BOLTON is still reeling from the shock of not being handed a penny from the Millennium Festival Fund "meanies" towards its celebrations.

The BEN has received a copy of all the 90 North-west schemes approved.

Bolton Council's Millennium team is remaining confident that a full programme of events can be provided.

But after examining the list of other schemes which have been approved, the team is baffled why Bolton has not been included.

Cllr Cliff Morris, chairman of Bolton's Millennium working party, said: "It is disappointing that a town the size of Bolton with the quality bid that was submitted, ends up with nothing from the Millennium Commission - and especially when considering some of the projects which have received funding.

"However, our commitment to the programme of celebrations is as strong as ever and we will continue to proceed to make the year one to remember for the people of Bolton."

The Millennium Festival Fund last week handed out more than £50 million of a £100 million pot.

More than 1,000 schemes nationwide were given cash backing - 90 of them in the North-west.

Projects

All the funding has been now been given to major schemes, the rest of the cash will go to projects costing less than £5,000.

Bolton wanted the money towards three projects.

One was a video archive of Bolton at The Millennium called Mass Aspirations - it would have been a follow up of the famous Mass Observation photographic collection of Bolton in the 1930s.

There would also have been a major environmental exhibition and the rest of the money would have been used for general celebrations.

The only local award is £20,000 for the Walkden Millennium Community Play.

The bid was put in by the Salford Open Theatre and it is described as a "community play with a heritage theme".

Here is a selection from the list of projects which were judged to be better than Bolton's.

Tell us what you think.

The Spirit of Cumbria Millennium Festival, £300,000 for a "cross cultural programme which will address the issues of access, cultural identity, democracy and justice".

The Millennium Waterfronts, £300,000 towards a programme of events on the waterways of Manchester and Salford, including pageants, Millennium Eve celebrations and community events.

The River of Light Millennium Celebrations, £200,000 to Liverpool Architecture and Design Trust to create "lighting spectaculars" along the Mersey.

Manchester's Coming Home, £200,000 for a heritage trail in Manchester.

Celebrating the Millennium in East Lancashire, to Blackburn with Darwen Council, £80,000 for a year-long programme of themed weeks.

Mapping the Millennium, Wigan Council £40,000 to create a parish map for the millennium for local people to record day to day life in the community.

One World One Oldham Festival, £30,000 for a festival in partnership with local community groups and businesses to celebrate the "cultural and educational aspirations and achievements of the people of Oldham".

Chorley Millennium Celebrations, £29,300 to equip local groups with "the skills and knowledge to organise events and develop satellite events and platform events in the shape of a festival for all groups".

Preston Mela Millennium Festival, £25,000 for a festival of South Asian culture.

Liverpool Hope Street Millennium Public Arts Route, £25,000 for a "millennium necklace" of public art and environmental improvement linking Liverpool's cathedrals.

Representing Winsford - A Year in Photographs, £8,500 to present a photographic record of a year in the life of the Cheshire town.

Heritage

Threads - All Saints Church, Micklehurst, near Mossley, £30,000 for a project which will involve young people exploring their cultural heritage.

I'm Not Asking To Be Einstein - Disability Services at Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde, £30,000 to produce a 90-minute video which will be presented, acted, written, produced and filmed by people with disabilities.

Access All Areas - £24,000 for a series of "networked sculptures" which contain the identity of communities across Merseyside.

Light Year 2000 - a project "inspired by the cultural and spiritual aspects of light" which will aim to create "an awareness of the relationship between science and the arts".

Feeding the Dragon - Little World Ltd, Rossendale, £15,000. This is described as "traditional, community-built, wood-fired kiln firing, containing the clay-earth creations of Rossendale children and others.

Tempus Fugit - £10,000 for a performance called Conquering the Gods, which is described as "an arts and multi media epic exploration of time".

Eden Arts Trust, Cumbria - £9,500 to create a 100-headed serpent. Each head will be created by a series of community group workshops.

The Story of Christianity in Lancashire - £90,000 to the Lancashire Country Millennium Exhibition to cover 1,000 years of Lancashire's Christian heritage.

The People's History for the Third Millennium, £82,200 for the National Museum of Labour History in Manchester.

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