THEY always said they would party long and hard in Liverpool on the day that Margaret Thatcher died.
Pete Wylie even wrote a song in anticipation of the event, five years ago, which, at the time, Liverpool Confidential exclusively previewed here.
Three years later, writer Tony Schumacher, got into a lather on twitter after he pondered whether it was time Liverpool forgave the Iron Lady.
If last night's rapturous scenes in parts of Liverpool were an indicator of more widespread feeling in the city, then clearly it still isn't.
While no pub in the city centre was quiet this extraordinary Monday night, dockers' enclave The Casa, on Hope Street, was the place to be, although not after 10pm when it reportedly ran out of booze.
Arrests
And while nobody yet appeared to have got their act together to construct an effigy, there were fireworks, there was chanting and outside Lime Street Station, passengers disembarking the London train were greeted to scenes normally reserved for Grand National Saturday or one of the teams winning the Prem.
Arrests and more organised mayhem were largely confined to Bristol and Brixton. But with Mrs T's funeral more than a week away, bars in those areas where Thatcherite policies bit hardest may be stocking up for an unexpected boom.
