Hello, I am already finishing this monumental biography of Churchill.

There's something I don't see: what's this place "Grand Hall, Victoria"?


In a speech at the Grand Hall, Victoria, in July 1932, to celebrate the bicentenary of George Washington’s birth, Churchill asked, ‘As for cour- age, as for that personal and civic intrepidity which Washington showed in every situation, is it not needed as much today in the anxieties and perils of modern peace as it ever was in the fires of bygone war?’

I can't find nor identify what place is that nor where it is. There's a huge bunch of "Victorias" out there, and a Grand Hall can be a vast room situated almost in every palace or noble bulding. "Grand Hall" doesn't seem to be a town, neither. So, I am lost here.

Text and grammar indicates Churchill is giving his speech at "the Grand Hall", probably a building or part of it; of a place called "Victoria", which can be a city, a neighbourhood, a state, the buildong containing the Grand Hall, but where —in London, in the USA, in Canada; I can't find where the bycentenary of Washington was held, and it was probably hold in more than one place at the same time…

I am sure it's quite obvious for the connaisseur, but not for me in any case, I am afraid.

Thanks once more for your help. It's for a good cause.

CM

Hmm ... that's a challenge.

Right, the bicentennial of Washington's birthday fell on Monday 22 February 1932 and this was the day celebrations formally started in the US, and they continued through to Thanksgiving Day (in November).

Churchill had returned to Britain from a visit to the US in January 1932. Your quoted date of July 1932 suggests to me that Churchill's speech was probably made on 14 July, ie American Independence Day. He was almost certainly in Britain for that date as he's recorded (in Hansard) as making regular speeches in Parliament up to 20 July (he gave a speech on the 12 July followed by another on 20 July) and Parliament would then have gone into Summer recess shortly after. As an prominent MP, a well-known historian and with American blood, I'm guessing that Churchill had been invited to make an address on US Independence Day in relation to George Washington, perhaps by group of Americans in London. All that is speculation but I'm guessing the venue was in London. 

Accordingly I think it could well have been at the Royal Horticultural Hall, which is near Victoria railway station in the district of Pimlico in London (the station takes its name from the adjacent Victoria Street, but the whole immediate area is often referred to as Victoria). Churchill had his London home in the same area, the Houses of Parliament are about half a mile to the East and the US Embassy was about a mile to the North-East. The two main Halls were built in the early years of the 20th century (Lindsey Hall was built in 1904, Laurence Hall in 1925) and they are still in use today. They were and still are used for exhibitions, conferences, grand dinners, weddings, political rallies etc.
Royal Horticultural Halls.

I see MM has entered some useful information.  I found some reference to Churchill periodically making speeches to the "Pilgrims Society" at either the Savoy or the Hotel Victoria, so where exactly the "Hotel Victoria" is or was situated, my search engine cannot tell me.

Another candidate would be Methodist Central Hall off Victoria Street. The main room within the building is called the 'Great Hall'.

Nevertheless, "Savoy Hotel" has no connection to any "Victoria", as far as I know…

I think Vizzer might have it, the Methodist Central Hall, on Victoria Street, it faces Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, and was regularly used for political meetings and rallies - and Winston Churchill has certainly given speeches there.

Methodist Central Hall

Yes, that makes sense, Vizzer and Meles meles. I suppose the author is saying Grand Hall instead of Central Hall, as a sort of synonym, or (probably) because he is simply resorting to his memory. Therefore he would be saying something like that: "In a speech at the [Central] Hall (or the Great Hall of Central Hall, if you pardon my French), in Victoria [Street]…".

Yes, I do think this is the one (big sigh…). That's wonderful!

Just to add that the link given by Meles says that Methodist Central Hall is also known as 'Central Hall, Westminster' which is really only a blink of a difference from 'Grand Hall, Victoria'.

It's good to know. 

I was thinking there might be a hotel called "The Victoria" but probably MM and Vizzer have worked it out.  I'll give the link to the Pilgrims Society website though it doesn't seem to give venues for its past dinners.  [url=pilgrimsociety.org]pilgrimsociety.org[/url]

Thanks a lot, LadyinRetirement.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Speech-made-Dinner-Celebrate-Bi-Centenary-Birth/13861101643/bdThere is a single copy of the Churchill speech in question on sale on the Abe'sBooks site (seller of secondhand books).  I wouldn't recommend buying it as it costs £75 and another £3 to deliver - and doesn't specify the venue of the dinner!

Well found, LiR! And although it doesn't give the venue it does give the date: 19th July 1932. Hansard records Churchill as speaking in Parliament on the 20th, so I think we can be fairly sure the venue was likely in central London, or at least, given the limitations of long-distance travel at the time, not very far distant. 

Furthermore your link also gives the very important information that the original speech was published by the 'The Pilgrims Society'. This is a British-American society established in 1902, "to promote good-will, good-fellowship, and everlasting peace between the United States and Great Britain". It is, however, not just a simple club of friendly Anglo-American pen-pals. It has always had a very exclusive and eminent membership - which currently includes the likes of HM Elizabeth II, Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, Charles Prince of Wales, Henry Kissenger, General Alexander Haig, Lord Carrington, several Rockefellers, and a couple of Kennedys - and this alone rather suggests they would have chosen a very prestigious venue for their George Washington Bicentennial event. 

So I reckon the grand Methodist Central Hall in Westminster is considerably more likely to be the venue than the relatively humble Horticultural Halls near Victoria railway station, or indeed any of the other 'large hall' venues then available in London. The 'Pilgrims Society' would have wanted - and could certaily pay for - the very best ... and, at least at the time, that was, The Methodist Hall.

The Pilgrims Society