"When Winston goes cruising with Mr Onassis" - Peter Hawkins, Monte Carlo, Monday.

Daily Mirror - Tuesday 10 April 1962

He arrived at Nice Airport at the weekend, smiling as everyone fussed around him - and the first thing he did after settling into the back of a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce, was to light a huge cigar. 

As he drove past, I caught a glimpse of that familiar cherubic smile - Sir Winston Churchill was back to embark on another Mediterranean cruise. 

Tonight he is somewhere at sea on board the fabulous yacht Christina, as the guest of his friend, Aristotle Socrates Onassis. They are an oddly assorted pair...Onassis (they call him 'Appy Ari), aged 55, king of the Greek multi-millionaire ship-owners, owner of the Monte Carlo Casino and one of the world's most extravagant hosts. 

Churchill (they call him Winnie), aged 87, Knight of the Garter, and one of the greatest ever British statesmen. He is the most famous and sought after guest in the world. 

How do those unlikely shipmates spend their time on their frequent cruises together? I expect that as I write this they are sitting down after dinner to a film in the yacht's saloon. For it is routine aboard Christina, that, whenever Sir Winston goes cruising with Onassis, films are shown each evening. 

But nothing like the flicks back home...

There is an attentive barman - continually at hand with an eye on the state of Sir Winston's glass.

MINTS

Standing by is a large supply of Sir Winstons favorite chocolate mints, imported specially from London. 

There is only one projector, so while each reel is being changed Onassis and the other guests discuss the merits of the picture with Sir Winston. 

If the films are overlong, or if Sir Winston seems tired, the films are split into two parts and shown on successive nights. But sometimes this does not suit him, and at the end of the first half he demands to see one more reel or even the end. When this happens anyone who has already left has to be found again, and the crew go searching the decks and cabins for missing guests.   

There is no doubt that Sir Winston, always a good sailor, enjoys these cruises immensely. He likes the company of Onassis, and they spend hours talking together about anything from British sport to Greek politics. During the day they play cards on the sun deck, and it has not passed notice that Sir Winston wins almost every time. 

GAMBLER 

He is a lucky gambler, and a dab hand at poker. I have seen him on holidays, playing roulette in the Monte Carlo Casino, and there too it is amazing how often the little white ball drops nearly into the number where Sir Winston has placed his chips. 

I watched one afternoon as Sir Winston, sitting beside Onassis, won about £600 on a single bet - Onassis seemed delighted - although as owner of the casino it was he who was losing. 

Recently, when I visited Onassis's yacht I was shown the large double-bedded cabin with private bathroom which Sir Winston occupies whenever he is on board. I also noted a coloured plaster bust of him on the ships bar, and a picture painted by Churchill hanging in the saloon. 

This 687-ton yacht is magnificent - and really much more of a floating luxury hotel. 

There is even a carpeted circular staircase between decks, and you could be forgiven for not believing that you were at sea. 

NAMES 

Sir Winston wakes early each morning, usually rings for some tea, and afterwards goes back to sleep again or reads before breakfast in bed. 

He is very friendly with the crew and knows them all by their first names, remembering tiny details of their family health. 

But even when, as now, he is miles away from Britain, he insists on regular contact with home. He is avid for news, and this makes hard work for the radio operator. He has to write reports for news broadcasts for Sir Winston at least twice a day.