A look back at what was happening around here in January 2000.
December 1999 / January 2000 was a combined edition, starting the tradition for covers showcasing a year’s worth of Village life.
IN THE NEWS:
Bromsgrove’s Local Plan was due to be submitted, revealing the fate of village fields in the Green Belt.
Thirty trees had been planted at Lickey End recreation ground for the millennium, while The Lord of the Rings – whose setting was inspired by the Lickey Hills – had been named the book of the 20th century.
*  Bell-ringer Bernard Smith was pictured checking the bells in the tower of St Laurence Church, Alvechurch, ensuring they were ready to join with every other church in the country for a special New Year’s Day peal.
* Â Wythall History Society was holding a millennium exhibition involving local clubs and societies dating back 50 years. Pictured was a view of the shops in Drakes Cross around the turn of the century.