HOW sad it was to read in last week's Winsford and Middlewich Guardian that police officers in the towns have already had their rest days cancelled for the millennium festivities.

The police fear that people will be going on 36-hour drinking binges in the lead-up to January 1, 2000, and that serious public order problems could arise.

Firstly, it annoys me that there will be any extra celebrations for the year 2000, because as those of us who can count will realise, the new millennium actually begins on January 1, 2001.

Secondly, how depressing it is that those who plan to celebrate can think of nothing more enterprising than a boozing binge to mark this momentous occasion.

Think about it - we are only the second generation of people since the birth of Christ who will have the privilege of seeing in a new millennium.

Yet it seems that what should be a happy and memorable time is likely to be ruined by the drunken antics of rowdy yobs. Why these people can't show a degree of restraint is beyond me.

Sadder still is the fact that organisations in Winsford which are working hard to plan exciting ways in which the whole community can properly mark the new millennium seem to be swimming against a tide of apathy from people in the town.

Here is an opportunity which must be grabbed quickly - before it is too late. After all, we've had 1,000 years to plan something!

Outsider.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.