ielle recalled C

ostalgia will be on the
Nmenu tomorrow when 13

former MPs, all first
elected before the second world
war, are reunited at a dinner in
their honour at the Speaker’s
official residence’. The guest list
includes a former prime minister,
Lord Home, who entered the
Commons way back in 1931,
when Ramsay MacDonald was at
10 Downing Street, and a former
lord chancellor, Lord Hailsham,
who made his debut seven years
later. The event has been
organised by the Tory MP,
Charles Goodson-Wickes, who
says he had the idea “inthe early
hours one morning trooping

   

through the division lobbis an

thinking about ¢i:“ “
ghosts”. He began with his . 
friend and political mentor, “ aw

   

Martin, MP for Blaydon between ‘i A

1931 and 1935, who will be at the
dinner, and then started to track
down the other survivors. He
reached 23. All said they would
like to attend, but ten dropped out
because of poor health.

Former Tory MP Somerset de
Chair, who lost his South West
Norfolk seat in the 1945 Labour
landslide by 53 votes, was thrilled
by the invitation. “I had lost touch
with so many who will be there,
who were once such great friends,”
he said yesterday before leaving
for Royal Ascot. De Chair, at
prolific author, will be one of the
youngest guests at 78, having won
his seat in 1935 to become, at 24,

 

 

     

9 and Fefi

\..;_.  .,»

Unionist MP Sir Alfred Beit, 87,
the South African diamond multi-
millionaire and son of Sir Otto
Beit, is making the trip from his
home in Ireland. The others who
will relive a little bit of political
history tomorrow are Major
Trevor Cox (Stalybridge and
Hyde, 1937), the 92-year-old
Kenneth Lindsay, (Kilmarnock,
1931), John Oldfield, (South East
Essex, 1929), Wilfred Roberts
(North Cumberland, 1935), Lord
Tranmire (Thirsk and Malton,
1929), Sir Godfrey Nicholson
(Morpeth, 1931) and Christopher
York (Ripon, February 1939).

. When The Times read the guest-
list to Lord Home, 87 next month,
he said: “I remember all of them.
Some I’ve kept in touch with but

. w b g g w$~,
enough to join old friends. Former