Plans for a Maragaret Thatcher festival which could include special themed beers are underway to celebrate what would have been her 100th anniversary. The celebrations would be held in the former prime minister’s hometown of Grantham in Lincolnshire later this year.
The independent leader of South Kesteven District Council Ashley Baxter said “wheels are turning” on developing events across the market town to mark the anniversary. Thatcher, the UK’s first female prime minister, died in 2013 aged 87. Nicknamed the ‘Iron Lady’, she was the longest serving PM in more than 150 years but was a polarising figure during her time in Number 10.
The Conservative presided over a turblent period in British history, including the miners’ strike, Falklands War, Cold War and the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The commemorations for the anniversary are being planned for the week of October 13.
Details are still being developed, with little yet confirmed about what will be included in the celebrations, LincolnshireLive reports.
Councillor Baxter suggested the event could be called “The Festival of Thatcher” and that there could themed beers or beer clips with names such as Iron Lady or Grantham Lass.
Karen Whitfield, assistant director of leisure, culture and place at South Kesteven District Council, described the anniversary as a “significant event for Grantham”.
She said: “There will be a lot of organisations wanting to put on events, performances and shows.
“What we’re trying to do is bring together a group of stakeholders so they don’t all end up fighting for the same bite of the cherry, and so there’s a coordinated approach.”
Thatcher served as prime minister for 11-and-a-half years from 1979 until her resignation in 1990.
Born in Grantham in 1925, Thatcher’s father – a shopkeeper and the town’s mayor – was a major influence in her childhood.
She studied at the local grammar school before going on to Oxford University.
Thatcher was first elected as an MP in 1959 and after leaving the House of Commons in 1992, was appointed a life peerage in the House of Lords.