GOODBYE MS. “CHIPS”
CECILY “CHIPS” GEMMELL, Winston Churchill’s last surviving personal secretary, a good friend of Chartwell Booksellers over many years (she lived just a few blocks west of us), passed away on Thursday morning, October 8, at the age of 97.
Her obituary in the New York Times can be read HERE. It was written by our proprietor, Barry Singer, and speaks for itself.
Three years ago, in the midst of our 40th Readings at Chartwell Booksellers video series commemorating the 40 best books about Winston Churchill written during our 40-year existence, Ms. Gemmell briefly relinquished her steadfast privacy for just an instant to celebrate our 40th Anniversary with a few choice words at the end of actress Becky Ann Baker’s reading from the book, WORKING WITH WINSTON, by Cita Stelzer. You can watch that HERE. It is a cameo not to be missed.
You may meanwhile ask: What about our move?
Well, after walking away from four (count’em four) potential new locations due to unrelenting landlord misbehavior (different landlords, mind you), we now have a lease (not yet signed, but in hand) on a space that beats them all. If our newest potential landlord proves to be even modestly more legit than his predecessors (what are the odds?) you may well be hearing from us again very soon.
Until then, here’s to “Chips,” a truly impeccable Churchillian.
