Jessica Smith

Margaret Thatcher, the grocer's daughter from Grantham who rose to become one of Britain's most controversial prime ministers, lived in Colchester for two years after leaving Oxford.
As Margaret Roberts, she lodged in Cambridge Road, and commuted daily to her job as a £400-a-year research chemist at the British Xylonite Company at Cattawade, near Manningtree .
Colchester people remember her catching the 8am Beeston's works bus from the bus depot in St John's Street. This was in marked contrast to the huge security operation surrounding her visit to the town as part of the 1992 election campaign.
While in Colchester in the late 1940s, she joined the town's Conservative Association and worked diligently for the cause, manning book stalls at fetes and attending social events. She eventually became association secretary.
Lady Thatcher's biographer, Kenneth Harris, said: "She discussed politics in the canteen and tried to proselytise her fellow employees travelling to and from work.
"She was regarded with a mixture of amusement and respect. Some of her colleagues thought her a bit boring at times - but nobody disliked her and took to her because she was 'friendly and nice'."
At the 1948 Conservative conference in Llandudno, Wales, she was persuaded to fight the safe Labour seat at Dartford, Kent. She was just 24 and the only woman shortlisted. When she was selected she was the youngest Tory candidate in the country and shaved 1,000 votes off the Labour majority.
She left Colchester to nurse Dartford for another attempt at the seat, taking a job with the J.Lyons food company. She later went on to capture Finchley for the Tories, a seat she held until her retirement.
Lady Thatcher's elder sister Muriel Cullen farms at Great Oakley near Harwich and Lady Thatcher used a visit to the farm as a sounding board to find out about farm policies shortly after becoming Conservative leader in 1975. She also went shopping with Mrs Cullen, buying five pairs of shoes from a shop on the exclusive Connaught Avenue in Frinton.
Lady Thatcher clearly remembers her time in Colchester. Her landlady was Enid Macaulay, president of Colchester soroptomists. She repaid her friendship by addressing a meeting of the soroptomists in 1976.

Chloë Chadwick is a stunning singer/songwriter/guitarist based in South Cheshire, England.

Initially cutting her teeth as a performer playing sets around the French Alps and the Balearics from
2003 - 2006, to literally thousands of people, Chloë moved back to England ready for more in 2007.

After seeking out musicians to back her, she hit the ground running with a storming set at
Liverpool's famous 'Cavern Club'. A busy year followed, with 2008 providing a multitude of gigs in
venues around the North West. Highlights included a highly-rated performance at 'CreweLive08',
a televised, semi-final outing at 'live and unsigned '08' and a support slot in front of some 4000
people to Jason Donovan.

So what next? Well, Sandbach Transport Festival of course!! 18th & 19th April 2009

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Monkey March for Sandbach Parade

Caudwell Children will be holding their first Monkey March for 2009 at Sandbach Carnival & steam parade, Caudwell Children have successfully been chosen for the 2nd year of the festival as the partnering charity for the event.

Your little monkeys will have lots of fun doing a 1km fun walk in the festival parade, singing monkey songs and learning monkey moves. They can even undertake the march in fancy dress.

Registration starts at 10.00am on the 18th April at Sandbach Council Offices with the march starting at 10.40am.

Children take part to raise funds for local children to help buy Equipment, treatment and therapies.

Anybody wishing to help raise funds for Caudwell Children should call Paul Arrowsmith 01782 600611. For more information about the transport festival please visit www.sandbachtransportfestival.co.uk

About a kiss
"I ran up the door, opened the stairs, said my pajamas and put on my prayers - turned off my bed, tumbled into my light, and all because he kissed me good-night!"