This photo shows Margaret Thatcher visiting Parkfield Foundry in 1985. Courtesy of Glenn Hutchinson. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This photo shows Margaret Thatcher visiting Parkfield Foundry in 1985. Courtesy of Glenn Hutchinson.
Picture Stockton Archive 
I remember that day. A large hostile crowd gathered outside the foundry to boo and hiss Mrs Thatcher! I was among them. I was young and angry.
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This brings back some memories but it wasn’t Maragaret Thatcher that asked me the question it was the pre office. I do remember working with Kevo working with me in despatch with Alan Fish. Had some great times at the foundry and worked with some good people until the new owners took over and it went downhill after that.
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I remember both Neal and Alan well from my time at Parkfield Foundries. For a while I worked with Neal in the dispatch department as a forklift driver and I’m sure he remembers me.
I was a student at Teesside Poly at the time of this photo, but returned to the foundry that year for the summer.
I spent most of this time painting and generally sprucing up the place and later rumours started that it was for the benefit of an impending visit from the PM. The company had just installed new electro-magnetic induction furnaces, which replaced the old highly polluting coke fired cupolas. Not doubt to the great relief of our neighbours.
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On this vist to Parkfield Foundry, Mrs Thatcher asked Neal if he knew she was to visit the Foundry. Neal told her that they knew someone famous was paying a vist, and he was hoping it was Sam Fox – Mrs Thatcher gave him a blank stare. Also on this vist to the area Mrs Thatcher was filmed for the TV news shows stood on the then derelict Teesdale site, she promised the site would be transformed in the coming years, and transformed it was. Thats one promise she kept.
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My brother, Neal Hutchinson, is front left in this photo, Alan Thompson is stood at Mrs Thatchers side and is Ron Angus in the background. The other three gentlemen are security.
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