Churchill’s winkle

SIR – Peter Saunders (Letters, March 23) wrote of the Hastings Winkle Club, members of which carry a winkle shell to be shown when challenged to “winkle up”. Failure means a fine paid to charity. When Sir Winston Churchill was honoured with membership he received a gold winkle, and Mr Saunders wondered if he was ever challenged to “winkle up”.

I can confirm that my late father, a member of the Hastings Winkle Club and a Chief Constable of Hastings Constabulary, did challenge Churchill to “winkle up” at a reception in London.

As Churchill was not carrying his gold winkle, a fine was paid to the fishermen’s charity. Robert Archer-burton

Farnham, Surrey