In 1979, after her successful bid to win the election vote, Margaret Thatcher became the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and was handed the keys to number 10 Downing Street.
She grew up in the small market town of Grantham and lived above a shop, which is now a health and chiropractic centre called Living Health.
She secured a place at Oxford University and graduated from there in 1947 with Second Class Honours in a Chemistry Bachelor of Science degree.
Since coming from the position of Prime Minister to a member of the public, the only recognition that Mrs Thatcher has received in Grantham is a small plaque, which says ‘Margaret Thatcher MP - first woman Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”
Why have we not honoured this amazing woman? Isaac Newton has a statue in Grantham, so why not Margaret Thatcher?
In Grantham we hardly ever have anything to celebrate and honour except for the New Year and Christmas.
The only other recognition that she gained was a display of Margaret Thatcher memorabilia in Grantham museum, which closed due to spending cuts by Lincolnshire County Council.
Although there are tourists that visit Living Health, they don’t ever seem to stay for long, they just seem to want to look at the plaque and take pictures and maybe ask a few questions about her.
Let’s not forget that this was the 1st ever female British Prime Minister and that she successfully operated for eleven years in a heavily male dominated political arena. This is the kind of achievement that surely has to be celebrated.
There has recently been a film about her called The Iron Lady; Meryl Streep plays Mrs Thatcher and Jim Broadbent plays her late husband Dennis Thatcher. The film staged her early years as a girl working in her father’s shop, a young woman fighting for a political stand and a Prime Minister trying to keep Britain at peace.
The portrayal of Margaret Thatcher was unmistakable and Meryl Streep, in some scenes, didn’t seem like she was acting, it was so natural and as if she actually was Margaret Thatcher.
Hannah Year 8
Walton News Team