For the first lunar eclipse of the millennium was enough to bring even the town's own luminaries to a halt.

Heads were tilted and eyes primed skywards across the country on Wednesday last week as the moon began to enter the earth's shadow.

In millions of backyards families braced the chilly evening air to watch the shadow creep further across the moon - and turn differing shades of pinky red.

And at Jodrell Bank, the nation's media were also focused on the celestial event.

"We were a little disappointed that it wasn't the brightest of eclipses but it was still quite an exciting evening," said Ian Morrison, observer at Jodrell Bank.

"I was watching for quite a few hours - mainly because I had to keep making comments to television reporters."

In the town's corridors of power, executive decision-making was postponed for 15 minutes to dim the lights and watch the eclipse in its full glory.

Councillors crammed around the Georgian windows in the chamber to witness the event, but some found the smudges on the panes too much to distinguish between the moon and the night sky and made a swift exit to view from Toft Road.

"That's the most exciting thing we've had on the agenda for a long while," said one councillor.

The eclipse was at its most dramatic at about 7.45pm, and was enjoyed by even the most amateur enthusiast with the naked eye.

But at Jodrell Bank they were using a rather different form of visual aid.

"We have a pair of ex-German U-boat binoculars that came in very handy," said Mr Morrison.

"But most people got away with the smallest binoculars, and it was almost as good to look at by eye."

For those who missed the spectacle there is now a wait of three years - with the next lunar eclipse expected on November 9, 2003.