Eventually dropped off to sleep at 5.30 am, got up at 7.30. Labour took Grainley, would you believe it?

Far too hot to wear a coat, walked into town in my new coral shirt. Every five minutes kept remembering Labour now have 415 MPs and a 175 majority. Partners at work rather subdued, all being old Tories. I kept a low profile as I know it is not pleasant to lose elections.

Wandered round in a daze at lunchtime, partly lack of sleep, partly the sun blazing down out of a cloudless sky, mostly political amazement. I'd hoped for a 1964, I found myself caught up in a bigger majority than 1945 (30+ seats bigger). If I'd known that would happen, I'd've put up two posters. Also amazing is the Libs on 45 seats - it's a whole new political landscape.

Strolled home in a combination of happiness and beautiful weather unknown since the end of Sep. 1990. On the news, John Major came out of No.10 and went to see the Queen. The grey man finally did drive up the Mall and it was finally over.

Then the same car picked up Tony from Islington and took him to Buckingham Palace, then to Downing Street. He made a speech saying he would not let us down and then went inside.

Then Prescott and the rest arrived to be assigned jobs. I cannot convey how strange it was to hear, uttered in commonplace tones, 'Robin Cook is the new Foreign Secretary. Jack Straw is Home Secretary.' It was like an impossible dream, but it was really happening. Like the maps of Britain turning red that represented real votes.

And there was the complementary experience of seeing Kenneth Clarke loading his stuff into a hired van to take it away from the Chancellor's residence. As the newsreader pointed out, no more ministerial car

From the moment about 10.10 pm yesterday when Paxman asked Portillo about the exit poll, and while he was using the same words as he used to when he was confident, I could see he really was worried, we were seeing the Tories losing. For years and years they hang on and on, seemingly unassailable, till you despair of ever seeing the back of them, then - pfft - they've gone.

Left M a message asking if she was still worried, like she was in May 1992, that Labour would lose the election.

In the evening watched Porridge (1977 - previous Labour era); opened the champagne I bought as an act of faith yesterday.

Sing, all ye people of the Tower of Anor
For the realm of Sauron is ended forever
And his dark tower is thrown down.

Yes, 'tremendous and lightning-crowned, filling all the sky' the Tories were, then 'a great wind took' them.

Or, as some woman on R5 put 'I feel like one of the Munchkins when the witch melted'..

Saw Thatcher on the news. Gotcha! Fucking Gotcha!

It's the end of the Torycaust. It's a new era. It's a generational thing. It's a whole minute on the Rock'n'Roll Years. And the Labour victories are now 1945, 1950, 1964, 1966, 1974 (Oct) and 1997. And I voted for them. 'I made this'.

This has been one of those occasions when life says 'Congratulations. You win.' Doesn't happen all that often.

I have now commented on the subject at length.