It seemed like a good idea at the time when my boss suggested taking a clock along to the count in Sunderland for the General Election of 1997 which was 25 years ago today.

It was well known that Sunderland was expected to return the first result because they had bank staff who could count the votes fairly quickly and on that occasion they nailed it within 50 minutes. And I think the picture works.

It was a long night once I got back to the office in Newcastle sending out the various pics from the other photographers working that night.

Having said that when I got back home it was clear that Labour were on course for a landslide victory. Having said that I could not have predicted what would happen over the subsequent years including two controversial wars whose consequences we are still experiencing to this day.

I was sent down to Sedgefield the following day to try and track down a taxi driver who had bet on Blair winning the election but without success. However I did find this dog who had Labour’s colours on his collar.

From The Journal on Friday, May 2, 1997.