The stories from Swindon when Margaret Thatcher became the Conservative leader
Margaret Thatcher became the leader of the Conservative Party in 1975. Also pictured: Barbara Castle and Clive Jenkins THIS month in 1975 Margaret Thatcher celebrated becoming leader of the Conservative Party. Two major political figures appeared in local news, but came from the other end of the ideological spectrum. One was perhaps the only female politician of the time more famous than the future first female Prime Minister.
Swindon Labour Party was delighted to announce that the guest of honour at the party’s Wiltshire County Rally that summer would be Barbara Castle.
The stories from Swindon when Margaret Thatcher became the Conservative leader swindonadvertiser.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from swindonadvertiser.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Youngstown native Robert Kroeger, who now lives in Cincinnati, stands in front of a barn door from 1840.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one of a series of Saturday profiles of area residents and their stories. To suggest a profile, contact features editor Burton Cole at bcole@tribtoday.com or metro editor Marly Reichert at mkosinski@tribtoday.com,
By MARLY REICHERT
Staff writer
YOUNGSTOWN A surprise anniversary trip in September 2012 to Licking County set Youngstown native Robert Kroeger on a mission that turned into a passion that soon will become a book, “Historic Barns of Ohio.”
“I looked up and saw an old gray barn on a hillside, its roof sagging, boards missing, paint weathered and a bit tilted,” Kroeger, 74, said. “Then a powerful message came hard to describe, almost like a thunderbolt between my eyes: ‘You’re going to paint this barn, write an essay about it, and preserve Ohio history.’ It was incredibly real, almost surreal, maybe supernatural.”