Graeme Robertson takes his annual look at the topics that prompted you to write to us.

Many people will remember Millennium Eve for years to come. A P Cox is one of them. It is to him that the distinction has fallen of being the last twentieth century Evening Press reader to have a letter published. His letter appeared towards the end of the paper in Sports Mail.

What has exercised readers of this local paper over the past year? The range of topics was, as always, wide - including questions, comments, praise and criticism.

This annual survey was not immune from criticism, being described as 'stuffy and high handed'. One regular correspondent also took umbrage and promised not to write in the Press in future. Fortunately this threat was short lived.

January began with one of the paper's most prolific correspondents, Bryan Marlowe, catching the editor's eye in the first edition of the year. Heather Causnett, another regular, made it on the 2nd. These two names featured extensively in 1998 but slipped from the letters section this year. Both moved to a features column and found themselves the regular subject of wrath. Such is the price of journalistic freedom.

Also in January Berwick Kaler came in for some unexpected criticism. However panto aficionados rallied to his support with much praise.

The proposed cycle track over Walmgate Stray was clearly not liked by many. Mike Usherwood asked why the speed humps in Stamford Bridge had been dug up and then replaced. Did he ever find out?

The police come in for much comment. But in February it was gratifying to read a letter from the Cambridgeshire Constabulary thanking readers for their help in tracing a missing family. In the event the information turned out to be incorrect but without the public's help the police would often be less successful.

Also this month the controversy about whether a statue of St Helena should be erected in St Helen's Square began.

In February a letter from Martin Stancliffe asked, in connection with the proposed statue in the square, if: 'The Civic Trust had sought to ensure that their proposal measures up to the highest standards of public art?' Each to his own artistic taste.

By March the problem of secondary school allocation reared its head. This topic recurred throughout the year with first the residents of Fishergate penning their concern to be followed by those in some of the outlying suburbs. Yorkshire Water publicly promised a 15 per cent reduction in our water bills. This might be an interesting topic for a class of mathematically-minded children to monitor on our behalf.

Parking charges at York District Hospital exercised our minds in April and not surprisingly the problems caused by some cyclists. As always Paul Hepworth and Mike Usherwood had views on two versus four-wheeled road users.

May brought concern about the closure of the creche at the District Hospital. And in Bootham Crescent the decline of York City was linked to many suggestions about Douglas Craig's future, or lack of it.

By June local readers had turned their attention to the European elections. Political differences were dropped when three MPs gave cross-party support for breast cancer screening. The city council angered many when it turned down plans for an indoor tennis arena.

School interest in the proposed statuary for St Helen's Square was evidenced in July when 28 Woodthorpe primary school children wrote to the paper. Cleanliness was also foremost in some minds with severe criticism of the York to Manchester Airport train. More disturbing was the letter from an American visitor to our city decrying the rubbish lying about the streets.

Nothing controversial appeared in the August letters. Some readers felt the eclipse worthy of comment.

If rubbish in the streets was not enough, a man from Brussels wrote in September about the state of our public toilets. This month also saw the start of an interesting series of letters seeking to establish who was the last person to be born in the Shambles.

By October the genetically-modified food debate was in full swing and St Helena rumbled on.

The Festival of Remembrance was an obvious topic for November. The difficulty some people might encounter if forced to resort to wheelie bins aroused the passions of readers.

And so the year ended with our readers understandably worried about lost views of York Minster because of unsympathetic building. The closure of the Barbican and Yearsley swimming pools and who had thought the new bus shelters were a good idea raised hackles. Geese in Rowntree Park also spurred some interesting thoughts.

Finally someone asked what had happened about the computers promised by the city council to school children.

What indeed?

A year without national or local elections reduced correspondence from politicians. Messrs Bayley, Greenway and Grogan appeared only once in print. At local level it was much the same with Bob Scrase our most prolific councillor.

The Letters column was not without celebrities. Sir David Attenborough, Fern Britton and Greg Rusedski wrote during the year. Letters also appeared from America, Australia, Belgium and Germany.

But it is local readers who produce the majority of comment, query and thanks. In all 1,414 signatures appeared under 1,931 general letters and 112 on sports topics.

Just as readers come and go, so do our regular correspondents. Sadly Ernest Rudd, known for his frequent thought- provoking contributions, is no longer with us. But new names appear and others return from a period of obscurity.

One third of the letters are known to have come from women. Notably Olga Janet Simpson and Ida Mary Goodrick are among the regulars. Ella Hirst appeared 20 times, once jointly with daughter Zoe. And she had a letter printed on the last day of the year.

Despite being absent from print for the last few weeks, Margaret Lawson proved once again that her letters receive editorial approval. This year she made 32 contributions on her own account and three jointly with her husband.

Prolific male correspondents are numerous. Some names are familiar while some are new to us. Allan Denney, Richard Greaves, Keith Smith and Gordon Horne appeared ten times. Paul Hepworth, Colin Jeffrey and Bryan Lawson (11 each) were outstripped by Chris Clayton and Mike Usherwood (each with 13).

Others who caught the editor's eye frequently were Robert Holmes (15), William Dixon Smith (16) and Dr A H Brown (16).

Then came Gordon Ross with 19 who was just outnumbered by David Quarrie. After a recent absence David provided 20 letters worthy of publication.

So what does the new century hold? Only you, our readers and letter writers, hold the answer...

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.