ANOTHER year over and, truly, one like no other as its end at midnight takes us into a new century and a new millennium (though many, counting differently, beg to differ).

Yet, although 1999 was always guaranteed distinction as the herald of a new epoch, it was far from an indifferent year in any case.

Even the heavens played a part in making it special, with the first total eclipse in Britain for 72 years in August and a climax only last week of the biggest and brightest full moon for 133 years.

But, elsewhere, Nature made 1999 a year of catastrophe as earthquakes in Turkey and Taiwan killed thousands and floods and mud slides in Venezuela brought year-end death and horror to thousands more while killer storms swept the Continent.

Indeed, these latest disasters beg the dread question of whether the new millennium brings a new era of meteorological havoc as the price is paid for global warming.

At home, it finished up a stormy year for the Tories, too, as leader William Hague, calling for a commonsense revolution to spur the party's still-not-sighted comeback, ended up reading the riot act at its factions, warning that its civil war was political suicide.

Meantime, Labour basked in popularity hardly altered since coming to power - suffering only setbacks in the European elections in which fewer than 25 per cent bothered to vote and doing a U-turn on war-on-the-car when the 'Mondeo Man' voters' anger was heard. Prime Minister Tony Blair's stock shot up again when it was revealed that in middle age - and him now needing glasses - he and Cherie are to become parents again.

But serious political observers would give him greater credit for being the western leader who did not wobble over going to war over Kosovo and his fulfilled belief that it was a conflict that could be won solely from the air.

He and his government also presided over a country in which, as the year closed, nearly nine out of ten people said they were generally happy with their lot.

Not so content under Labour was new Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy who promised Mr Blair a less cosy relationship than he had with Paddy Ashdown.

That confrontation stands to be most marked in the House of Lords where Lib Dems now hold the balance of power and where in 1999 Britain's hereditary peers found they had no longer any power at all.

Still, there were plenty of new seats for power-seekers elsewhere - in Scotland, where its parliament was restored after nearly 300 years and in Wales, where devolution had created the first-ever national assembly.

And, most encouragingly of all, in Ulster where the return of self-rule and the accompanying promise of lasting peace are surely one of the most hopeful events of the year.

With big millennium parties taking place the world over, it has been a wonderful year for champagne bottlers - apart from those coining it in euros whose fizz fast went flat before its first anniversary.

And here's our toast to all our readers - the unique one that the end of this special year allows: We wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year . . . and the same for the new century.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.