It was 50 years ago yesterday since the funeral of Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill.

Events to commemorate the anniversary were held across the country and joining the nation’s leaders in laying a wreath at the base of Churchill’s statue in the House of Commons was Oakwood Park Grammar schoolboy Evan Lewis.

The Year 9 pupil was invited to attend to represent the school after an Oakwood Park team won the 2014 Winston Churchill Public Speaking competition held at the great man’s birthplace, Blenheim Palace, last year.

Evan, accompanied by the deputy head, Mark Housden, joined David Cameron, Ed Milliband, Nick Clegg, and members of the Churchill family at a small ceremony at St Mary Under Croft, beneath Westminster Hall.

After sharing breakfast and hearing the Prime Minister speak and watching as he laid a wreath, Evan was given a private tour of Parliament and attended an exhibition in Portcullis House.

He also took the chance to tell the speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow that he was interested in going into politics. Mr Bercow’s advice was “never give up.”