History repeated itself yesterday when the daughter of Sir Winston Churchill planted a cedar tree at Government House 61 years after her father did the same thing.

And Lady Mary Soames was given a section of the tree Sir Winston planted during his visit to the Island in January 1942 at the height of Second World War which survived Hurricane Fabian.

She planted the tree using the same spade her father used during a ceremony when Governor Sir John Vereker welcomed guests who are in Bermuda for a conference to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cold War summit held here in 1953 between Churchill, US President Dwight Eisenhower and Prime Minister Joseph Laniel of France.

Sir John said that during Fabian Government House lost 700 trees.

?There was one tree here which was, how can I phrase it, bloodied but unbowed, but surviving; a strong, thriving muscular tree planted by a young Winston Churchill in 1942,? said Sir John.

Lady Soames gave Sir John a copy of a painting her father did of Chartwell, his country home in Kent.

She said the organisers of the conference had ?excelled themselves in bringing us here to the beautiful island whose geographic position and history have given it the romantic and inspiring title of ?Queen of the Western Gate?.?

Premier Alex Scott, who joined guests including former British Defence Secretary Lord Michael Heseltine and Island schoolchildren, said: ?Bermuda is proud to have played a small part in the life of Churchill during one of the most important periods of the 20th century.?

?Historian Max Arthur ? reading a speech from Churchill?s official biographer Sir Martin Gilbert ? said the ideas of freedom and democracy Churchill expounded during his visits to Bermuda in 1942 and 1953 are still relevant and inspirational.

Churchill told the House of Assembly in 1942: ?These ideas of parliamentary government, of representation of the people upon franchises which extend as time goes on, and which in our country have reached the complete limits of universal suffrage...these institutions and principles constitute at the moment one of the great causes which are being fought out in the world.

?With all their strength, with all their faults, with all their virtues, and with all the criticism that made be made against them, with their many shortcomings, with lack of foresight, lack of continuity of purpose, or pressure only of superficial purpose.

?They ? these ideas of parliamentary government ? nevertheless assert the right of the common people, the broad mass of the people, to take a conscious and effective share in the government of the country.?

Churchill?s hopes of bringing peace and greater understanding between the nations arising from the 1953 Bermuda summit failed, ?but his vision became reality in the years ahead?, said Mr. Arthur.

?Churchill?s confidence in the ultimate goodwill of mankind has often been put under intense strain. But, like his faith in democracy, it remains a beacon of light for all to follow in this 21st Century.?