Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Remarks visiting Finchley (retirement homes)

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Finchley
Source: Finchley Press, 26 April 1985
Editorial comments: 1530-1630 MT visited the Temple Fortune retirement homes; 1635-1715 the Eastwood Old People’s Home; 1720-1815 she attended a Conservative dinner at Friern Barnet County School and spoke briefly. See also Finchley Times, 25 April 1985. At Temple Fortune she opened Birnbeck Court, a private development of "luxury retirement homes". She described the flats as a "wonderful solution" to the problems some old people faced and said that it should not have been considered remarkable that the development had been completed without state aid: "It ought not to be remarkable. It ought to be rather normal. I hope it will be an example to many many other groups".
Importance ranking: Trivial
Word count: 651

PM dreams of a place of her own

Mrs Thatcher would like “a little place of her own” when she is older.

After making a constituency visit to Finchley's Eastwood old person's home on Friday, Mrs Thatcher said that she often wondered what she would do in old age.

“Old age is going to come to most of us,” she said. “I have not yet quite decided what I will do.

“But I would always like to keep my own little place if possible.

“I am very pleased to see these types (Eastwood and Birnbeck Court) of homes available.”

Mrs Thatcher is the patron of Eastwood Home in Hendon Lane. The home is a pioneer scheme for Britain, where the family still plays a part in caring for its ageing relatives.

During her fleeting visit she found time to sit down and chat to all seven residents.

She visited 93-year-old Edwin Rance in his upstairs room—and confessed to him that she hated crosswords.

Mr Rance still does crosswords every day.

“I am not much of a crossword fan,” she told him.

“You have to get in the way of doing them. I have not got into that kind of habit—although they would be good for exercising the vocabularly and thinking.”

She told staff at the Eastwood Home she wasn't much of a “sun chaser” .

“I never search for the sun unless its the cool one,” she said.

“I never sit in it, I always go for the shade on hot days.”

Sprightly Alexander Samuel, Eastwood's youngest resident was speechless after meeting Mrs Thatcher.

“I have known her for 19 years—I had tea with her once,” he said.

“It was good to talk to her again.”

• The music of Land of Hope and Glory brought everyone to their feet when Mrs Thatcher arrived at a Conservative dinner at Friern Barnet County School, on Friday evening.

She spoke briefly about her recent overseas tour saying that the leaders she had met had been favourably impressed by what the Conservatives were doing in Britain.

And she explained the Government's policy on such matters as housing, schools and hospitals.

About 280 people attended the dinner of East, North and Central branches of Finchley and Frien Barnet Conservatives, and enjoyed the light classical music of the school orchestra.

Among those present were Ron Thurlow and councillors Frank Gibson, John Tiplady and David Burton.

• A terracotta bust of Mrs Thatcher has been presented to Barnet.

One of a pair—the other is in London's Carlton Club—the sculpture was unveiled by Mrs Thatcher at a ceremony at Frien Barnet County School, on Friday, attended by Barnet 's former mayors and mayoresses and Chipping Barnet's MP Sydney Chapman.

Removing the cover with some apprehension, as she had not seen the finished item, Mrs Thatcher announced, “I think it's lovely. It's beautiful.”

The head is the work of Middlesex Polytechnic Professor Neal French, Head of School of Product Design, Cat Hill, East Barnet.

It was commissioned by Councillor Vic Usher, as a retiring gift to the borough.

Mrs Thatcher gave Mr French four hour-long sittings “looking out of the window at Number Ten,” she said.

“She was charming,” said Mr French. “She did all she could to make me feel at ease.”

Originally he had thought two sittings would be adequate, but at that stage the sculpture was going “dreadfully badly” . The mouth was not ideal, he said, and had to be changed, and the eyes were “unconvincing” .

After the unveiling, Mr Usher presented the head to Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Leslie Sussman.

It has gone on display in the Mayor's parlour at the Town Hall, Hendon.