MEET the 100 millennium faces of Brighton and Hove.

An in-line skating pensioner, a decorated war hero and a newborn baby were among the amazing range of people who came together yesterday to launch the 100 Faces project.

The winners were born in each year of this century and have been chosen to represent the heart and soul of the town at the start of the 21st Century.

They will help convince the Queen we have all the right

qualities to become a city and will star in a range of exhibitions and community projects to celebrate the millennium.

There was a buzz of excitement and expectancy at the Grand Hotel on Brighton seafront as the chosen 100 met for the first time to enjoy a champagne breakfast.

Many had a lump in their throat as they watched 99-year-old William Corrie cradle the youngest, 18-day-old Harry May, in his arms.

The hotel was alive with the sound of voices. The winners all had a fascinating story to tell of their lives in Brighton and Hove and were all thrilled to have been chosen as ambassadors for the town.

They will go down in history as their faces are plastered over buses and billboards, their stories told in the media and preserved for future generations at museums.

The throng represented a snapshot of the incredible diversity of Brighton and Hove.

William Corrie, born in 1900, is the oldest member of the 100 Faces project, which is being masterminded by the Place To Be executive, a group of people drawn from education, council, media and business groups.

He still has very clear memories of moving from London to Brighton in 1925 to join Sussex Police as a fresh-faced constable.

William, who lives in Patcham, recalled: "My mother was born in Brighton and I used to come down here often as a child. I can remember I could never wait to go to the beach, paddle my feet in the water and join the throng of kids mucking around on the sand."

William shot up through the ranks of the police and after just three years went to work at headquarters, in Brighton Town Hall. He soon became inspector of transport and communications.

The 100 Faces are normal

people with incredible stories to tell. They include Clara Sherman, 98, the face for 1901, who saw the funeral cortege of Queen Victoria move through the streets of

London when she was a baby.

They also include avid Brighton and Hove Albion supporter,

96-year-old Arthur Lipscombe, and eight-year-old Memet Akman, whose biggest ambition is to become a famous actor.

Jeff Elmes, 69, of Hangleton Road, Hangleton, is the face for 1930. He has some extraordinary memories of life in the town

during the past century, including a terrifying encounter with a

German fighter pilot at Brighton Racecourse as a boy.

Jeff recalled: "It happened in 1940. I was going over the racehill and just as I reached the top a German fighter plane flew right over me. One of the pilots turned and looked at me and instinctively I made the victory sign at him. He turned around and I had to run like hell. I dived into a tunnel and stayed there for an hour, scared witless."

The retired mechanic believes Brighton and Hove has become affluent since he was a child and now really is the Place To Be.

Jeff added: "I was nominated to become a 100 Face by someone and I'm still trying to find out who! It's an exciting project and I would be very happy to see Brighton get a bit of financial help by becoming a city."

The wacky and young side of Brighton is represented by a

range of people including DJs, film-makers, carers and students.

Trainee hairdresser Neel Morley, 24, of Dyke Road, the face for 1975, came to live in Brighton five years ago to indulge his passion of dressing up in outrageous

disguises.

He has been seen parading around town as an elf, a convict and Elvis Presley and turned up to the 100 Faces launch with his face painted bright red.

Neel explained: "I have changed my image about 300 times. Brighton is the kind of place where you can do that."

Eccentric in-line skating pensioner Dudley Davies, the face for 1924, hit the limelight when he became a contestant on TV's Blind Date. Dudley, 75, has become a familiar face on Brighton seafront where he caught the skating bug three years ago.

He said: "I fell in love with Brighton because of the atmosphere."

We are competing for city status against 39 other towns and the Queen is expected to name the winner next year.

The 100 Faces will form part of a huge travelling exhibition which will go on display in Churchill Square in February. Their stories will be told in unique 'listening pods' which will go up around town by April. People will be able to walk into specially-designed booths and listen to recorded material featuring anecdotes and memories from the winners.

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