What do you remember about what you were doing at previous election times?

God, can't remember one since 1997. Still out of it I think. This one was an altogether more sober affair.

can remember voting in 1997, i walked to the polling station from home in tears as had a row with a colleague that day at work. in 2001, went to a party at a friends house to celebrate labour getting in.

am a bit scared of the tories getting back in. i remember thatcher.

1987 - I was 12 and on a school overnight trip and was the only one out of 16 pupils disappointed by the result.

1992 - At college, everyone was gutted and just spent the day sitting round very miserable

1997 - A glorious sunny day. I was working for a fairly small company and the MD was so thrilled with the result that she closed both offices at midday and let us all go home early.

I can't remember the last two that clearly.

My last sentence should of course say 1987 election, in case you were wondering how DS could be voting at the age of 12!

In 1997 I was studying in Denmark and when I saw the Sea of Red on the Danish news in the morning, I went running out of my flat on campus looking for the other Brits. We all started screaming as soon as we saw each other! Went completely radio rental! Jumping around, screaming and the like.

The Danes were at us, as they have referendums all the time and didn't really understand our sheer unadulterated joy and happiness.

Then we got proper drunk!

I remember being annoyed when the February 1974 election was called that I'd missed being able to vote by 6 months - that one resulted in a minority Labour government and a second election in October, which I was able to vote in. Coincidentally, DS was also six months short of his 18th birthday at the 2005 election, so this is his first general election, as well as DD's.

I also remember at the 1997 election, the most important thing to me that day was my first scan with DS, rather than the election.

1979: I was allowed to watch Telly In The Morning - only ever allowed on election mornings in our house (to be fair, it only EXISTED on election mornings until I was about 13). I remember David Dimbleby drinking a blue cocktail on telly at something like 7am, and Mum explaining that it was a good thing a woman was prime minister.

1983: Different world. My dad had started his own business and was spiralling towards bankruptcy. John Cole on the telly saying 'We keep hearing on the doorsteps "You've got to hand it to her". Feeling patriotic due to all the union jacks on the news every night.

1987: first vote and I don't remember a thing...
1992: David Amess grinning like a Cheshire cat from Basildon.
1997: thought we'd be the first to vote at 7.01am or something but far from it.

1974 - Remember going to polling station aged 6 with parents...twice in one year!

1979 - Primary teacher v pleased a woman in charge at last...

1983 - Aged 14, depressed at result

1987 - first time Labour voter, depressed again at Thatcher's re-election...

1992 - Couldn't believe it...

1997 - doing uni exams for post grad qual and watched Blair driving to Palace etc, instead of revising...felt elated.

2001 and 2005, just relieved Tories didn't regain power.

2009 feeling at Cameron getting majority...and a bit OMG at thought of a hung result...

2005 - watched it on sat TV in middle of Bay of Biscay on Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry

1979- I was 7. We did a mock election at school. I didn't understand it, but was quite impressed at the idea of having a female PM (ha!)

Thatcher resigned- I was in the student union and the place erupted with cheering. we were still smarting up here from the polltax fiasco (which all of we students refused to pay)

1992- sat up with fellow students and ex-boyfriend, getting more and more depressed. Had huge argument with ex-boyfriend as we were in Scotland, with a good Labour majority and yet were to have a Tory government forced on us again because of the English vote (he was English, a staunch Tory-hater, and suitably offended!)

1997- in my first job, in my tiny flat, on my own, watching avidly. Couldn't stay awake, but went to bed hopeful, and was very happy and amazed to wake up to a Labour government the next morning, having really known nothing but Tory rule all my life.

THis time- bit worried! DH is going around predicting doom and gloom, regardless of who gets in!

1979, I was six. I can remember going to the polling station at the crummy local community centre with my Mum. She explained (in a very non-political way) that the man in charge was probably going to lose. I remember feeling sorry for him and saying I thought everyone should vote for him (I've always favoured the under-dog!). Sadly no-one listened and Thatcher won.

This time, my son is 5.5, and after DH explained (in a non-political way) to him that the man in charge is probably going to lose, he has been begging us to vote for the 'red team'.

I fear history is about to repeat itself (only I'm not aware Cameron is a woman) .

A small insight into the mind of a 5/6 year old there: I think it's something to do with the fear of the unknown.

I remember my vote being stolen in my very first election. (People who moved into our house must have lied on the form - WE were living there on the qualifying date.)

I remember everyone walking around in shock in '92 and gradually the Tory voters coming clean. Saying things like 'well, I didn't go in meaning to vote Tory, but I just thought I'd give Major a chance'.

I remember all the hope and excitement in '97...

Should have said 87 [old emoticon]

97 - in the middle of my 2nd year exams at Uni, living in a student house, we all stayed up all night supposedly revising, with the help of Pro-Plus, remember chasing the milkman down the street for breakfast milk at 5am and vowing to never ever use Pro-Plus again. Passed the exams though.

Yes, best pressie ever.

Remember staying up late and going to bed very depressed in 1992. Up all night and oh-so-happy for a naive day or so in 1997.

That was bloody nice of her Rosebud

Thatcher resigned on my 21st birthday.

It was fab.

i have to say the only time i have ever seen councillors really being moved to action, was in a marginal seat.

Yet another who was excited about a woman running the country in 1979. 1992 was my first election but I lived in the safest Liberal seat in Scotland so not very exciting. 1997 I was a graduate student in Oxford and was very excited to be in a marginal seat. I've been in safe Labour seats ever since. I want to move to a marginal seat again!

1979 - I was 1.
1983 - i remember waiting in the car whilst my parents voted. It was a nice day, and they voted in a red brick Ex-methodist church where we went to playgroup.
1987 - I remember my parents arguing with my grandparents about poliics! that is all. Pleased a woman had her third win.
1992 - The full grip of recession! i don't remember the actual night.
1997 - I was at university, and my friends organised a drink-per-result drinking game (Blue Curacao, Limoncello, and red wine..) which, in that night, resulted in the drinking of much red.
2001 - out of the country.

2005 - happened to notice it was election day whilst nipping out before work. This election offered so little choice, the fact of the date had completely escaped me. My bos said'I voted, doesn't matter where i live but it made me feel better'..which i think sums up a good reason to vote.
2010 - just waddled down to the poll station (a local pub under renovation) and voted. lovely spring evening, cherry blossom in the late sun..

1979: my strictly anti-TV (and Tory-supporting) parents took the TV into their bedroom for the night. I (aged 6) thought the end of the world was coming. Little did I know...

[big gap]

1997: the only elections I ever voted in in person (also in swing seat Edgbaston). Being the naive idiot I shall probably remain to the end of my days, and never having heard of exit polls, I thought the guy would assassinate me if I told him I'd voted for the wrong party (I was studying Russian at the time, so probably been reading too much about Stalin ), so I refused to speak to him .

After that I always voted per proxy (Lib Dem I hope, but my mother disapproved, so probably Tory), and now I'm no longer eligible to vote having lived abroad too long...

1997 a student in Oxford about a week away from Finals. Stayed up for May morning (Tory toffs popping Libdem balloons with lit cigarettes on Magdalen Bridge) and then vowed not to stay up for the election so as not to be hallucinating in Exam Schools.

Dinner out just after the polls closed, where it transpired a very staunch Toryboy had accidentally voted LibDem (both candidates had the same surname, Evan Harris was first alphabetically). Just watched a bit of it in the TV room with others similarly close to exams. Lots of jubilant shouting as results came in. Porters came to complain about the noise. Then when the Tories finally got a seat round midnight, the Blue-rosette contingent rallied and started saying "Never mind, Portillo will save us." You know the rest. Noise continued, porters stopped coming to tell us off. Stayed up till 5 in the morning, kind of passed Finals.

No real memory of later elections, though I always stayed up to watch the results.

Ah I can see why you don't remember them Pagwatch - I was 8 in 1979! I'm glad you remember them sethstarkaddersmum!

I don't. But only because I was doing A levels and Blue Peter was frowned upon