Sean Sandrock submitted the press release and photos.
The birthplace of President Ronald Wilson Reagan is pleased to welcome Mayor Graham Jeal of Grantham, England, on Friday, October 7, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., at 111 S. Main Street, Tampico, Illinois 61283. Grantham is the birth town of former United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The Ronald Reagan Birthplace & Museum and Tampico Mayor Kristine Hill are pleased to hold a ceremony at that time, to mark a recent announcement. The birth towns and museums of these world leaders have created a new pairing relationship.
Mayor of Grantham, Graham Jeal, said, “I am really looking forward to visiting Tampico to meet Mayor Hill. We have spoken about the pairing of Grantham and Tampico for many months. It will be good to talk about how we can develop this further.”
Mayor Kristine Hill, of Tampico, said, “We are delighted that Mayor Jeal is making this trip on behalf of the people of Grantham. The pairing of Tampico and Grantham has been received very positively in [our] town. I am sure Tampico will leave a positive impression on Mayor Jeal.”
The ceremony will be held directly in front of the Reagan Birthplace in Tampico, IL, at 111 S. Main Street. It will include a special plaque dedication; speeches from Mayors Jeal and Hill; Sean Sandrock of the Reagan Birthplace, and Curator of the Reagan Birthplace, Joan Johnson.
There will be a reception to follow. All are welcome to attend this free event; it is open to the public and surrounding communities.
The pairing relationship will include an exchange of gifts between the two Mayors and increased cooperation between the Ronald Reagan Birthplace and Museum and the Grantham Museum to increase visitors. Grantham Community Heritage Association (GCHA), the educational charity which manages Grantham Museum, and the Ronald Reagan Birthplace Museum have confirmed their participation in the exchange.
Malcolm Robbins, Chair of the GCHA, commented, “At the Grantham Museum, we have an extensive collection of items in our Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher exhibition. I hope we can develop our relationship with the Ronald Reagan Birthplace Museum, to tell the story about the warm professional relationship that the President and the Prime Minister clearly benefited from.”
Sean Sandrock is Tour Guide and Historian of the Ronald Reagan Birthplace and Museum. He noted, “The Reagan Birthplace and Village of Tampico are honored to welcome Mayor Jeal from the UK. This new relationship between the two museums and communities of President Reagan and Prime Minister Thatcher will showcase their connection during the 1980s as world leaders.”
To contact Tampico the Reagan Birthplace email sandrock.sean29@gmail.com or call 1-815-499-0026. Find information about Tampico at https://www.tampicoil.com.
Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, on February 6, 1911, graduating from Eureka College in 1932. He served as the Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, after a successful career in Hollywood. He was the 40th President of the U. S. A. from 1981to 1989.
Margaret Thatcher (nee Roberts) was born and raised in Grantham, and attended Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, before studying at Oxford University. Her father, Alfred, was Mayor from 1945 to 1946. She was Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and was the United Kingdom’s longest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century. She entered the House of Lords in
1992.