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A highlight of the dinner will be a talk by Allen Packwood, the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre. Dinner guests can expect a colourful introduction to the private and public life of an iconic wartime leader. Churchill is regarded by many as the greatest Briton ever, but for some he remains an intensely controversial figure. Inspiration for this talk will be drawn from the Churchill Papers, some 3,000 boxes of letters and documents ranging from Churchill’s first childhood letters, via his great war-time speeches, to the writings that earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Describing his talk, Allen said: “We all know Winston Churchill as the cigar chomping, bulldog war leader who led his country through the dark days of the Second World War, but what were the key personality traits and characteristics of the man behind the myth, how were they formed, and how did they come together to help shape his leadership?”

Allen Packwood is a Fellow of Churchill College and, since 2002, Director of the Churchill Archives Centre. He was co-curator of 'Churchill and the Great Republic', a Library of Congress exhibition, which ran in 2004, and ‘Churchill: ̽��ֱ��Power of Words’, a display at the Morgan Library in New York in 2012.

In January 2015, Allen appeared in an hour-long BBC 1 documentary, Churchill: ̽��ֱ��Nation's Farewell, hosted by Jeremy Paxman and featuring the Churchill Archives Centre.

Allen has also organised many events and lectures, including the successful conference on ‘ ̽��ֱ��Cold War and its Legacy’, staged over two days at Churchill College in 2009, and attended by senior representatives from China, Germany, Roumania, the Russian Federation and the United States.

He is the author of several articles, co-wrote the publication accompanying the Library of Congress display, edited the recent guide to the Churchill Archives Centre, and has lectured extensively on Churchill in the United Kingdom and the United States.

̽��ֱ��Churchill Archives Centre is located in the grounds of Churchill College, and is home to the papers of Sir Winston Churchill, Baroness Thatcher and almost six hundred of their contemporaries: politicians, diplomats, civil servants, military leaders and scientists of the Churchill era and beyond. It is still collecting.

An exquisite menu has been developed for the occasion by Churchill College, location for the MasterChef 2015 final back in April, which includes: pea panna cotta with poached egg yolk and crispy ham; poached salmon, wild rice and sautéed shiitake mushrooms with misu glaze, or Lentil and Tempeh Cassoulet, Red Pepper and Basil; and strawberry parfait with mini meringues and toffee sauce.

Pre-dinner drinks are at 7pm, dinner is at 7.30pm. ̽��ֱ��evening will start with a sparkling pre-dinner drink followed by a delicious three-course meal in the main Dining Hall. ̽��ֱ��meal will end with coffee. Tickets are priced at £39 per person. A selection of wine is available to buy for dinner (cash or card payments). Diners are advised to dress to impress.

To book please call: 01223 336164/336233, or email: conferences@chu.cam.ac.uk

About Open Cambridge

For one special weekend in September, Cambridge welcomes members of the public through the doors of some of its most beautiful and intriguing places. This year, over 80 events, ranging from College gardens to the Fire Station and museums to the Mosque, explore the heritage, architecture and culture of this historic city.

Open Cambridge is part of the national Heritage Open Days scheme. Designed to offer special access to places that are normally closed to the public or charge admission, the initiative provides an annual opportunity for people to discover the local history and heritage of their community. For more information please visit: .