VENUE Congresgebouw, The Hague		ENTRIES 18
HOST Corry Brokken		DEBUTS None

In the new millennium it is quite common for Eurovision presenters to be people who have previously sung at the contest, yet in the early years that role was reserved for the doyennes of local light entertainment.  It was left for Corry Brokken, the winner of the second contest in 1957 to blaze a trail as she presented the event nineteen years after winning it.  For the second year in a row the opening song won the event, something which has only happened once since, in 1984.

Everyone remembers 'Save Your Kisses For Me', the UK winner, and arguably the most successful contest winner ever, but the second-placed song was quite special too, 'Un Deux Trois', sung for France by Catherine Ferry. If you discount the very first contest in 1956, when the voting was not made public, and the years 1971-73 when every song had to receive some votes from each jury, 'Un Deux Trois' became the first song to receive votes from every jury and not win the contest.

Norway's Anne-Karine Stroem was back for third try, this time solo after two goes with the Bendik Singers. Her glamourous likeness was posted on Dutch (the host nation) newspapers before the contest, but sadly her mega-kitsch tribute to the exotic spy Mata Hari finished bottom of the pile (shame!).  Amid all the bubblegum pop there was a distinct air of the political. The Greek entry was a song about the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus and the Israeli song was performed by a group formed by three women doing their national service.

WINNER: United Kingdom

SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME by Brotherhood Of Man

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