UK elections

So after weeks of bickering and bantering, after all has been spun and re-spun, the three leaders of the three main parties squared up to a long night of slow results. 95% of what happens and who wins which seat is, of course, more or less decided way in advance and there could have been little doubt in anyone other than the staunchest conservatives' mind that Tony Blair would get a bit of a scare but nevertheless remain in power for an "historical" third term. BBCs coverage of such important events has become legendary since the Thatcher years - Dimbleby, Paxman and the wonderfully excitable John Snow make an irresistable team if you absolutely have to follow what is happening: the suave, the cynical and the downright potty! The swingometer was in full flow, fluctuating mind-bogglingly between red, blue and yellow, and this year it was joined by an array of CG visual aids ranging from the ingenious to the ridiculous image of three virtual leaders strutting down a virtual Downing St. in an attempt to illustrate how well they were doing in relation to expectation and the burden of history. By 4:30am Labour had reached the magic total of 324 and counting, with an expected majority of around 66 by next evening (a drop of over 100 seats since 2001!), Blair looked pleased again instead of worried (although it remains to be seen whether he will remain leader for very long) and everyone else looked knackered and not a little bored. Perhaps the most significant moment of the night was the election of George Kennedy to the Tower Hamlet seat in London, displacing labour's Oona King, the first ever black female MP. He wasn't a Conservative, he wasn't a LibDem, he wasn't even a Green or BNP - he represented the Respect party, founded by himself, as a full on protest to Blair and the war on Iraq; in an already tense racial environment he went door to door stirring up anti female and anti Blair furore and won, by about 400 votes! A big statement, but where will it leave the people of that particular borough after the heat dies down? Ah, politics... I'd rather have a sausage sandwich... Kx

Shaun Murphy

The Embassy World Snooker Championships at Sheffield's Crucible theatre have been a part of my TV life since I was old enough to wield a cue. Alex Higgins, Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor and 18 million viewers after midnight in 1985, Steven Hendry's magnificent 7 in the 90s and the rise of Ronnie - all vivid memories for me! Maybe it's because the whole thing lasts almost three weeks and takes a certain amount of patience to stay with that makes it so special; you feel as if you've been through the pressure, the disappointment and the triumph with them by the end of it. Not to mention that it always throws up a decent amount of drama and the odd fairy tale success too. Before the tournament it would have taken a fool or a brave man to bet against the reigning champ, O'Sullivan, he looked invincible, and even after an early scare his game looked smooth and solid as ever through to the quarter-finals. But then a controversial match with Peter Ebdon, whose slow style and possible gamesmanship broke Ronnie down, and it was anyone's - Ronnie declared he was taking a year off, and looking at the drawsheet from the other games all the top seeds had fallen in earlier rounds. By the time the semi-finals broke off only Matthew Stephens held a top 10 world ranking, but even then you weren't sure he would win it with the other 3 all giant killing underdogs. Stephens made the final, as he did in 2002, but it was 150/1 qualifier Shaun Murphy who stood in his way: a local lad of 22 that I hadn't even heard a whisper of before he beat John Higgins in the second round. A classic match ensued with never more than 4 frames between them in the marathon 4 session best of 35. The temperament of both players was great and no one was wishing that higher profile players had made it to the final, for here were worthy contenders. After 14 hours of play over 2 days it was Murphy who's mettle stood the test, as he emerged the victor 18-16 to be crowned the final Embassy World Champion! From obscurity to legend within the game in a matter of two weeks, and a check for £250,000 to put an extra shine on the trophy! Couldn't have happened to a nicer lad, by the looks of it. Top Telly! Kx