1 TOURING CHURCHILL’S ENGLAND Rituals of Kinship and Belonging Published in: Annals of Tourism Research Catherine Palmer (University of Brighton, UK) Full reference: Palmer, C. (2003) ‘Touring Churchill’s England: Rituals of Kinship and Belonging’. Annals of Tourism Research 30(2): 426‐445. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: Drawing upon the insights to be gained from material culture studies, this article examines the role of objects as identity markers, specifically those displayed at Chartwell, the former home of Sir Winston Churchill. Theoretically grounded in the psychological dynamics of nationness, it argues that both man and house personify characteristics of Englishness. The artefacts inside the house resemble a forest of symbols depicting those aspects of the nation considered worthy of reverence. Recognition of these symbols takes place within three realms: imagination, memory and emotion. Within these realms lies the potential to rekindle the national self‐confidence and unity that Churchill is deemed to represent. Keywords: Churchill, identity, culture, Englishness, kinship. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Most daily lives are surrounded by and at times overwhelmed by the