thatcher’s golden globes
No matter how many Oscar nominations, baftas or golden globes Meryl Streep is nominated for I can not bring myself to part with some of my hard-earned to watch Pathe Film’s production, The Iron Lady. I come from a family where, when she popped up on the tele, my granddad would spring to his feet, march to the set (pre remote and still in black & white for us) turn it off, return to his seat and peruse The Lancashire Post for a deliberately over-long period before repeating the process. And this was BEFORE she was even elected Prime Minister and did her long-lasting damage to our national heritage of nationalised industries, stock of social housing and manufacturing & production sectors in the 80s.
With hindsight however, she would have had his vote in one regard. Nearly three decades before MP’s thieving ways became common knowledge, Thatcher was going at it hammer & tongs with the civil servants of the day concerning the cost of refurbishing the Downing Street flat. According to papers now published via the 30 year information embargo, the Iron Lady felt the £1,836 spent on furnishings was overly excessive. She insisted she would use her own crockery, saving £239, pointed out she and Denis used only one bed and would save £464 on bed linen and insisted on buying the £19 ironing board herself. The final point reminds me of Denis’ famous quote about him not only wearing the trousers in the relationship but also having his wife’s permission to iron them as well.
