Maggie's back in town

Maggie Thatcher spoke of her love for Kent when she visited the county town that snubbed her 26 years ago.

Her official task was to open the TVS studios at Vinters Park in Maidstone—an invitation she accepted because of “happy and significant” personal associations with Kent.

Mrs Thatcher said: “Kent is the place where I started my political career and, as you can see, it is not a bad place to start.

“It may just inspire others to start in the same way.”

In 1958 Maidstone rejected Mrs Thatcher as a parliamentary candidate but she went on to win Finchley a year later.

She had lost her first general election in Dartford. But there she had met her husband Denis, then managing director of the Erith-based Atlas Preservative Company.

Mrs Thatcher said her flat at Lamberhurst was a place of joy and relaxation for her family.

TVS stressed that her studio visit had no political connotations. The company chairman, Lord Boston of Faversham, is a Labour peer.

At County Hall the Prime Minister congratulated Tory controlled Kent Council for its “good housekeeping.”

She met Conservative councillors and was unruffled by a “welcome” from about 250 jeering demonstrators.

Most of them were welfare workers who have been on strike for about six months in support of a sacked colleague, John Kirkpatrick.

Their union, Nalgo, authorised its 6,000 county council members to strike for the day in protest against government policies. But only 30 clerical workers joined the demo.

They later went on the march through the town as Mrs Thatcher was entertained to lunch at TVS.

She said television was one of the great growth industries, creating jobs, entertainment, inspiration and interests.

The studios were a tribute to British technology, ingenuity and industry.

TVS managing director James Gatward presented her with a book on the series, The Spice of Life, cassettes of the programmes and a box of spices.

Mrs Thatcher went on to the Royal British Legion industries at Aylesford.

Ex-servicemen and their dependants make road and rail signs, wooden pallets and electronic components. There is also a print shop.

Her last port of call was the Great Danes Hotel at Hollingbourne where Kent MPs and constituency workers were waiting to greet her. [end p1]

The wit and the wisdom

Mrs Thatcher, speaking of her pride in British television programmes, mentioned that Coronation Street was sold to 55 countries.

“What that does to people learning English, I don't know!” she added.

After being presented with a box of spices by TVS, Mrs Thatcher said she was not left much time for cooking but added: “I do believe in the spice of life.”

Lord Boston of Faversham, the chairman of TVS, told Mrs Thatcher of the day he went to open a fete. He made a speech and then forgot to do the opening.

Mrs Thatcher replied: “You have admirably expressed why I am here—it is because you would have made such a muck of it.”

Mrs Thatcher was photographed by TVS beside the door featured in the company's children's programme, Number 73.

The number was changed to 10 especially for the Premier but the colour stayed the same—red!