Winkle Club

The Winkle Club is a charitable organisation formed in 1900 by Hastings fishermen to help the under-privileged families of Hastings Old Town, in East Sussex, in the south of England.

[1][2] The Winkle Club headquarters, located at the Fishermen's Institute, opened in 1882.

In addition to local residents, Winkle Club members have included Sir Winston Churchill,[1] Lord Montgomery, Sir Norman Wisdom, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Admiral Lord Boyce, and former local MP Michael Foster.

[3] On special occasions, members of the Winkle Club gather on Winkle Island, at the foot of All Saints' Street, the venue for many of the club's outdoor events.

The giant winkle that stands on the pavement (see photo), was used as a collecting box in the past.