Theoretically the Home Office can grant leave on discretionary grounds between the 10 and 14 year period.
But if you weren't an asylum seeker, an asylum seeking minor, in a relationship with or married to a British citizen, then you must have also had extremely strong grounds under some part of the Human Rights Act (Article 8 seems most feasible).
If none of the above applies, then all I can say is either you were very very very lucky indeed, or the we're-not-having-an-amnesty-but-let's-reduce-that-backlog-by-all-costs thing has started.
I've not come across this before either.
Is there something you've missed out in your account?
Otherwise best sit tight until 2011. This is definitely not the time to be experimenting with your DL.