Wingrave Church was open when I visited with my friends Neil and Derek, on the 3rd January 2004. Inside the Church are two plaques commemorating Czech links with the village, and also a visitors book:
The first plaque celebrates the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, when Wingrave held big celebrations and sought participation of the Czech and Slovak governments. The Czech Ambassador attended these celebrations:
The plaque reads:
In the dark days of the Second World War, the President of Czechoslovakia, Dr. Edvard Beneš, found refuge at The Abbey, Aston Abbotts.
At the same time, the Czech Government-in-Exile was established at The Manor House, Wingrave.
Fifty years later, on Monday 8th May 1995, His Excellency Karel Kuhnl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, renewed the fraternal bonds between our two peoples by attending the festivities held in Wingrave to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Victory in Europe.
Note that strictly speaking, the plaque is in error because the Czech Government-in-Exile was not established at The Manor House, but was based in London.
The Church visitors book is easily accessible and if you turn back the pages to Monday 8th May 1995, you can find Karel Kuhnl's signature from that visit:
Karel Kuhnl's signature in the visitors book at Wingrave Church
The following entry in the book after Karel Huhnl's catches my eye - Teresa Green
from in the forest
who appears to have just got married - this is a joke based on a play on words with the English language.
In 1998, the Czech President, Václav Havel, visited the United Kingdom following an invitation from the Queen. He attended a number of functions during his stay between October 19th and the 22nd, and received an honary doctorate at the University of Oxford. During his stay he visited Wingrave, and a second plaque in the Church commemorates this visit:
The plaque reads:
This plaque was unveiled by his excellency Preseident Václav Havel of the Czech Republic to commemmorate his visit to Wingrave on 20th October 1998
Looking back at the Church visitors book again, if you turn the pages to the 20th October 1998, you will find Václav Havel's signature from that visit:
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