It takes an actor of unique talent to win an Oscar for an eight-minute performance. But that was all Dame Judi Dench needed in the film Shakespeare in Love to win over the Motion Picture Academy.

Her Best Supporting Actress award will come as no surprise to those people in York who have followed her career since she was a schoolgirl. Dame Judi has secured global recognition for playing two queens: Victoria in Mrs Brown and Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love; and it was as the queen that she made her debut in The Mount School's production of Richard II 50 years ago.

When she played the Virgin Mary in the York Mystery Plays, a wider audience was able to appreciate her gift. Now, thanks to movie roles from monarchs to M in James Bond, the whole world loves Dame Judi.

Yet she has not forgotten her roots. The star is patron of several local organisations, including the Mystery Plays and The Mount School Foundation, which raises funds for further development at the school.

Dame Judi's Academy Award crowned what was an excellent Oscars night for Yorkshire. Sir Tom Stoppard, an old boy of Pocklington School, won a statuette for co-writing the best screenplay.

Those wonderful, award-winning costumes in the movie Elizabeth were shown off to greatest effect during the coronation scene filmed in York Minster. And although the makers of Little Voice came away empty-handed, its presence among the nominations can only boost Scarborough, where it was filmed.

Such success gives us yet more reasons to be proud of our region. And the timing could not be better, for today we launch Proud To Be York 1999 campaign.

This is the second year of our campaign to make the city look cleaner, brighter and better than ever. Any project, large or small, stands a chance of winning one of four £500 prizes.

The winners of last year's inaugural awards demonstrate the range of schemes that are eligible. York Model Railway took the tourism category and Badger Hill Primary was the winner of the schools award for transforming one corner of the playing field into a quiet patio area.

To take part this year, all you need is a good idea and a lot of enthusiasm. You will not win an Oscar, but you might win the next best thing - a Proud To Be York award.

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