for splicing the mainbrace and so am I”.

John Hyatt said, ”I have always been a bit of a show man and so was Nelson, so celebrating his immortal memory has always been more than just pride in country”.

October 23, 2020