Maggie cool in midst of the media circus

The international media circus descended on Reading yesterday in hot pursuit of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Rose bushes were trampled underfoot, transistors were knocked over and tables climbed on as cameramen and reporters fought to get the best story.

The Prime Minister's hosts looked somewhat bemused as the 80 plus pressmen from all over the world scrambled for vantage points.

But the Prime Minister remained cool, wandering around factories and paying rapt attention to people she met.

Schedule

Occasionally she turned on her media companions and, fixing them with her most schoolmarm-like expression, urged them to pay attention to yet another triumph for British technology.

Once she broke away from her tight schedule to mingle with shoppers at the Meadway precinct in Tilehurst and to chat with passers-by.

The pressmen, including at least eight camera crews, arrived at the premises of Tempatron in Portman Road. Reading, about 15 minutes before the Prime Minister.

As she stepped from her campaign coach—dressed in a dark blue two-piece suit with a familiar knotted scarf and single row of pearls—she was greeted by the company's Mike Butler.

Inside technical director John Way explained the electronic timing devices the company makes and then led her into the production area.

Accompanied by Reading West candidate Tony Durant she spoke to workers, including Sylvia Hemmings, Pauline Edwards, Ionie Anderson and June Litherland who all worked under a poster saying “In our business the customer is king!”

Sorry

But as she moved on from talking to 16-year-old Philip Povey, from Norcot Road, who went to Stoneham and has just got a full-time job at the company after spending six months on a work experience scheme, the crush of photographers knocked over a pile of components on Laksham Setty's workbench.

As the youngster, on a work experience scheme, scrambled to collect the pieces, Mrs Thatcher told him: “Oh, I am sorry. We can't help as we might pick up the wrong piece.”

Before she set off towards Tilehurst, Mrs Thatcher nipped across to visit neighbours Candela Instruments after chairman Tony Bushnell intercepted her and asked her to meet his workers.

Then it was on to Meadway Precinct, where Mrs Thatcher made a surprise stop for a rousing speech to party supporters and shoppers from the back of a Renault truck.

To cheers from her supporters she urged them to vote for Mr. Durant and Dr. Gerry Vaughan and in a quick speech sketched Conservative policy and knocked her opponents.

She ended by pleading: “Give us a bumper result on June 9 to show our country is behind the policies of the Government.” She was received with cheers, a few boos and a bouquet of flowers.

Sixteen-year-old Rodney Chandler was determined to speak to Mrs Thatcher and he fought through the crowd to ask what she planned to do about providing more jobs.

She told him she was trying to assist young people on training schemes and put money into industry.

At Racal's new £4 million group research centre she was shown the new anti-jamming radio equipment selling at up to £6,000 a set and posed for photographers speaking into the handset saying: “Send up more canvassers plase.”

Crisis

After an explanation of Racal's new cellular radio system—a good reason for denationalising British Telecom, she said—by Mike Clarke, Mrs Thatcher moved on to the research centre's opening ceremony.

Racal boss Sir Ernie Harrison praised her leadership in the Falklands crisis and said she had restored the country's pride. “This country is respected and admired because of her work,” he said.

Replying, the Prime Minister said she was delighted to open the research centre and felt that Racal showed the way for British industry to develop—using high technology in the market place.

After a private lunch with the research centre's workers, she moved up Basingstoke Road to the Racal-Tacticom Group.

She spent three hours with the Conservative candidate, Michael McNair-Wilson in his Newbury constituency—far longer than had been scheduled.

Controls

Her first stop was in Thatcham where she addressed a 500-strong crowd, urging them to vote Conservative.

The big hold-up came at Quantel Limited in Newbury where Mrs Thatcher was introduced to the company's latest television effects computer machines.

She sat down in front of the Quantel “Paintbox” and with evident enjoyment played happily with its colour mixing controls.

Among those she met was test engineer Martin Digweed, who said he was “undecided” how to vote, and his colleague Chris Brindley, aged 18, who will be voting for the first time on June 9.

Mrs Thatcher quickly spotted assembly worker Tina Matthews, who was wearing a “Vote McNair-Wilson” badge, and stopped for a few words.

Outside Quantel she stopped to sign an autograph for 17-year-old Christopher Neeves, who lives at Plaistow Green near Newbury.

Then she went to Instrumental Colour Systems, another Newbury firm that has won a Queen's Award.

There, chairman Mr Tony Perry showed her around the premises where 80 employees develop and produce computers to control colour in textile and other products.