The march towards the new millennium is gathering pace.

As the countdown ticks by to midnight on December 31 this year, the Keighley News today launches a new service for readers.

We want to compile a comprehensive weekly record of the build-up to the year 2000 and plans for the district going into the new millennium.

The Keighley News is already publishing a monthly diary for children to complete and is supporting the Millennium Appeal at St Andrew's shared Parish Church.

We start our '2000 and beyond' coverage today. If you have a news item, are planning a celebration, carrying out a commemorative project or have a view to express on the new millennium please contact our news desk on 01535 606611 or write to: Keighley News/2000 and beyond, 80-86 North Street, Keighley, BD21 3AG. Or you can e-mail us on keigh-ley.editorial@newsquest.co.uk. Here are some Keighley millennium milestones.

Coins in the wishing well at Keighley's Airedale Shopping Centre brought in £500 over Christmas. The money will go towards repairing the roof of St Andrew's Shared Parish Church. The target for the ongoing Millennium Appeal for 1999 is £30,000, some of which will come from grants.

The rector, the Rev Michael Hardy, and the fundraising committee - led by chairman David Miller and treasurer George Lord - are grateful for the many personal gifts and fundraising efforts being made to keep the appeal going. To date over £6,000 has been raised in this way.

The wishing-well cash will help pay for repairs just completed on the roof of the church tower. The chancel roof was repaired in 1997 with £1,000 towards the cost coming from wishing-well gifts that year.

A taller flagpole has been provided, and a new larger flag being used for festivals and special days has been paid for by a donation from a local business.

With the promise of help from the family of a worshipper, preparations are being made for repairs to two of the stained glass windows, many of which are at least 150 years old.

Fundraising events planned include an audio-visual show on Saturday, January 30, presented by Charlie Bhowmick entitled A journey from Calcutta to Keighley. Charlie and his wife Cynthia are members of the Methodist congregation. Wilsden Band will present a concert on Saturday, February 13.

A Cross Hills-based building firm has won a £4.3 million contract to help bring Bradford Cathedral into the new millennium. PS Turner (Construction) Ltd is to start work this spring on refurbishing the old post office building in Forster Square, Bradford - in front of the cathedral - which is to become a monument to faith in the city called the National Millennium Faith Experience.

Cowling village hall is to undergo extensive refurbishment work in time for the new millennium.

At Monday's parish council meeting, members agreed to allocate £2,000 to the project.

A presentation is to be set up for the public to inspect on Gala Day (July 31) and villagers are also to be asked to complete a survey on what should be done to the hall.

A millennium stone is to be erected in Sutton. It will have an inscription and be placed near Malsis School, on the boundary between Sutton and Glusburn.

The Millennium Steering Group in Cononley is aiming to publish a village history and to produce a community plan. It has secured £250 worth of funding from the Charities show and the Yorkshire Rural Initiatives Fund. The group is appealing for information individuals, families, village businesses and organisations, who can provide material concerning Cononley's past and possible visions for the future, before they hold their next meeting on January 25. For further information, contact Dave Potts on 01535 636575.

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