It is a pity that most people in Swindon seem to have been completely unaware that yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Swindon's creation as a borough.

Our town has lived through a century of ups and downs, disappointments and triumphs. And its achievements would have been well worth celebrating.

However, because this is also millennium year we believe the council was right to spend money on a succession of public events rather than one centenary celebration on a November weekday which few would have been able to enjoy.

But it is good that the borough's 100th birthday did not go completely unmarked.

Hopefully those who heard the bells of St Mark's Church ringing out joyfully yesterday had time to pause and wonder about the reason for the three-hour peal.

We are the inheritors of the traditions established by enterprising civic leaders and by hardworking citizens who over five generations have made Swindon a town to be proud of.

We should honour the history of this town, which is now one of Europe's biggest economic and development success stories.

It would be nice to think that soon Swindon's church bellringers will be sounding peals in honour of our town becoming a city.

But if it doesn't happen let's not be despondent. Swindon has a century of memorable achievements.

AT the beginning of the 21st century in a country which is now only nominally Christian, it is ludicrous that nightclubs are breaking the law if they charge an entrance fee on Sundays.

But clubbers who are hoping for a free night out on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve this year are almost certainly in for a big disappointment.

It will be interesting to see which club managers come up with the most ingenious ways around this law.

We predict cloakroom charges of at least a tenner.