Letter: When to start the new millennium bash

Sir: Michael Dean may be right that the 21st century begins on 1 January 2001, and not on 1 January 2000, but many people will not see it this way. Most people will regard the change of date from 1999 to 2000 as the logical beginning of the third millennium. Also, many computer routines check only the last two digits of dates and, without change, will recognise '00' as earlier than '99'. Computer staff around the world will be planning changes that will have to be made before 1 January 2000, and will be talking about that date as the start of the next millennium.

Yours faithfully,

HOWARD DIMMOCK

Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex