IT will be the biggest celebration Britain has ever seen. With 500 days to go before the year 2000, towns and villages, from the Outer Hebrides to Penzance, are getting into gear to make their own mark on the 21st century. And communities across Oxfordshire are determined not to miss out on a piece of the action, with a variety of celebrations and projects being planned. Today the Oxford Mail finds out what is happening in the county... OXFORD: A festival featuring thousands of local people will be Oxford's Millennium showpiece. The city's Millennium steering group is seeking funding worth £250,000 for the festival, which has provisionally been called Through the Looking Glass. Tish Francis, co-director of the Oxford Playhouse and chairman of the steering group, said: "Hopefully it'll be looking back, it will looking at now and it will be looking at into the future.

"Oxford is this great centre of research and publishing, arts and culture and of industry. We must do something significant and at this stage we have high hopes and a major vision."

It will not be known whether the group had bid successfully for funding until the end of this year.

But whatever money is available the group will spend on staging something that uses Oxford's rivers as a backdrop, has music as a centrepiece and gets as many people as possible involved. It is hoped to commission new music for the festival and to spread it and its activities all round the county.

A group called Oxfordshire 2000 has also been set up to provide help and information for all the community and local groups staging Millennium events and across the county people will be taking part in national schemes like tree-planting and bell-ringing. Some of the many groups involved in co-ordinating all the plans to mark the Year 2000 include the county and district councils, voluntary groups, businesses, Thames Valley Police, the churches and arts organisations.

Ms Francis said: "We want to produce fantastic events and set things up with community groups so that people can contribute instead of sitting there as passive viewers.

"We'll try to draw together all the wonderful things people are doing."

ABINGDON: The Millennium really will start with a bang in Abingdon - when a large rocket-type firework is released into the midnight sky.The device is expected to make such a noise above the town that local people will be warned about it in advance - so they are not sent scurrying to dial 999.

The big New Year's Eve bang will follow an outdoor concert in the Market Place and a Millennium ball in The Guildhall.

The town's Millennium Working Party has announced it is planning to celebrate the new century in style with a range of major events throughout the Year 2000. And they also hope to raise enough money to build a Millennium fountain in the town centre.

Audrey Hasnip, who is chairman of the working party, vowed: "Abingdon is going to be the place to be in 2000. We want to do something that will make Abingdon feel proud of itself."

As well as the big bang, Abingdon will also greet the new century with the sound of church bells ringing throughout the town. Events planned throughout the rest of the year include a major arts festival, a historical drama festival in the Abbey Grounds involving all the local amateur dramatics and musical societies, an antiques show, Morris Men event and a beer festival.

There are also talks under way in the hope that an event depicting the town's links with the RAF and the Army can be organised.

If grants are available, a fountain could be built in the Market Place or under the old County Hall.

Mrs Hasnip said: "The fountain has been discussed because we also want to provide the town with something rather more tangible."

In Steventon, councillors are also hoping to organise a candle-lit procession on the big night itself.

THAME: Although no-one is saying exactly what is being celebrated or why, Thame is taking the Millennium as a great excuse for a party.

It has plans to spend £150,000 on a year long junket which it hopes will be a focal point for villages on both sides of the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border.

Leader of the Thame in 2000 group preparing the party John Day says: "We want this celebration to be remembered around Thame for a very long time. We have scores of ideas and been backed by local firms and now we have a bid for Lottery money as well.

"Once we know how that has gone, we can publicise exactly what will take place."

Thame will use Thame Show gound in Kingsey Road as the focus for parties on the eves of 2000 and 2001 and plans events during the year to keep the party spirit alive.

An all year celebration is envisaged in Haddenham, complete with a specially made video of village history - and a tree to be planted for every baby born during the year 2000. DIDCOT: A Millennium civic garden and a tree plantation are among ideas for Didcot to mark the turn of the century.

Didcot is already lagging behind many towns and villages in having no firm plans to celebrate the Millennium, although the town council is now setting up a sub-committee to invite and develop ideas and proposals. The garden and the tree plantation were among a range of ideas which will be examined by the sub-committee including a focal point for the proposed new town centre shopping redevelopment such as a fountain, a piece of sculpture or a clock.

Town council leader Mike McNulty said: "The sub committee will also look at a series of events during the millennium year, perhaps building upon the present Summer Fun on Broadway weekend activities in the town centre during the holidays and the Christmas street fair in November."

Joyce Hall, secretary of Didcot Arts and Community Association and the town's Archaeological and Historical Society suggested creating a "civic garden" as a pleasant place with flower beds and possibly a water feature for people to visit and relax while also being suitable for small and medium-sized events such as fetes or garden parties. "A lot of villages have big houses with large gardens that are used for public gatherings although Didcot seems to lack places to hold a more intimate function," said Mrs Hall, who suggested the garden might be created in part of one of the town's existing parks.

Town councillor and eco activist Beryl Davidson came up with the tree plantation proposal as a long term project to plant larger, slow-growing trees such as oaks and elms for the benefit of future generations.

Mr McNulty said funding for projects was available from South Oxfordshire District Council and the National Lottery Fund. BICESTER: With just 16 months to go before the dawn of a new Millennium, Bicester and its surrounding villages have been busy preparing for the momentous occasion.

Already two new bells have been cast for St Edburg's Church, in Bicester, which will help ring in the year 2000. The bells which were donated by Sally and Richard Stevens, of Blackthorn Road, Launton, and Bicester Town Council are currently being prepared for hanging.

Other projects on the go is a new community woodland for Langford village while a new Millennium park could be built in Shakespeare Drive, Bicester. Town councillor Les Sibley said: "The are still a few new ideas being banded about and we are keen to celebrate the Millennium in style here in the town.

"It's going to be a unique occasion and we are planning to ensure that everybody thoroughly enjoys themselves."

Elsewhere, a street party is being planned for the village of Fringford while, in Finmere, a community based history project is being investigated.

Plans for floodlighting the church tower in Steeple Aston are in the pipeline.

WALLINGFORD: Sieges, fireworks and parachuting Teddy bears are some of the more unusual attractions as the Wallingford area celebrates the Millennium. There will also be the more straightforward barbecues, parties and games - but many of the events will go on long after New Year's Eve on 1999. Events are being organised across the area and include a re-enactment of the Siege of Wallingford by the English Civil War Society as part of a week of celebrations in July 2000. The week will also include a half-marathon race and a Schools Day and River Day on the Thames.

Plans to build a permanent Millennium memorial in Wallingford were shelved through a lack of interest from the town, but there will be a huge party on the Kinecroft on December 1999, complete with fireworks and a TV link to celebrations all over the world.

Over in Cholsey, every villager will be placed into one of four Houses - Buckland, Pudmore, Sandfield and Iddmead (correct) - and will be asked to take part in a series of sport and art events in a giant 'sportsday'. The events will run for most of 2000, and there will be a special Millennium Weekend in June, as well as a big party on December 31 1999.

The celebrations, organised by Cholsey 2000, even have their own mascot - Milli the Teddy bear, who can often be spotted being launched into the air and then parachuting back down at events in the village.

Meanwhile, villagers living in and around Shillingford villagers are planning to raise about £200,000 to build a footbridge across the Thames in time to celebrate the Millennium. WEST OXFORDSHIRE: Parties, balls, street fairs, commemorative mugs and concerts will help mark the Millennium in West Oxfordshire. Many towns and villages are still making up their minds as to how best to celebrate the year 2000 - but all are certain it will be a year to remember.

Witney town councillors would like to see the former football club at Marriotts Close turned into a town centre park for residents and visitors.

In Chipping Norton a committee has been set up to co-ordinate events including a massive fancy dress street party, mugs for all the children in the town and a competition to produce a calendar. Bingo sessions and table top sales are already being held to help pay for the celebrations. Balls will be held in the town hall on December 31, 1999 and December 31, 2000. Carterton town councillors are mulling over ideas for an all-day band concert, mugs and T-shirts. The town's WI and Shill Valley Lacemakers are already at work making a tapestry which will celebrate both the Millennium and the centenary of the founding of the town in 1900.

West Oxfordshire District Council is getting involved on several fronts, including a musical celebration bringing together local musicians of many different styles including young bands.

They will also be putting up money for parish councils who want to improve their village halls but have failed to get funding from the National Lottery provided they can get the work down by the end of the year 2,000.

Hundreds of people are expected to see in the New Year at a massive ball at Witney's Windrush Leisure Centre. WANTAGE & GROVE: A new purpose-built centre sports centre for Grove, and a newly-created park near the centre of Wantage are just two major projects which will mark the Millennium for the 20,000 people living in the two neighbouring communities.

In addition, almost every one of the numerous parishes in the western Vale of White Horse area is planning some community effort to record the milestone. The Betjeman Millennium Park, on a diamond-shaped piece of land between Letcombe Brook and the Lamb Inn in Mill Street, is already well underway, with scrubs and trees cleared, new walling undertaken, and stone paths being prepared.

The 'pocket park' is being dedicated to the memory of the late Sir John Betjeman, the Poet Laureate who lived in the town for 20 years and commemorated the area in two of his poems.

Grove's £250,000 project, which was launched in the spring by the parish council, arose out of an exploratory meeting to pool ideas with representatives of sports clubs and potential users of the new building. Ways are still being explored of how money can be found for the project, such as applying for Sports Council grants and bidding for Lottery cash.

The parish council's own contribution, apart from donating the site, will come through administration of the centre once it has opened.

Wantage people are still being invited to come up with more ideas for consideration. Other projects in the pipeline include a community play and a celebration for young people. Anyone with any last-minute ideas can get in touch with Jim Mitchell, chairman of the Millennium Committee on 01235 767975.

FACTS ABOUT THE BIG ONE

1 Britain is committing £4000m to mark the Millennium

2 Most of the cash will be spent on 189 capital projects around Britain

3 In the South East:

480 metres of safe cycleways will be created

More than 50 village halls and community centres will be rebuilt or improved

Salmon will be encouraged to return to the upper reaches of the Thames

New bells and floodlighting will be installed in 38 churches

Six miles of improved waterways

4 The Millennium Festival Fund is providing up to £100m to enable people throughout the United Kingdom to hold their own Millennium celebrations

5 By the year 2000 the Millennium Commission will have identified 40,000 individuals across the UK to whom small grants will be made to help them achieve their potential

6 The oldest recipient of a Millennium award is 92. 7 58 per cent of Millennium Award recipients are women

8 The Millennium Dome - the centrepiece of Britain's celebrations - is the same height as Nelson's Column

9 It is the largest dome in the world

10 The roof of the Millennium Dome is strong enough to hold a jumbo jet

11 There will be 608 toilets and 247 urinals inside

12 It is estimated the Millennium Experience could generate up to £500m through additional overseas visitors

13 The Dome will set new standards for recycling with rain water supplying 250m litres of water a day for the Dome site.

14 One of the more unusual Millennium project in the region is the establishment of a visitor centre for Haddenham-based St Tiggywinkle's Hospital for wildlife.

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