The Iron Lady 1987

I went to York today to see The Iron Lady which proved to be as good as it's reviews. I was particularly interested as I have twice photographed Margaret Thatcher, one of those occasions was this blip, a photo taken while she was campaigning in Greenford, near Ealing, West London, for the 1987 General Election.
I remember arriving early to get a good position for her walkabout, getting there before the press bus full of national newspaper photographers, who then piled in behind me! I recall taking this photo leaning back at what felt like 45 degrees as I held my ground against the push and shove of the national snappers who were a bit aggrieved that a local newspaper youngster was right upfront. The local MP, on the left, who knew me, kept telling Thatcher's security police to let stay up front, obviously with an eye to getting the best pic of himself with Mrs T in the local paper. This was my favourite shot as Mrs Thatcher shakes the hand of someone without even looking at them.
At the end of her photo op', I felt like I had been through a gym workout, as the other snappers disappeared back on their bus, off to the next location with the PM.

I thought the film was remarkable, with a truly astonishing performance from Meryl Streep, who totally becomes Thatcher. Jim Broadbent as her husband Denis, is excellent too, very close to the man I met once (he was very jovial, helping to wash the dishes at a local Conservative Party get together, but not letting me take a pic of him doing it!).
I think a part of Streep's superb acting is due to her being a partisan American, free of the memories of Thatcher's time. So she acts the woman, not the politics. The film is also as much about the effects of dementia, which now afflicts Mrs Thatcher, as about politics, giving the movie a very human aspect.
It deserves all the awards which must surely already be lined up for it. Do go and see it, particularly if you are over 40 and can remember the Thatcher years.

Is this the longest 'caption' I've ever written for a blip??!