Millennium arrives late

The clock was first planned in 1997

A Derbyshire village has finally erected its millennium clock after 35 months of delays.

The Spondon Millennium Committee had decided a large clock should be in place soon after 1 January 2000.

But problems with fundraising and power supply pushed the official unveiling back.

Circumstances allowing, the clock will make its bow at 1100GMT Saturday.

Power problems

Planning started in 1997, with the committee selecting a four-metre high black lamp-post.

But the choice of post and clock turned out to be the easiest part of the operation.

Barry Liggett, from the Spondon Millennium Commission, said: "We decided to use an existing lamp-post and put a new clock on the top.

"When we came to connect it to the power we discovered it only worked during the hours of darkness.

"We had some fun organising our way out of that one."

The clock comes complete with the less than truthful inscription of "Spondon 2000".