BUCKINGHAM Palace is interested in sending a member of the royal family to help Skipton celebrate its 100th gala next year.

Organisers of the special 1999 event are preparing to put together an impressive package of entertainment and to have royalty attend the celebrations would be the icing on the cake.

Among other plans include inviting the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight to roar overhead during the events due to take place over four days next June.

This would comprise a Lancaster Bomber, a Spitfire and a Hurricane.

But Glynn Beresford, secretary of the Skipton Charities Gala Committee, is most excited at the prospect of a royal visit, with hopes riding high for the special guest to be the Queen herself.

Glynn was speechless when he received a favourable reply to his letter asking whether a visit would be possible next year. The Royal Household has requested more details about the gala as it is compiling 1999's diary of visits.

Glynn explained: "We are trying to organise something a little bit different for the special gala next year and I have had a positive response from Buckingham Palace and the event sounds interesting to them.

"They decide where to send the royal members around August time and it would be more convenient for them if one of the royals is in the Yorkshire area at the time of the gala next year.

"It could be anyone from the Queen to her personal secretary. But the Queen normally sends out telegrams for 100th birthdays so you never know it could be her.

"It would be great to get any of them to show the world that we are not some unimportant little northern town."

There is likely to be nothing unimportant about next year's gala celebrations, with a large festival-like event intended for Aireville Park - subject to approval by Craven District Council.

Glynn and his team are full of exciting ideas, including inviting Britain's biggest battle re-enactment society, Sealed Knot, to recreate real historical scenes from Skipton's past, like the storming of the Castle.

And the Duke of Wellington's Regiment is to be invited back to Skipton, where it had a base at the Drill Hall on Otley Street until World War Two.

Glynn said: "The regiment was very much a part of the town until it was temporarily disbanded in 1942.

"We have a lot of work to do before next year, it's quite daunting really. We will need at least £25,000 to do the job right but if we get the right help from the people of Skipton it will be a gala to remember."

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