Angel or demon? Maggie rides in.

Byline: By ANDREW BALDWIN Feature Writer

THE nation woke on May 4, 1979, to find it had Britain's first woman prime minister.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher arrived at Downing Street to take over from James Callaghan after the Tories won an overall majority of 43 seats.

She became a PM who inspired enormous admiration and devotion. She also inspired a social revolution - and intense hatred.

Some say she was the most remarkable woman of the 20th century. Some say she wasn't even a woman. That she wasn't a grocer's daughter but the devil's daughter.

Even the quaint, old-fashioned middle name wasn't enough to soften the impact made by one of the strongest personalities of the modern age.

Not that it was much used. It was either an affectionate "Maggie," or simply "Thatcher!" - delivered with ferocity, as if it was a swear word.

It was a passionate, partisan reign characterised by love and loathing. There was no middle ground.

And it all started when the Tories won 339 seats, Labour 269, the Liberals 11, Ulster parties 12 and Nationalists four at the election.

On the steps of Number 10, Mrs Thatcher quoted from St Francis of Assisi: "Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope."

During the election campaign, she said the Conservatives would cut income tax, reduce public expenditure, make it easier for people to buy their own homes and curb the power of the unions.

She announced a new Cabinet which included William Whitelaw as Home Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe as Chancellor and Sir Keith Joseph as Secretary of State for Industry.

Former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe - awaiting trial at the Old Bailey for conspiracy and incitement to murder - lost his North Devon seat in a crushing defeat at the General Election.

He said he was horrified by Mrs Thatcher's victory and that she made her predecessor Ted Heath seem like a moderate.

Other prominent politicians rejected by the electorate included Liberal deputy leader John Pardoe, former education secretary Shirley Williams, shadow Scottish Secretary Sir Teddy Taylor and former arts minister Hugh Jenkins.

WE flew the flag after years of war and austerity when King George VI inaugurated the Festival of Britain and opened the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank on May 3, 1951.

The festival marked the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851 and was held to demonstrate Britain's contribution to civilisation, the arts, science and technology and industrial design.

Some criticised the event as a waste of public money but the exhibitions raised the country's spirits and attracted 8.5 million visitors in five months.

Of the various buildings constructed on the South Bank site, such as Skylon and the Dome of Discovery, only the Royal Festival Hall remains.

After a special service, attended by the King, Queen Elizabeth, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret and other senior members of the royal family, King George declared the festival open in a broadcast from the steps of St Paul's Cathedral.

Cheering and flag-waving crowds lined the route taken by the King and Queen to St Paul's from Buckingham Palace.

A 41-gun salute was fired at the Tower of London and Hyde Park and, later in the afternoon, the King and Queen attended a service of dedication led by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Royal Festival Hall.

Designed by Sir Robert Matthew, Leslie Martin and Sir Hubert Bennett, it was built specially for the occasion on the south bank of the River Thames.

Battersea Park was transformed into the Festival Gardens, laid out as a pleasure garden with a tree walk, fountains and a grotto.

Exhibitions of art and design were held all over the country and 2,000 camp fires lit in the evening.

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HISTORIC WIN: Margaret Thatcher entered Downing Street on May 4, 1979, and went on to inspire enormous admiration and intense hatred in equal measure