THREE of us, including my wife and a great friend, ventured into Oxford and hurriedly passed through the cold, draughty corridors of the glass, plastic and soulless mausoleum of a building that is Westgate.

We went to see The Darkest Hour at the Curzon Cinema. An absolutely wonderful film  depicting just four weeks in 1940 when Winston Churchill became Prime Minister against almost insuperable objections by his fellow extremely weak peers and even our then King George VI. This period covered the run-up to Dunkirk and possible demise of our 300,000 armed forces against insurmountable odds inflicted on Europe by the German Nation.

If it had not been for many citizens of our fine nation they would have all surely ended their days there. Those of you against Brexit should watch this film and read about those times, take note and heed its warnings.

Surprisingly, there were only seven of us in the cinema. I suggest that headteachers of schools should consider filling these empty seats with suitably aged pupils to learn about this
very dark time, instead of airbrushing these type of events from modern teaching, and how one man stood did stand up and courageously, against all the odds, changed the course of world history.

The Common Market (European Economic Union) which we joined 45 years ago (1974) made sense.

Ever since our then Government signed up, without a referendum, to the Maastricht Treaty, 26 years ago (February 7, 1992) I have been an unflinching advocate for leaving the European Union (EU).

This film has reinforced my views even more strongly than ever.

We owe it to the millions of men, women, children (and animals) who died to halt this tyranny, a huge debt of gratitude and I for one will not forget their sacrifice or renege on their memory. In my view Germany has long wanted to rule Europe and eventually the world. They failed twice to dominate and have been trying again to do so under the umbrella of the EU. This fine nation of ours risk total absorption and eventual loss of our Sovereignty.

It has been argued that Churchill called for a ‘United States of Europe’ to be led by Britain. This quote was taken out of context and the whole passage had to be read.

He also said: “If Britain must choose between Europe and the open sea, she must always choose the open sea.”
Now, over 70 years later, what would the greatest man of our time say?

We now need again a strong leader to extricate us from Europe’s tentacles, vice like grip, and have faith in our people and our future.

It is said that President Trump after watching The Darkest Hour said to Theresa May “You could become this generation’s Churchill”.

Could he be right for once in his life? Methinks not!

TONY GREENFIELD
Raymund Road, Old Marston