Mr Gerson, Mr Mayor, Ladies & Gentlemen.
We meet to celebrate the 21st Anniversary of this Company which is a tremendous success story due to the exertions of its people and in particular, to your vitality and flair Mr. Gerson—but as you have just indicated and I know you will understand that my first thoughts, and indeed I think all our first thoughts, almost all our waking thoughts are really 8,000 miles away with our men in the Task Force who went to restore freedom and justice to the people of the Falkland Islands.
Their purpose is a great ideal and their courage and their skill has brought a new pride to our country and made us realise once again that we are all really one family. For us geographically distant though they may be, they are but a heartbeat away and we wish them God-speed in their endeavours.
At home, as you said Mr Gerson, life continues with its commercial and industrial problems and how I wish that everyone would tackle them as vigorously as this firm.
You, Mr. Gerson have never used economic difficulties as an excuse, but always as a challenge and an opportunity. Your flair and initiative, coupled with the co-operation and enthusiasm of all who work here have made this firm a very great success story indeed. We are seeing the latest phase of your expansion—another new warehouse, fittingly, in your 21st birthday year. I note your bankers have been good to you, I expect they think that they have made a very sound investment and I am sure your customers will be on the telephone to you Monday morning. We would like to share in your success, we congratulate you very much upon it. We hope, not only for your own sake, but for our country's sake, that your achievements will continue to mount, that they will bring happiness to your family, to all those who work in this great enterprise and satisfaction to your customers. In that spirit may I open formally this new expansion, I hope I will be here for the third one too—we will make a date for it.
I declare … [Transcript ends].