MILLENNIUM celebrations began in a blaze of colour on the streets of Blackburn, 100 days before the year 2000 begins.

Hundreds of people shopping in the town centre were greeted with a King William Street carnival to mark the launch of events for the millennium in Blackburn and Darwen and the North West.

A choir from Blackburn Westholme School performed their song "We Can Make It There" which is in the second round of the Nationwide Voice of Promise competition.

A demonstration of the Asian sport Kabaddi was also staged and there were performances from the Manchester School of Samba and Irish and Reggae music. Blackburn with Darwen's county-wide millennium youth games, to be held next June, were also showcased at the event and the Sealed Knot Society, which re-enacts English Civil war battles, gave a demonstration.

Representatives of the Millennium Experience Company launched their programme of events for the North West at King George's Hall before dignitaries from Blackburn and Darwen.

The gathering was also treated to a shortened version of a performance by schoolchildren from the area which will be staged at the Millennium Dome when Blackburn with Darwen has its "Our Town" day in London on October 2, 2000.

Events planned for the year 2000 range from lighting up Darwen tower to creating an image archive of the borough and a women's week to a South Asian Festival and several music events.

Council leader Malcolm Doherty said: "We are planning the biggest celebration the borough has ever seen.

"There will be something for everyone and we are very pleased that the New Millennium Experience Company chose the borough to countdown to the millennium."

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