August 09. A new Display is launching at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
A new Display is launching at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms on 27 August 2009 to commemorate 70 years since the War Rooms became operational.
Undercover: Life in Churchill's Bunker lifts the lid on life in the central shelter for government and military strategists from the week before war was declared on 3 September 1939 until the end of the Second World War. Previously unseen documents, letters, personal stories and artefacts are on display at The Cabinet War Rooms to recreate the tense and sometimes humorous atmosphere inside Churchill's secret headquarters.
Prepared in 1938, the Cabinet War Rooms were originally the storage areas of the Office of Works Building. They were soon pressed into service as the country's operational nerve centre despite the fact that the converted basement would not save the occupants if it took a direct hit from a Luftwaffe bomb.
Daily Delegate Package
Discover the excitement of the Cabinet War Rooms by holding an event in the once secret underground wartime bunker in the heart of Westminster. The Undercover - Life in Churchill's Bunker delegate packages starts from £69.00 plus VAT per person and includes the main meeting room hire, freshly brewed tea, coffee & infusions served with Danish pastries, mid morning refreshments, lunch as well as afternoon tea or coffee, served with a selection of freshly baked cakes. The lunch features a selection of bowl food including traditional favourites such as chicken pot pie, a variety of salads including butternut squash, red onion and goat's cheese finished off with your choice of fresh fruit, smoothie shots or mini gateaux.
Austerity Britain Canapés
In the times of reduced budgets and if you don't want to look too decadent, why not step back in time and choose WWII inspired canapés to accompany dinners and drinks receptions. The Austerity Britain menu at the Cabinet War Rooms features canapés created with ingredients from the 1940's and includes classics such as Spam on Beetroot Blinis with Carrot Jam, Corned Beef Rissoles, Potato Cakes with Fish Paste and Mini Prune Flan.
Newly Refurbished Rooms
Recently redesigned and refitted, the Harmsworth Room gives clients the opportunity to party in a unique historic setting, steeped in the atmosphere of a wartime bunker, but with all the creature comforts of a modern venue. The newly refurbished Switch Room is perfect for smaller gatherings and dinner parties. The venues can be decorated with wartime dressing, including gas masks, billy cans, authentic trunks and sandbags, and waiting staff can be dressed in military and 1940's dress.
Tours, Jitterbug Dancers and After Dinner Speakers
Additional services include a range of private tours, available for groups of up to 20 people. Guests can also enhance their tour with unique VIP access into the Cabinet Room and Map Room - a truly momentous occasion not to be missed.
To add colour and excitement to the evening, professional jitterbug dancers present a lively and entertaining demonstration in how to jitterbug.
After dinner speakers are also available:
Phil Reed has been Director of the Cabinet War Rooms for 16 years and was the driving force behind the creation of the Churchill Museum. Guests will gain an in-depth - and entertaining - insight into the historic events that took place in the Cabinet War Rooms with numerous vignettes of the Rooms' most famous resident, Winston Churchill.
Celia Sandys was twenty-one when Sir Winston died. She was very close to her grandfather, having spent many of her school holidays in his company and accompanying him on several of his later travels. Celia provides a unique and truly personal insight into this Titan of 20th century history.
History and Location
The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, located by St James' Park, is arguably one of the most historically important sites in the modern era. The Cabinet War Rooms were the secret underground headquarters where Winston Churchill, his War Cabinet and staff worked and lived
during the Second World War. The rooms were in operation round the clock from the outbreak of the war in 1939 to its end in 1945. The Churchill Museum, which Her Majesty the Queen opened in 2005, uses cutting-edge technology and multimedia displays to bring the exciting story of
Winston Churchill to life.
The nearest tube stations are Westminster and St James's Park. Charing Cross Train Station is less than a mile away.
For more information on meetings, conferences and events at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms in London, please click here.
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Notes to editors:
Undercover: Life in Churchill's Bunker runs from August 27 2009 - August 2010. The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms are open daily to explore from 9.30am - 6.00pm, last admission at 5.00pm. Admission charges to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms: Adults: £12.00, children under 16: FREE, seniors/students: £9.50. Free personal sound guides are provided for each visitor.
The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms is a branch of the Imperial War Museum.
For more information or to visit the newly refurbished rooms, please call Catherine Hutchings on 0207 766 0149, email Catherine.hutchings@sodexo.com or visit www.iwm.org.uk/churchill Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, Clive Steps, King Charles London SW1A 2AQ