As an occasion of sombre splendour, the state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill was unequalled, not least for the dipping of the cranes in an unscripted final salute as the funeral barge Havengore headed along the Thames.
Now, though, I can disclose that Havengore’s fate hangs in the balance.
Chris Ryland, the retired businessman who bought her for nearly £800,000 in 2006 and spent over £1.5million restoring her, has concluded that, at 74, he needs to hand over to someone younger.
As…
