The skies will be well and truly lit up on New Year's Eve thanks to wacky electrician Peter White.
The famous Faringdon Folly, the town's most famous landmark, now has a revolving beacon on its summit, flashing its searchlight beam across the Vale of White Horse countryside to mark the new Millennium.
The 'landlocked lighthouse' scheme has been backed by generous subscriptions and donations from local businesses to create a focal point to celebrations marking the beginning of the new century.
The switch-on, which took place on Christmas Eve, is also seen as an important boost to the town's tourist trade. By a strange coincidence, Peter lives in part of Faringdon House, once the home of the famous eccentric, Lord Berners, who built the folly - the last of its kind in England - in 1935.
With tongue in cheek, Peter has informed Brize Norton airbase of the new lighthouse's existence, as well as Southampton coastguard service.
As he prepared to switch on the revolving beam, which should be visible for many miles around, Peter said: "It should be fairly spectacular.
"It will only operate for a month, which is why it hasn't needed planning permission, but if local people like it, we'll put in application to have it there for a year."
Story date: Tuesday 28 December
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article