Despite all this activity Churchill’s daily routine changed little during these years. He awoke about 7:30 a.m. and remained in bed for a substantial breakfast and reading of mail and all the national newspapers. For the next couple of hours, still in bed, he worked, dictating to his secretaries.
At 11:00 a.m., he arose, bathed, and perhaps took a walk around the garden, and took a weak whisky and soda to his study.
At 1:00 p.m. he joined guests and family for a three-course lunch. Clementine drank claret, Winston champagne, preferable Pol Roger served at a specific temperature, port brandy and cigars. When lunch ended, about 3:30 p.m. he returned to his study to work, or supervised work on his estate, or played cards or backgammon with Clementine.
At 5:00 p.m., after another weak whisky and soda, he went to be for an hour and a half. He said this siesta, a habit gained in Cuba, allowed him to work 1 1/2 days in every 24 hours. At 6:30 p.m. he awoke, bathed again, and dressed for dinner at 8:00 p.m.
Dinner was the focal-point and highlight of Churchill’s day. Table talk, dominated by Churchill, was as important as the meal. Sometimes, depending on the company, drinks and cigars extended the event well past midnight. The guests retired, Churchill returned to his study for another hour or so of work.
(Thanks to Eric Henning.)
so interesting.
Posted by: sarah | February 05, 2009 at 02:31 PM
Time to send a mental thank-you note to Winston Churchill. He was a great defender of the Western civilization.
Cheerio!
Posted by: Martin Lindeskog | February 07, 2009 at 10:01 PM
If my math is right, that means that out of 24 hours, Churchill spent 17 hours working in bed, 14 hours eating, 12 hours drinking and smoking, and 14 hours napping.
Posted by: Matthew Glover | February 10, 2009 at 12:16 PM
Its kinda creepy how much you know about him. Like what time he woke up and everything else...Its kinda CREEPY!
Posted by: Kayla | February 10, 2009 at 03:12 PM
I have in the past couple of years become interested in Winston Churchill after visiting the War Rooms in London and liked this post for detailing his schedule because it helps me gain perspective on what I am doing.
Posted by: Alpesh Shah | February 14, 2009 at 05:10 PM
Wonder if Hugh Hefner got his working-in-bed routine from Churchill.
Posted by: rickey gold | February 15, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Fascinating! Maybe all of us born on his birthday should adopt that sort of routine. It sounds like it would be very good for the spirit! :)
Posted by: Qrystal | February 16, 2009 at 03:14 PM
Your link is broken; correct link is now http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/photo-gallery/residences/chartwell
Posted by: Anthony | June 09, 2009 at 01:07 AM
Fascinating indeed... if MY math is right, and if you don't count reading the mail and papers as labor, the dude only worked about 3 to 3.5 hours a day.
(A "couple" in bed in the morning and an hour and a half at best, if he opted to get busy instead of playing backgammon with his wife, right after his hour and a half, champagne-soaked lunch!)
How on earth did this guy build a legacy like that?
Posted by: John F. | August 18, 2009 at 05:24 PM
The more I learn about our great saviour the more he becomes Boris (Johnston): a genius in waiting, for when the world needs a hero. Otherwise just a spoilt baffoon with too much mental energy for his own good.
Posted by: Ben | November 15, 2010 at 02:42 PM
This lion lived many incarnations in his one lifetime, and I imagine those different periods demanded a different schedule than the one recorded here.
I'm figuring this one is from a "retired", late in life period, and I would love to know the specifics of his time, for instance, as Prime Minister, and again when he was writing "A History of the English-speaking Peoples". I figure the early alcochol and cigars was similar, but doubt the game-playing time with Clementine filled so many hours.
Cheers.
Posted by: CF | January 22, 2011 at 12:28 PM
just a fat lazy bum
Posted by: ronnie soencer | December 21, 2011 at 07:00 PM
Actually, I counted 5 hours as potential work time. Nonetheless, I'm not sure how one could justify the statement that the daily nap made it possible for him to work a day and a half. Is three hours what the author considers a full day of work? I won't even get into how productive that work must have been when alcohol was alrady being consumed before the crack of noon!
Posted by: Scotty Mack | May 16, 2012 at 07:40 AM
Actually in many ways I'm not a great fan of the Man but, if you look at the schedule and substitute it with meetings with Ministers and Chiefs of staff (which would certainly have replaced Clementine and the card playing during the war time years)-in those long meal times- you actually have a man putting in a very long and engaged day!
The alcohol consumption is a little worrying but, all those meals would have been full of highly charged and informative discussions between Churchill and Senior Civil Servants, members of The War Cabinet and Military chiefs. He used to regularly have them in his bedroom and hold court also- in that morning session.
2 baths - soaking in the tub (half-cut on drink- no doubt) actually would probably be a very good 'reflective' and 'thoughtful' time. Can you imagine a modern leader having the luxury of such quality time for thought and reflection? I'm sure any modern, heavily-scheduled and media-accountable politician does not have the time to reflect or mull over the important decisions that they need to make.
Actually I expect they may be often pretty exhausted. Is that a situation conducive to creative thinking or making judgement calls that may have long lasting and significant consequences?
Posted by: Mark Fitzpatrick | September 20, 2012 at 08:55 PM
What a wonderfully relaxed and elegant life the grand old man had. It just strives to highlight his overwhelming strength of character and obvious intelligence that he managed to save Europe from the third reich and create such a heroic legacy for himself. The spirit of this man lives on and to this day is the true essence of Britain and heart of our peoples.
Posted by: Jack | October 09, 2012 at 10:56 AM
The man wrote 50 books, was an accomplished parliamentarian, leading newspaper columnist and an inspiration to the Country and free world during the war. We should all take note and drink more Pol Roger and Whiskey, take naps and work from bed.
Posted by: Stephen McQueen | November 19, 2012 at 05:47 PM
It's interesting to peruse the comments. This is a man who lived 89 years, wrote 50 books, served in British government for a half century, and was Prime Minister twice -- in WW II and again in the early 1950s. When he left his second Prime Ministership he was 80. And he won a Nobel Prize in literature. Isn't that enough for two ordinary lives? If he could work three hours a day and do all that, he was a better man than I am, that's for sure.
Posted by: Randolph Resor | February 05, 2013 at 10:54 AM