New luxury suites with a Winston Churchill theme have been created at one of Oxford’s top hotels.
As The Old Parsonage Hotel in Banbury Road celebrates its 50th anniversary, it has created two new suites named Winston and Randolph.
The innovation also marks the 70th anniversary of the time when Oxford-based sculptor Oscar Nemon first met and sculpted Winston Churchill in 1951.
The hotel is owned by Jeremy Mogford, who also owns the Old Bank Hotel in High Street, and Gee’s restaurant.
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Mr Mogford said: “With Winston Churchill’s and his son Randolph’s well-documented appreciation of the finer aspects of life, we like to think that had Winston, Randolph and Nemon seen the Old Parsonage in its present guise, they might have frequented our special hotel and restaurant and also approved of our unique tribute to them."
In both the Winston Suite and Randolph Suite, guests are invited to immerse themselves in the story linking Sir Winston Churchill, his son Randolph Churchill, the Oxford-based sculptor Oscar Nemon, and Blenheim Palace in Woodstock.
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Through a carefully curated collection of rare photographs and memorabilia, unique intimate moments are on display, in visual tribute to both Winston Churchill, his son Randolph and their family.
Some of the photographs reflect the close relationships that developed between Winston, Randolph and Mr Nemon as the sculptor worked on portraits of both men.
The hotel has also acquired a life-size bronze bust of Winston Churchill by Mr Nemon, which happens to be the first bust of its kind to be exhibited in Oxford.
The bust is on a special plinth and hotel staff have thanked the Nemon family for providing a unique collection of photographs and artefacts.
The Churchill/Nemon installation coincides with the much publicised and carefully curated Blenheim Palace Churchill Exhibition which was launched on the day that the third Covid-19 lockdown was lifted and the Churchill Suites and the rest of the UK hotel accommodation was allowed to reopen.
Blenheim Palace is the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.
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The new suites feature kingsize beds, distinct living and dining areas, bespoke leather writing desks and works of art.
Guests can enjoy afternoon tea in the walled courtyard of Parsonage Grill, relax in the peaceful library, or explore the city the traditional way and borrow the hotel’s bicycles.
The two suites will feature a copy of Josh Ireland’s book Churchill & Son and two sizes of replica bronze busts of Sir Winston Churchill, which are available to buy.
The book explores and explains the relationship between Lord Randolph, father of Winston Churchill, Winston, and his son Randolph.
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