Still time to save Sussex

The millennium marks the dawning of a new age.

Our front page picture shows, from Beachy Head, the sun rising in the east on New Year's Day.

There is no more thrilling sight on this planet than the first rays of light exploding on the horizon.

Night turns to day and the never-ending cycle of life begins again.

What a wonderful time to be alive, breathing in that crisp, fresh morning air.

The photograph reflects the breathtaking beauty of not only nature, but Sussex as well.

We must now make sure that the 21st Century does not herald the ruination of our fair county.

The warning signs are there for all to see.

Vast bland housing estates are springing up all over the countryside and there will be mounting pressure for thousands more homes as the population spirals every upwards.

But further development of the magnificent Downs and Weald must be resisted at all costs.

It is already the eleventh hour, but there is still time to stop the rot.

If we don't, our as yet unborn successors will damn us for wrecking their future.

Trouble flared up

Coastguards are threatening to prosecute a Brighton man who let off a distress flare during the millennium celebrations.

This act sparked the launch of Brighton inshore lifeboat at the height of the festivities.

Most of the celebrations went off without a hitch so it's a shame the lifeguards couldn't enjoy themselves as much as the rest of us. In the new century it's time everyone thought of others and not just themselves.

The down side

The New Year celebrations in the Old Steine, Brighton, were a resounding success.

Sadly, due to the sheer volume of people, the public gardens were turned into a mud bath.

It was nobody's fault, but let us hope the council can quickly restore them to their former pristine condition.

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