Fear the 'Romper'

Ryan posing in front of Churchill's velour 'romper' pajamas.

Who knew Winston Churchill was a big fan of the onesie?

Evidently he had penchant for zip-up track suits, including one in maroon velvet. His family called this the "romper." That particular style then caught on in the rest of Britain as well. I suppose New Jersey-based gangsters have Churchill to thank for their signature style.

(Or as Elizabeth puts it: "When I look at Churchill’s onesie, I can’t help but think that it is the great grandfather of every velour tracksuit worn by a young female co-ed in the States. So, the next time you see the word “Juicy” written across a delectable young posterior, think of the rotund, wrinkly, cigar-smoking Churchill and take a moment to thank him for what you are witnessing.")

Beyond being a stylish trendsetter, Sir Winston was a pretty good painter. And his strategery and leadership helped land him some prettycool bling from around the world. Those thank-you gifts include gold music boxes, metals and small statuettes.

The Churchill War Rooms also featured some more personal historic items of Churchill's, such as his letters to wife Clemmie and the door he used to 10 Downing Street while serving as prime minister.

 


Ryan standing in front of the door that stood at No 10 Downing Street when Churchill was prime minister.

The most amazing part of the museum was the section with the the actual rooms the war cabinet used, including the cabinet conferenceroom and telecommunications room that are just as the Brits left them when they walked out of there on VJ Day in August 1945.

A map of Europe from the appropriately titled Map Room.

Even Churchill's cigar butt is still sitting in an ashtray.

As an American, all this underscored to me the urgency and fragility of the British resistance and reinforced how precarious their positionwas at that time.

It also showed why Germans should have "feared the romper."