Peter Murphy, IRN
As our plane prepared to take off for the East Midlands, Mrs Thatcher herself came back to tell us what was planned.
MT
[aircraft noise and muzak] It's not always easy to get an interesting day's visit because this is a bank holiday, but I think actually we have got it today. We're doing an enormous variety—school, Church of England foundation, and then a very thriving flourishing factory factory and then we're going to the testing ground for cars, I don't know, I hope Graham Day will come to that. Years since I went there.
Peter Murphy, IRN
A school? Surely if it was a bank holiday they were off for the day.
MT
The school has gone in specially and I have been quietly tipped off the vital thing to maintain any sort of relationship with them is to say please as you come in today could you have a day off in lieu. [laughter] So …
Peter Murphy, IRN
And true to her word, when she arrived at Leicester Grammar School, she announced …
MT
[chanting and whistling from crowd outside] First may I thank all of you for coming out on what should be for you a bank holiday—not a bank holiday for politicians, but it should have been a day off for a school. And if I may get on side right at the beginning of my few remarks, may I ask the headmaster if they may have a day off as a substitute for the day when they are coming today. [applause]
Peter Murphy, IRN
Outside a group of demonstrators chanted and blew whistles while inside the school, which is an independent Church of England foundation, Mrs Thatcher quoted from their prospectus:
MT
“The pupils are expected at all times both inside and outside the school to behave in such a manner as to enhance the good name and reputation of the school and to show [end p1] consideration and kindness to others, and to respect the rights and well-being of other people” . [hear, hear] That is the basis of our national life, it is that the freedoms which each of us has we must respect in others and without that life would be of a very much lesser value than it is. And so may I say that there are certain things which politics can do. We can make facilities available, we can make monies available for the tax payers [loud chanting “Out out out” ] and I shall be going to other schools during the course of this campaign. We can make laws which give in fact punishments for people who do not obey them. But there is no law in Christendom that can make people behave well, that can make people kind and courteous to one another, that has to be done because of what you believe, you are a Church of England foundation, it is these things which teach the deeper things of life and make us behave in that way to one another, which concentrate on bringing out all that is good in the personality and character of the person and to try to … to eliminate what is wrong and diminish it as far as it is possible to do so.
Peter Murphy, IRN
Mrs Thatcher then proceeded to officially open the school. Although it's been in operation since 1981 she remarked it gave them time to ensure it worked properly.