Elec. Telegraph (London): Millennium party cancelled due to lack of interest

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000154642417163&rtmo=gY77VNnu&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/99/3/29/nmil29.html

ISSUE 1403, Monday, 29 March, 1999

Millennium party cancelled owing to lack of interest, By Maurice Weaver

A TOWN council which sent a circular letter to 3,500 householders inviting them to help arrange a Millennium street party has received only one reply - from a man who complained that they have got the date wrong and it should be in 2001.

Philip Sharpe-Neal, the mayor of Ledbury, Herefordshire, says he and his colleagues are so disheartened by the apathy that they have scrapped the whole plan.

A Millennium working party set up by the mayor had drawn up provisional plans to close off the town centre for a party in the high street with a big projection-television screen to show events going on elsewhere. The highlight was to have been a fireworks display at midnight to welcome the new century. Employers and social organisations had been approached, halls provisionally booked for caterers and bands asked to play.

Ledbury (pop 8,500) is proud that it was around at the first Millennium and the mayor says it used to have a strong community spirit. There are happy folk memories of parties to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, the present Queen's silver jubilee and VE Day.

But this time something has changed, Mr Sharpe-Neal says. Ledbury has doubled in size in a decade with new housing estates on its perimeter. Many are occupied by retirees, attracted by the town's unspoiled character. Neither they nor the longer-standing inhabitants, apart from what Mr Sharpe-Neal refers to as "a few old stalwarts", have shown any interest in the Millennium celebration plan.

Martin Eager, a councillor and working party member who runs a local electrical shop, had offered to mount the projection-television screen on a 40ft trailer. The first sign that enthusiasm was lacking came late last year when members of the working party started drifting away, he said.

"Eight or nine of us sat in the council offices the other night and realised we had reached the stage when we had to start spending money," said Mr Eager. "Despite the flyer, which went all round the town, we had received no offers of help or even expressions of interest - nothing except a letter from this chap with a bee in his bonnet about the Millennium date being wrong."

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 29, 1999

Answers

that guy wasn't wrong. arthur c. clarke has convinced the city of chicago to put off their millennium celebrations until 2001.

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), March 29, 1999.

Would you believe it,my husband comes from Ledbury!A small,sleepy rural town full of black & white timbered buildings going way back.Picture Postcard scenes of Old England.

Ledbury is quite near Gloucester where the mass murders Fred & Rosemary West lived.Some of their victims were found buried at the village of Much Marcle near to Ledbury.The West family grew up there so presumably Fred thought he knew a few good burial places!Now that was something to talk about !!!!!

Paul Heiney,writing in the Saturday Times has been speaking to people living on the Meridian.Few of the villages or towns are going to do anything either!

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), March 29, 1999.


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