Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Speech at St Mary’s Roman Fair

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Church End, Finchley
Source: Finchley Press, 17 May 1974
Editorial comments: 1030.
Importance ranking: Trivial
Word count: 286

MP at the ‘Forum’

Finchley MP Mrs Margaret Thatcher carried out an ironic task on Saturday morning when she opened the St. Mary-at-Finchley Roman Fair in Church End Finchley.

She said that although the Roman forum had been the original parliamentary talking shop, women in those times were expected to be third-class citizens.

Earlier, Mrs. Thatcher, the Opposition Environment Minister, had talked of the church's £30,000 parish hall which they now own. “One likes to think that some of the spirit of the church is built into the bricks of the hall,” she said.

“The hall has been a benefit not only to the church but to the whole community.

“Let us hope that now it's clear of debt it will make a tremendous contribution to the work of the church,” she said.

The Roman fair raised more than £1,000 and this will be contributed to the general work of the church.

Mrs. Thatcher toured the various stalls which included white elephant, gardening nearly new, and books and records. She saw, too, ancient Briton Richard Healy, who was the subject of a guess-the-weight competition.

Earlier, Mrs. Thatcher had been welcomed to the Roman fair by the rector, the Rev. Patrick Brock.

He paid tribute to the work of the fair committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Phil Redman. Other members were Mrs. Margaret Redman Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Andrews Mr. David West, Mrs. Olive Hiner, Miss Beryl Cann Hughes and Mrs. Christine Lovell Woods.