BURLEY-in-Wharfedale residents have been urged to snap up millennium beakers which are causing interest as far away as South Africa and Canada.

The village millennium committee has been hard at work for many months,

planning schemes to celebrate the new century.

Traditional and not so traditional ideas have been put forward to mark the

occasion. One of the more familiar ways to celebrate an historic event is with a special mug.

The committee has decided that every child under the age of 16 in the Year 2000 will be given a free earthenware mug.

However, 600 individually numbered china beakers have been produced and the

millennium committee is hoping these will be snapped up.

Millennium committee member Tom Sumner said: "If you would like one of these, call into the Parish Office, Station Road, Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 12.30pm or 2pm and 4.30pm.

"All you have to do is leave your name, address and telephone number against your chosen number and when we have enough to deliver, you will be the proud owner of a limited edition beaker. Payment is on delivery," he said.

Making sure every child in the village receives a special millennium mug is no easy task.

Anyone interested in creating a database to handle the information

needed to dispatch a mug to every youngster in the village , should contact Mr Sumner on 01943 862940.

The mugs cost £5 each.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.