Call me cynical if you wish but with all of the Millennium's euphoria and massive hype now over a month old one might wonder whether this planet went through a complete loss of its senses.

If we are realistic what exactly was it all worth as basically all that happened was a date change which we experience year after year with the customary 'Happy New Year' greetings. Religiously one aspect was to hail and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ which ironically according to experts in historical matters is much disputed in regard to 2,000 years.

And when one recounts all of the celebrations the emphasis and attention to the religious factor was minimal compared with the booze-up parties, the Millennium Bug, the obscene waste of money which could have been spent on more worthy causes, new buildings and monuments, and of course the Millennium Dome and the Eye Wheel.

How many people not living in the London area I wonder will be spending a small fortune to visit the Dome which I understand may well be with us for barely a couple of years?

So after all the fireworks have fizzled out are you experiencing a new kind of year, precisely what has changed for you apart possibly from your bank balance, your television network still has its previous theme tunes for its programmes and as far as I can see things haven't changed one iota. Billions of pounds went as quickly as the fireworks in the skies for a few odd seconds, hard money which is badly needed in other areas such as the disabled and health services benefiting the ordinary man in the street.

Ken Pearson

St Mellion