Kennedy at Birch Grove

In 1963, at the height of the Cold War, President John F. Kennedy and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan met at Birch Grove, Macmillan's country house in Sussex. The brief 24 hour visit is often overlooked by the history books, but their time together in the English countryside cemented their relationship and a unique Anglo-American friendship. Birch Grove acted as the stage for the talks between the two men, with all the comings and goings of an international Cold War summit. After just 24 hours Kennedy would leave England never to return. Both men would face difficulties in the months ahead leading to resignation for Macmillan in October and for Kennedy, who tragically lost a child just weeks later, the dramatic events of November 22nd 1963. 50 years on, using the original government files from the time and Macmillan's own account, author Paul Elgood in this short history pieces together those few extraordinary hours at Birch Grove. Featuring on BBC 1's 'Inside Out' programme and BBC 2's 'JFK: The Final Visit to Britain', the book has been widely covered in the media to mark the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination.