Maggie goes back to a battleground
The party faithful who turned out to work for Margaret Roberts during her two Parliamentary skirmishes in Dartford in the 1950s were there to welcome her back as Prime Minister during her return visit last Friday.
The Premier had a strenuous programme of official engagements which she managed to fit in during a three hour whistle-stop tour.
Her main purpose was to open the £1.2 million sheltered housing complex Thatcher Court, in Dartford; named to mark her strong links with the town.
The complex was started by the former Labour Council and the naming caused bitter controversy among councillors. Labour Members boycotted the event.
But whether they believed in her politics or not the elderly residents of Thatcher Court waited patiently in their airy pine-clad lounge to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister.
From their seats they may have not been able to see the unveiling ceremony, but Mrs Thatcher's unmistakable voice could be heard loud and clear in the crowded room.
She congratulated Dartford Council on the well-designed flats and said the woodwork gave it a gentle appearance.
She said the combination of private flats and a warden to look after residents eliminated fears among many.
Mrs Thatcher launched into reminiscences of the great political debates which took place between herself and her much-admired Labour opponent Norman Dodds during her two unsuccessful bids for the Dartford seat in 1950 and 1951.
“This is where I really learned how to answer questions. It gave me good training for question time in the House of Commons” , she said.
One of the first residents Mrs Thatcher met was 92-year-old Miss Stella Myers who presented the Prime Minister with a posy.
Mrs Thatcher was given a tour of the building with warden Mrs Bobbie Ridgeway and deputy warden Mrs Sheila Corbett.
One of the stops was for a cup of tea with Mr and Mrs Alfred and Dorothy Almond who live in one of the two paraplegic flats at Thatcher Court.
During the visit the Prime Minister and her entourage braved a well-ordered but noisy crowd of demonstrators, the next step was the newly-acquired Dartford Conservative Association headquarters in Highfield Road, also the subject of a fierce Dartford Council planning controversy.
There Mrs Thatcher unveiled a second plaque and after a guided tour of the Victorian detached house met many old friends and former fellow workers in the garden.
Member Mr Darshan Singh Sandhu, put a tinsel garland around Mrs Thatcher's neck as an Indian sign of welcome.
One of the successful Chronicle prints, depicting the High Street and framed by Conservative Agent Mr Stephen Payne was presented to Mrs Thatcher.
Among 1950s campaigners was Mrs Mary Carrano, a former close friend with whom Mrs Thatcher exchanged telephone numbers.
There were more memories as Mrs Thatcher recalled she had helped decorate the former Tory headquarters in Spital Street. She congratulated workers on a tasteful job in Highfield Road.
She told members: “In the Conservative party we do not ask who your father is, we ask what can you do for the community? We ask you to work not only for the party, but the community and the country” .
The Prime Minister was not giving away any secrets about her intended cabinet reshuffle. “I am not going to reshuffle the Government in front of the TV” , she said.
But it was around the corner at the Dartford Conservative Club, in Spital Street, where Mrs Thatcher aroused cheers from crowds of supporters.
She told them: “No U-turn for me” , much to their delight.
Dartford's MP Bob Dunn, still visibly shaky from an appendix operation, looked cheerful with his wife Janet.
Mrs Thatcher told the crowd: “Bob's magnificent. He's always on hand with a helpful ‘hear, hear’ behind me” .
Mrs Thatcher showed a copy of the address for her 1951 election given by a member and recalled that at that election she had campaigned on cutting public spending and the importance of defence.
Deftly side-stepping her defeat in Dartford, she concentrated on the success of the Conservative Party at that election.
The Prime Minister apologised that her husband, Denis ThatcherDenis, who she met in Dartford, was unable to be with her on the nostalgia trip.
Mrs Thatcher was also taken to nearby Flicks Disco for a buffet lunch with the town's business community.
She recognised the building as the old Scala cinema and after being given a potted history of the place by Conservative Chairman Councillor Tony Gillham said it was a fine example of private enterprise giving the town's young people what they wanted.
Across the road from Flicks the Dartford Unemployed Centre was serving chip lunches to some of Dartford's jobless.
Chairman of Dartford Unemployed Group Mrs Barbara Halford who helps at the centre went to Flicks with four unemployed people after Mrs Thatcher left to ask for leftovers to feed them with.
Mrs Halford added: “I went to Flicks to ask for leftovers because the four people with me had no money to buy food. They were hungry and yet the Prime Minister was a guest of this fine show” .
Following paragraph below photograph of MT and Ray Woollcott
Meet the man who took the Prime Minister a cup of tea in bed every Sunday for two years.
Pensioner Mr Ray Woollcott (above) of Upper Heath Lane, and his wife Lucy WoollcottLucy invited the Prime Minister, then 25-year-old Margaret Roberts, to lodge with them in Knoll Road during her two election campaigns in Dartford in 1950/51.
Mr Woollcott recalled Margaret had worked in the research department of J. Lyons, the famous restaurant chain.
“She used to do her election writing lying on a rug in the front room” , he said.
It was Mr Woollcott's job to make the early morning tea on Sundays and he always took Margaret a cup.
Mr Woollcott also revealed Denis Thatcher had not been Margaret's only admirer.
“Denis used to visit among others” , he said.
Mr Woollcott was reunited with their former lodger when she arrived at Dartford Conservative Club last Friday to unveil a centenary plaque.
Mrs Woollcott, who has suffered several strokes, is a patient at Joyce Green Hospital, Dartford.