When Boris Johnson described the Olympic Parade as the “final tear-sodden juddering climax” of the summer he could easily have been sharing his own feelings.
The last few months have propelled the Mayor to stratospheric levels of popularity and seen previously sceptical Boris-watchers start to take his leadership chances seriously.
It would come as no surprise to learn that the Mayor had shed a tear or two that his moment of glory was over.
By taking over direct control of Olympics legacy – although he will install an expert as a vice-chair to actually run the show – he hopes the sun will continue to shine.
It will also prove to critics that he was not just a good care-taker of the Olympics project, but that he can deliver hard results himself too.
Events on the ground helped. There was a profound disagreement over the future of the media centre – officially denied by City Hall but acknowledged by insiders.
Daniel Moylan, finally handed his dream brief, also ruffled feathers at the London Legacy Development Corporation, particularly among some borough leaders who disliked his abrasive style.
But just as significant, if not more so, is his evident desire to take on the Government over airports.
Moving Moylan, an experienced tactician who will have no problem snapping at ministerial heels, to a full-time aviation brief underlines just how key the issue is to the Mayor.
He described it today as “one of the most important challenges” of his second term – putting it on par with jobs, policing and transport, even though he has no powers in the area.
It is a useful topic for the Mayor politically. He can portray himself as the popular man of the people standing up against the big beast of Government.
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It is also a heavyweight policy stick with which to beat the “fudgerama” he claims has so far come out from Number 10 on aviation. Over the next few months the row is guaranteed to keep him in the limelight.
David Cameron had better watch out.
