You may think that this is a rather slimmer volume than usual. The most astute amongst you will realise why this is so. It is because of lack of copy. So if you find an editor chasing you to write something, please treat him kindly! 

Contributors that have treated me kindly for this issue include some old favourites. First amongst these is Phil Stone, who has written an article on periglacial features in the Falkland Islands. When I first saw the title, I was a little unsure what it was about, but it is an interesting and entertaining read. 

This is followed by a short article by Bill Coppock and Bob McIntosh on the Edinburgh Geological Societyís Library. It is a prelude to the listing of all the libraryís holdings, which I have printed as an appendix. As you will read, Society membership means that you can apply to be a reader in the University Library, a privilege that is certainly worth the small effort of application. 

In the series Whatís in a Name? I was sent, out of the blue, a contribution by Alyn Jones, who has been an Edinburgh Geological Society member since he graduated from the University here in 1953.Ý He has written about the connection between Celtic tribes and geology. This was in answer to a plea of mine in the last issue and he admits that after he began his research into the subject, he learned a lot more about the Celts. He also admitted that it was easier to write than a geological paper! 

We have a new feature, which I have called Geo-vineyards. It all stemmed from an interesting wine label sent to me by Cecilia Taylor. We have another one for you for the next issue as well! 

Lastly, we have a few words on the Wanlockhead Museum of Lead Mining, contributed by Bob Reekie. The museum, like many small museums and galleries, is suffering from government funding now being generally restricted to national institutions. I hope that his contribution will encourage some of you to make Wanlockhead a weekend destination. As a postscript, I have included here a previously unpublished short piece that was prompted by teaching children the art of gold panning.

Well, not quite lastly, because this issue includes a series of reviews on the BGSís recent Earthwise publications on fossils. Five are reviewed here, and all are recommended by the reviewers. They are available from the Bookshop in Murchison House, at less than £10 for the set of five. This would make a fine Christmas present for a young fossil enthusiast or amateur geologist. 

I am pleased to be able to publish in Poetís Corner a song by Alexander Rose, sent to me by David Land. And we have our now regular Rocksword Puzzle by Angela Anderson. Thanks to both of them. 

Now to the millennium. It all started with A.D., which is anno domini, the year of Our Lord, the year that it was once calculated that Jesus Christ was born. That was year one. After that year was over came the second year of Our Lord, year 2 A.D. After 999 years were over came the 1000th year of Our Lord, year 1000 A.D. And so, by similar counting, this year, 2000 A.D., is the 1999th year since the year when Jesus Christ was born. This is why the new Millennium does not start until January 2001. 

Of course, it is now believed that Jesus Christ was born in or around 3 B.C., which complicates the whole thing and means that A.D. is not the year of Our Lord after all! It also means that most of us missed the Second Christian Millennium... which is rather a pity! But to resolve this issue, so I was recently informed by a man of the cloth, it is better to use the letters C.E., meaning Common Era. After all, the current system is used world-wide, irrespective of religious belief, and a common era is what it has become.