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Lynn Montgomery: Aberdeen journalist who grilled Margaret Thatcher dies

She began her career in Hertfordshire before moving to Scotland where she embraced the culture of her new home.

Lynn Montgomery, a former Press and Journal features writer.
Lynn Montgomery, a former Press and Journal features writer.

Lynn Montgomery, the reporter who interviewed Margaret Thatcher for The Press and Journal during the final months of her premiership, has died aged 81.

She was invited to Downing Street to interview Mrs Thatcher in May 1990, just days before the Prime Minister was due to address the Scottish Conservative Party conference in Aberdeen.

Lynn, who was born in London, had two spells as a feature writer at Aberdeen Journals. She worked across The Press and Journal and the Evening Express in the 1960s, then returned around 1990.

She also had a spell working at what was then The Glasgow Herald. In Aberdeen during the 1960s she was known for her arts coverage and was said to be “practically resident” at The Tivoli.

In her interview with Mrs Thatcher, Lynn pulled no punches, asking the Prime Minister first off how she coped with so many people disliking her.

Lynn Montgomery in Downing Street with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Mrs Thatcher replied that while some appreciate her decisiveness, others react sharply to her decisions.

The premier also spoke of her personal security, how she loved to be among crowds but also the terrible night of the Brighton bombing when she lost dear friends.

Lynn was born in North Hampstead, London, in 1942 where her father was a railway station inspector and her mother, originally from Manchester, was a registered nurse.

She began her primary education in London before moving to Hertfordshire and Letchworth Grammar School where she excelled at English.

Career begins

Her first job in journalism was on the then Hitchin Express in the late 1950s before her move to Scotland around 1960.

Lynn’s son, Andrew, said: “Although English, mum embraced the local culture with gusto. She became an avid follower of Scottish ceilidh music and even supported the SNP for a time. For some years in the 1960s she also went by the byline, Lynn Lord.”

During the 1960s, she was based at Aberdeen Journals headquarters in Broad Street in the city centre.

During the 1960s Lynn’s byline was Lynn Lord when she wrote for the Evening Express and The Press and Journal.

She left journalism around 1972 to begin her family and by the time she returned around 1990, the newspapers were based at Lang Stracht in Mastrick and The Press and Journal editor was Harry Roulston. Dick Williamson was editing the Evening Express.

Andrew said: “Although she had supported the SNP in earlier years, by the 1990s she was an ardent Conservative, so interviewing Mrs Thatcher was a dream come true,” said Andrew.

“In fact mum also stood as a Conservative candidate in local elections in spring 1985 but came a distant third in her home ward of Bridge of Don.”

In the early to mid 1980s, Lynn was a Brownie leader and took her pack to Pittodrie to make tea for the players in the year after their Gothenburg triumph.

“In her retirement, my mother loved to read. She had cats and dogs and was a long-term supporter of Cats Protection and other animal charities,” said Andrew.

You can read the family’s announcement here.

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