The decade or so before the Year 2000 (Y2K), there was a lot of professional concerns about the impact of the software change from 1999 to 2000. Roger Miles was heavily involved and could help with an explanation: “When complex computer programs were first written in the 1960s, engineers used a two-digit code for the year, leaving out the ’19’. As the year 2000 approached, many believed that the systems would not interpret the ’00’ correctly, therefore causing a major glitch in the system. The fear was that when clocks struck midnight on January 1, 2000, affected computer systems, unsure of the year, would fail to operate and cause massive power outages, transportation systems to shut down and banks to close.” Widespread chaos could/would ensue.
However, here in ‘sleepy’ Geddington, rather than worry about something they couldn’t do anything about, they turned their attention to celebrating the beginning of a new millennium. This wasn’t even a ‘once in a lifetime’ thing, but something that wouldn’t happen again for another 1000 years. Time to get serious.
One person realised the importance of the date 31 December 1999 and booked the Village Hall for a private party. Word spread and soon there was a talkative group of keen millennials (or should that be ninety-niners?), possibly members of GADS, possibly members of GVFB, and possibly taking place in a pub, but all keen to celebrate this special date.
A Committee was soon set up (of course!) with Lloyd Marlow as Chairman, Secretary Jane Rowley, Treasurer Pam Dennis (who, married 3 years later and became a Hopkins) and over a dozen other residents, with meetings held in the early months of 1999. By April, the event had a name: the Geddington Amazing Millennium Experience. It would take place, not only in the Village Hall, but in the car park and recreation field as well.
Lloyd Marlow reported: “Two marquees were booked, then, having got the tents, we had to put them up and secure them. That took lots of pairs of hands and lots of swearing, with lots of tea and coffee kindly provided by Jo Furley who lived next door.” 
A Disco was booked along with numerous other essential facilities, such as heating and lighting, plus yards and yards of inner lining for the walls, ceilings and floors of the marquees.
Lloyd commented: “Of course, an empty tent is not very inviting, so some artistic decoration was needed as well as some attractive lighting. Luckily another neighbour, Hartley Plumb, came to the rescue and did a great job inside both the Village Hall and the tents. As with all Committees, there was a lot of hot air, which was just as well as that was just what we needed to blow up all the balloons we intended to let fall at midnight.”
Decorations and quizzes were provided, as well as games and toys for the children (in the Lounge). The maximum number of guests was established (400) and the Village Hall’s toilets, checked with the County Council, were considered sufficient. Details! Details! So important.
Lloyd Marlow remembers: “We had a “high class” firework display arranged by the Bright Trees Road explosive expert, John Hughes. He and I found a supplier near Stevenage and we went down to a rather grand country house littered with empty champagne and wine bottles. Our man took us to the farthest point of the grounds to a very large, highly secured, steel trailer full of fireworks, more than enough for our modest needs. We set them up across the cricket field and John produced a very loud memorable display. And the fireworks were noisy as well.”
To add to the security, a team of local volunteers was set up to stand guard all day and evening until the fireworks were let off at midnight. Brrrrr!
With expenses established, a cost of £10 per head was decided on, with free entry for children under 11. Booking forms were designed and information sent to the Evening Telegraph. A letter was sent to The Newsletter for their next issue, along with an invitation for all to attend the next meeting – these were being held at Burwell’s Function Room, run by Nick & Nicky Burwell. This was the former Working Men’s Club and is now a private residence on Bridge Street.
The most striking and important element of a booking was the entry by badge. These were designed by Keith Riddle of Newton, and GAME Construction covered the cost of making them @ £2.47 each.
As the numbers of applicants increased, so we had to double the number of badges from 200 to 400. Every booking and £10 entry fee was acknowledged and a badge issued, and a receipt signed by the guests, with a warning: “You can’t gain entry without one! So don’t lose it or forget it.” was the instruction.
Whilst services and products were requested for essential items from businesses, letters were being sent out to local businesses for donations towards the cost of the event. As it happened, many of the businesses supplied goods and services either at reduced rates or free of charge. The Village Hall committee generously offered the booking at no charge.
There was so much generosity and, as Jane Rowley noted in a letter of thanks, “over 10,000-man hours and 20 different donations of money and equipment ranging from skips to carboard to balloons, and a lot of sheer determination, resulted in 400 villagers seeing in the Year 2000 together.” (Population in Geddington at that time was between 1300-1500.)
Lloyd finished it off with: “It was quite a hectic evening for everyone, but mostly the 343 guests (plus 71 children) seemed to get on well, with a couple of notable exceptions. Midnight got closer and I had my first drink of the night to welcome in the year 2000. And then I had another to celebrate the year 2000. And another to start the weekend. Then after some tidying up we threw out the stragglers, I fell into bad company and ended up being dragged into a Queen Eleanor Road after-party party. I attracted some strange looks from passing motorists at 7.30am as I staggered back down the main road to our house in Grange Road. Perhaps it was my dicky dickie bow.”
And the Y2K problem? Fortunately, many major companies took the issue very seriously and worked hard for several years to resolve the problem, whilst at the same time, upgrading their, and their supplier’s, systems. So, the Y2K firework turned out to be a very well-designed damp squid!
Addendum
This was not meant to be a fund-raising event, just a wonderful party. However, due to the generosity of so many people and businesses, there were funds left over. In an article in the first Newsletter of 2000, these were revealed as follows:
