Blue Plaque Trail:

The Winkle Club

The world-famous Winkle Club is a venerable local charitable institution and although it doesn’t have a blue plaque, it does have a giant metal winkle! Anyway, an interesting bit of local colour, it sits nicely with this month’s nautical theme...

It began sometime in 1900 when a group of Hastings fishermen, regulars of the Prince Albert (a once-popular Old Town local pub, no longer in existence) met to discuss how they could do something to raise money to help the worst-off in the local community, especially the poorest children. Although they were little better off themselves, the fishermen wanted to do something special to bring them some happiness at Christmastime. One pointed out that another local pub (the Royal Oak) had started an ‘Acorn Club’ in which the members were bound to carry an acorn on them at all times; if challenged by any other member to show their acorn, failure to produce it resulted in a fine that would be used for charitable purposes. All thought this a fine idea (possibly they had been drinking?) but felt that something more original and fishing-related than an acorn was required. At this point, so the story goes, someone walked through the door carrying a bucket of winkles. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Winkle Club came into existence that night; all members were required to carry their winkle shell (after the removal of the original inhabitant and sealing with wax) at all times. When fellow Winklers met, they could challenge each other to ‘winkle up’ and failure to produce their winkle resulted, initially, in a fine of 1 penny for charity. Members would also pay subscriptions, and gradually there evolved an elaborate system of other ‘offences’ leading to fines. The money collected was used to fund Christmas parties for local children: the Winklers would fashion simple wooden toys as presents and put on a special feast.

Children assembled on the promenade at Marine Parade and would march to the party's venue in the Old Town accompanied by the ‘musicians’ of the Winkle Club Band, making as big a racket as they could using instruments ranging from dustbin lids to comb-and-paper. At the party children would go on stage, sing songs and receive prizes, and local people would do funny and musical acts for them. The givers of the feast got as much happiness from it as the children, and it really seems to have brought out the best in many local people.

From its humble beginnings, the Winkle Club gradually grew in numbers and renown, and over the years many of the great and good the world over have proudly accepted the honour of becoming a Winkler. The roll of honour includes Sir Winston Churchill, Edward Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), Lord Montgomery (‘Monty’) and Prince Philip.

Alfred Mills Stonham (better known as local celebrity ‘Biddy the Tubman’ – featured in our May ’07 issue) has the reputation as a particularly hard-working Winkler. As a men-only club HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother could not become a full member (see how exclusive this club is?) but she was very proud of being presented with her honourary gold winkle brooch and wore it on her 100th birthday in 2000, which also marked the 100th anniversary of the club’s foundation. When the Winkler contingent passed by as part of her centenary birthday parade, she was heard to say ‘I’m a Winkler too!’. In 1951 her daughter, then Princess Elizabeth, visited Hastings and met the Winklers who presented her with her own replica golden winkle.

The Winkle Club is still going strong and regularly raises money for a variety of local charities, with membership by invitation. The current Chairman is Mr Richard Read and the President is Admiral, the Lord Boyce, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The club headquarters are situated in the Fishermen's Institute in the heart of the Old Town, a building dating from 1882 and given in trust for the use of Hastings fishermen by Sarah, Countess of Waldegrave, an influential local woman who used her wealth to help the town’s poor in many ways. On special occasions the Winklers gather on Winkle Island at the foot of All Saints Street, where you may have noticed the ‘giant winkle’ standing in the middle of the pavement (made by one of the members, and in the past used as a collection box).

You can find out more about the Winkle Club at the Fisherman’s Museum, which has a large painting of Sir Winston Churchill receiving his membership (said to have been ‘one of the best occasions in the history of the Old Town’) and lots of other Winkle Club memorabilia including the amazing ‘Winkly King’ suit!

Many thanks to Phil at the Fisherman’s Museum for his help with the pictures and information for this article.