There are now just ten weeks to go until what is being billed as the world's biggest party. And people and businesses in Keighley are getting ready for the big 2000.

It's impossible to escape the hype surrounding the start of the new millennium and Keighley town centre is no exception. (Yes, we know many experts are pointing out that January 1, 2000, is in fact merely the start of the final year of the second millennium, but the whole world seems to be celebrating anyway).

If you are hoping to get out and about over the New Year you had better plan ahead. Travelling for a start may be problematic - buses and trains have reduced services.

Geoff Lomax, of Keighley and District Travel, says: "New Year's Eve will be a Sunday service as it's a bank holiday and that service will finish at 6 o'clock. On New Year's Day there will be no service, as is the norm for then." He says Metro bosses are considering whether any service is needed after that time but they have not yet come to a decision.

Karen Shipley, at Northern Spirit, says New Year's Eve train services will start to wind down at about 5pm with the last trains ending the day between 7.30pm and 8.15pm. She says services will restart the next day at midday and should be back to normal by around 3pm on New Year's Day.

Howard Keel, also of Northern Spirit, says: "We are right on schedule with our preparations for dealing with the millennium bug. We are sure that it's under control."

Alan Dixon, of Keighley Taxis, says plans are yet to be decided on over New Year charges. He says: "I would expect them to rise, but I don't think they will be high."

It may be a good idea to stock up on food for the New Year period as many Keighley shops, including most of the larger ones, will be taking advantage of the extra bank holiday.

Lee Siddons, duty manager at Sainsbury's, says: "I believe we are closed on New Year's Day and the day after, and I believe we are open until 6pm on the New Year's Eve."

He says all the stores have been checked for millennium-bug problems and that there will be computer-systems staff at the store on New Year's Eve just in case of problems.

Staff at the Airedale Centre are also having a well-earned rest. The centre is open on New Year's Eve from 10am until 4pm and then closed on New Year's Day and the day after. It reopens on the Monday as usual.

Mike Millbank, the Airedale Centre Manager, says there are no firm plans to have extra festivities in the centre to celebrate the new millennium. "We did put funds aside and then I took the view that it probably was not going to be a great retail event," he says. Mr Millbank hinted at a local and national level Millennium Star Competition, with top prizes of a holiday of a lifetime or a night with the stars. He promised more details still to come.

If you are planning to go out in Keighley on New Year's Eve a pocket full of cash may be a good idea as prices are predicted to be sky high.

Scott Howell, assistant manager of Oscar's Nightclub, says the club has a great evening planned. "On New Year's Eve we are doing a £35 ticket for drink as much as you want, tickets to be booked in advance. We have a free prize draw with a top prize of a week in Spain, and second and third prizes of a week in Amsterdam and Blackpool."

Management at Club 101 say they have nothing special planned for New Year's Eve. The evening is to be a ticketed night with pub prices. Club 101 will shut at 6am on New Year's Eve and open as usual for New Year's Day.

The Albert Hotel is sure to be busy with drinkers keen seeing in the New Year but the landlady says they are not getting caught up in the hype. She says: "We are just opening normal hours like every year." The Albert will be open from 11am until 1am on New Year's Eve and standard bank holiday hours on New Year's Day.

Jason Hawkings, the Royal Oak landlord, says he too is planning nothing special. "We are just going to treat it as a normal New year," he says.

Andrew Daykin, from Keighley brewery Timothy Tay-lor, says its pubs will open from 11am until 12.30am on New Year's Eve and there will be no entrance fee. "We're not charging to get in on the basis that our customers come in every single day of the year," he says.

If the (alleged) dawning of the new millennium does bring any of the problems that are being predicted Keighley's emergency services are well prepared.

Chief Insp Rod West says Keighley police are well prepared for the New Year period. He says all police leave has been cancelled and the public can rest assured there will be adequate cover and strategies in place. He says police will have contingency plans in place to meet every eventuality. "The force is well prepared" promises Chief Insp West.

He adds that the police's I.T. department has been working for the last 18 months to ensure the changeover period from 1999 to 2000 is faultless.

Keighley Fire Station Officer Arthur Atkinson says staff are doing 'nothing any different from any other time'. He says: "The only thing that may happen is that we may get a spate of fire alarms where computer fire alarm systems don't recognise the date."

He adds that 90 per cent of the station's own computers have been passed as year 2000 compliant and the other 10 per cent will be. The station's core computer, the turn-out computer, is new.

In case of an accident Airedale Hospital's accident-and-emergency department will be open for business as usual as will all the hospital's departments.

Janet Crouch, from Airedale NHS Trust, says that unlike other years all the departments will be kept open over the whole New Year period. She says: "We are looking at a potential increase in activity and we are covered for that in case we have an influx of revellers."

She says staff rotas for the millennium have been drawn up and all the hospital's computers and machinery have been checked and passed for year 2000 compliance.

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