A celebration of NFU history goes on display at the Museum of English Rural Life

Memorabilia featuring Winston Churchill will be part of a major new exhibition going on display at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) in Reading to celebrate a century of the NFU.

’The NFU 1908 to 2008’ features material drawn from the NFU’s national archives at the museum. The temporary centenary exhibition charts the importance of the organisation over the course of the twentieth century, through two world wars and into the era of the Common Market and the EU.

One of the highlights of the display will be the original membership form of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill - perhaps the most famous member of the NFU. The form he submitted to the Edenbridge branch in Kent shows he farmed at Chartwell, grew cereal and fruit and kept 128 cattle including 50 Guernsey dairy cows, along with a small pig herd and 300 poultry. Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to hear extracts from the speech Churchill made to the annual NFU dinner in 1953.

NFU Vice President Paul Temple said: "The exhibition at MERL is a timely reminder that the NFU is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. This collection demonstrates the depth and breadth of service the NFU has offered during the last century and highlights its importance as a lobbying organisation representing British farmers and growers.

"I am proud of everything we have achieved and will continue to achieve in the next 100 years."