11-07-2025
Margaret Thatcher festival's programme of events revealed
More details have been announced of a festival to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher. The former Conservative prime minister was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1925 and died in April 2013, aged Fest will begin in her home town on 13 October and will include a drag show and talks by former minister Edwina Currie and TV personality Gyles Brandreth. South Kesteven District Council leader Ashley Baxter said the aim of the festival was to "promote political debate and drive footfall to Grantham".
The council said Thatcher Fest would cover the "history, conflict and divisive politics of her time in power."Thatcher was the UK's first female prime minister and held the post from 1979 until her resignation in said: "We're working with all kinds of community organisations to make sure people know the centenary is happening."Regardless of what you think of her views and policies, a woman getting to the position of prime minister in 1979 is astonishing."It's not something everyone would want to celebrate - she is one of the most polarising figures of recent political history."
Guildhall Arts Centre line-up
Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, 13 October: A drag show starring Matt Tedford as The Iron Lady, reimagining the evening of the Section 28 vote with Thatcher getting lost in Soho and accidentally becoming a cabaret junior health minister Edwina Currie hosting an evening of chat and memories of her time in government, 14 OctoberQuite A Centenary, 17 October: Hosted by TV personality, author and former MP Gyles Brandreth, celebrating three British icons - Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth II and Winnie the Reagan, Gorbachev: Power, Politics, and the end of the Cold War, 15 October: Hosted by York St John University professor, Dr James Cooper.
Other ticketed events
Walking Talks: The Thatcher Years - guided walks of Grantham - various dates in OctoberThe Iron Lady: cinema screening at Kesteven and Grantham Girls School - 13 and 16 OctoberLiving Over the Shop: Grantham Dramatic Society present a gossip's view of Margaret Thatcher at Christ Church, Finkin Street/Grantham Museum - 15 and 18 OctoberMargaret Thatcher: Alternative Voices - Music and poetry at Grantham Museum 18 OctoberAll tickets are available through the Guildhall Arts Centre website or from the Guildhall Box Office in Grantham.
Ticketless events
Thatcher Postcard Exhibition: Union Street Gallery will hosts a collection covering various side of the story, political moments, and illustrated images throughout OctoberMargaret Thatcher display: Discover her early life, legacy, and local roots at Grantham Library, 13 to 18 OctoberGrantham in the 1920s and 1930s - local history talk at Christ Church Finkin Street, 14 October at 16:00 GMT
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