Margaret Thatcher's visit to Gordon Brown in No 10 is still the talk of the steamie at the conference. Michael White (the Guardian) and Matthew Parris (The Times) agreed - because she wore pink - that the old girl knew what she was doing.

• Margaret Thatcher's visit to Gordon Brown in No 10 is still the talk of the steamie at the conference. Michael White (the Guardian) and Matthew Parris (The Times) agreed - because she wore pink - that the old girl knew what she was doing.

Parris, a former Tory MP, explained that as people's minds start to close down in old age the last function to fade in a politician is malice.

• At Sir Ming's speech on civil rights only two reporters were there (his speech had been circulating for hours). Their exchange went something like this: "Why are you here?" "I'm on death watch". "But surely he won't be assassinated here." "Oh no! not that kind of death watch."

• Gaffe of the day: During a Q & A with Sandi Toksvig, who was simply there to chair the session and not put him on the spot, Sir Ming uttered the words "Gosh, I'm a failure." Later Nicol Stephen, the leader of the Scottish LibDems, was desperately hoping he had said it in jest.

• Obviously Sassenachs are responsible for the billboards at the conference.

For the duration of the leader's Q&A, Sir Ming's Sunday name was spelt Sir Menzeis.