REGARDING recent comments on the timing of the Millennium celebrations, may I offer my two-penn'orth?

Setting aside the complications made by the adjustment to the Julian calendar and assuming that civilisation, as we know it, commenced at the year 0001, then it is only reasonable to assume that the Millennium commences on January 1, 2000, and that the 21st Century commences on January 1, 2001.

If any junior academic, member of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, vicar, headmaster, Freemason or astrologer, cited by Mr J A Marsden (Letters, September 24) can prove otherwise, then I request their comments.

RON CRANE, Walden Road, Blackburn.

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