Your guide to Grantham events marking Margaret Thatcher’s centenary with week-long festival
A series of events will mark Margaret Thatcher’s 100th birthday, exploring both the achievements and controversies of Britain’s first female Prime Minister.
The ThatcherFest programme, running from October 12 across venues in Grantham, is organised by South Kesteven District Council and a range of community groups.
It includes music, theatre, poetry, local history talks and visual art, highlighting the divisive politics of Thatcher’s time in power.
Council leader Ashley Baxter (Ind) said: “Baroness Thatcher is indisputably the most famous woman to have grown up in Grantham.
“As a female politician and British Prime Minister, she had a massive impact on the global stage and on contemporary British society.”
He said ThatcherFest marks her 100th anniversary and encouraged people to visit Grantham to learn about her legacy.
Highlights include Quite A Centenary, hosted by Gyles Brandreth celebrating Thatcher, Elizabeth II and Winnie the Pooh, and the musical comedy Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho, which has toured the Edinburgh Fringe, UK and West End.
Former Junior Health Minister Edwina Currie will also share memories of her time in government with two performances on October 14.
Not all events are celebratory. Grantham Labour hosts a punk poetry, comedy and music evening at the Railway Club on October 12, featuring Atilla the Stockbroker, Janine Booth, Kate Smurthwaite and local performers.
The night, which runs from 7pm to 10.30pm, includes a buffet and a raffle to benefit Shelter and Grantham Foodbank.
The festival also includes Margaret Thatcher: Alternative Voices at Grantham Museum on October 17. The event gives local musicians and poets a platform to reflect critically on Thatcher’s legacy.
Performers include Billy Blagg, Murray Turner, Last Chance Salon, and local writers Mike Alderson and Lisa Geary. All proceeds after costs will go to Grantham Foodbank.
Other events cover Grantham’s history, walking tours exploring Thatcher’s years in the town, a behind-the-scenes look at the Margaret Thatcher statue at Grantham Museum, and book talks, including Tina Gaudoin’s The Incidental Feminist on October 18.
Unticketed exhibitions will run at the Union Street Gallery and Grantham Library throughout the month.
Coun Baxter added: “Whether you remember Mrs T as the milk-snatcher or the Iron Lady, we would love to see you in Grantham for the festival. There is something for everyone’s political and artistic taste, and it is a chance to reflect on her legacy in all its complexity.”
Here’s a full list of events taking place across ThatcherFest. Ticket booking information can be found on Grantham Guildhall’s website:
Throughout October
- Thatcher Postcard Exhibition – Union Street Gallery, Grantham. Runs October 1-31. A free exhibition of postcards exploring Margaret Thatcher’s legacy and Grantham’s heritage. Visitors can also design their own postcard to be included in the display. Details at guildhallartscentre.com.
Thursday, October 9
- Walking Talks: The Thatcher Years – October 9–18, 10.30am (2pm on Sunday, October 12), St Peter’s Hill, Grantham. Join John Manterfield, local historian, for a two-hour walking tour of Thatcher’s life, including the Town Parlour, Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, Christ Church and North Parade. Tickets £8 adult, £5 child; recommended for ages 11+. Meet at the Isaac Newton Statue.
Sunday, October 12
- We Are Not for Turning! – 7pm, Grantham Railway Social Club. Grantham Labour’s answer to ThatcherFest, with a night of punk poetry, irreverent comedy and music. Acts include Atilla the Stockbroker, Janine Booth, Kate Smurthwaite, and folk singers Tom Lane and Paul Dickinson, plus various party performers. Buffet included. Tickets £15 via bank transfer; doors open 6.30pm. Not suitable for under-14s.
Monday, October 13
- Margaret Thatcher Display – October 13–18, 9am–6pm, Grantham Library. Explore the early life, legacy and local roots of Britain’s Iron Lady through images, newspaper articles, books and her school records. Free entry.
- The Iron Lady – October 12 & 16, 7pm, Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School. Watch the 2011 biographical film starring Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent. Doors open 6.15pm to view documents and memorabilia. Tickets £5; refreshments available.
- Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho – 7.30pm, Guildhall Arts Centre, Grantham. A smash-hit drag extravaganza marking Thatcher’s centenary, combining music, comedy and cabaret. Created by Jon Brittain and Matt Tedford, starring Matt Tedford as Margaret Thatcher. Tickets £24, age 16+.
Tuesday, October 14
- Grantham in the 1920s and 1930s – 4pm, Christ Church, Finkin Street, Grantham. Local historian John Manterfield explores how the town recovered from the First World War, including new housing, parks, a public library and museum, and emerging industry. Free entry; donations welcome.
- Edwina Currie – 2pm & 6pm, Guildhall Arts Centre, Grantham. Two talks: Margaret Thatcher: First Woman PM or Feminist? (2pm) and My Life with Margaret Thatcher (6pm), both with Q&A. Tickets £20.
Wednesday, October 15
- Behind the Bronze: with Coun Graham Jeal – 2pm, Grantham Museum. Discover the untold story of Grantham’s Margaret Thatcher statue, including fundraising, community efforts and alternative designs never before revealed. Tickets £5; Friends of the Museum free.
- Thatcher, Reagan, Gorbachev: Power, Politics and the End of the Cold War – 2pm & 6.30pm, Guildhall Arts Centre Ballroom, Grantham. Dr James Cooper explores key events of Thatcher’s years and her relationships with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. Schools talk 2pm, free (booking via email); public talk 6.30pm, £8.
- Living Over the Shop – 7.30pm, Christ Church, Finkin Street. Grantham Dramatic Society presents a short play exploring Thatcher’s early Grantham connections via A. Roberts Grocery customers. Tickets £9.
Friday, October 17
- From Shop Floors to Shaping Legacies – 4pm, Grantham Museum. Clare Bailey shares personal reflections on Margaret Thatcher’s early life and lasting legacy, drawing parallels with her own retail journey. Tickets £5 Friends of the Museum, £8 non-members, £10 on the door; includes a hot drink and biscuits.
- Margaret Thatcher: Alternative Voices – 7pm, Grantham Museum. An evening of music and poetry reflecting on life in the shadow of Margaret Thatcher, featuring local musicians and writers including Billy Blagg, Tom Lane, Last Chance Salon, Murray Turner, Mike Alderson and Lisa Geary. Tickets £10/£5 concessions.
- Gyles Brandreth: Quite a Centenary! – 7.30pm, Guildhall Arts Centre, Grantham. Celebrate the centenaries of Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth II and Winnie-the-Pooh with author, broadcaster and former MP Gyles Brandreth, exploring Thatcher’s achievements and untold stories. Tickets £35.
Saturday, October 18
- Sounds of the 80s – from 10am, Grantham Market Place. Local musicians perform 1980s hits from the years Thatcher was in power. Free entry.
- Incidental Feminist – 7pm, The Reading Room, The George Centre, Grantham. Author Tina Gaudoin presents a talk and book signing exploring the complexities of Margaret Thatcher beyond political tropes. Tickets £16.96.
Monday, October 20
- Living Over the Shop – 2pm, Grantham Museum. Grantham Dramatic Society presents a short play exploring Thatcher’s early Grantham connections via A. Roberts Grocery customers. Tickets £9.