A COLLECTION of contemporary civic artefacts, representing a snap shot of the year 2000, will be buried in a time capsule beneath the first of Tavistock's new boundary stones.

The town council has been given the capsule by the Tavistock Lions, who organised the placing of the new parish boundary markers as their millennium celebration.

At Tuesday's meeting of the council's finance committee, members were asked what they would like to put in the capsule.

Town clerk Roger Howard told the council, provided items were inert and not likely to perish, members were only 'limited by imagination'.

Cllr Norma Woodcock asked if they could include a photograph of the town's twinning documents with Pontivy and Celle.

'I do think a print would be wonderful, with the date — I think it gives the spirit of the town,' she said.

Mrs Woodcock also suggested a town tie and badge should be added to the capsule.

Cllr John Wright said he had some artifacts given to him after a visit to Tavistock in Canada during his mayoral year which he would be willing to donate.

'I do think maps are very important particularly,' he added.

'The Ordnance Survey people have wonderful laminating facilities for maps which preserve them extremely well,' he added.

Cllr Pat Warne suggested the council's new Best Value document should also be buried in the capsule, as it presented concisely the council's aims and status.

'What about a picture of the millennium embroidery in the town hall, that goes right across time,' suggested Cllr Roy Connolly.

Mayor Roger Mathew reminded councillors that photos would need to be treated properly in three 'colour separations'.

'If you don't do it, they won't last 100 years let alone 1000. If you do a colour separation it stands a reasonable chance of lasting an reasonable time. If you tell a graphics laboratory what the problem is they will do it for you,' said Cllr Mathew.

The time capsule will be buried under the boundary stone due to be erected near the Whitchurch Down football pitch.

There will be a short dedication ceremony performed by the Rev John Rawlings, Vicar of Tavistock, on Rogation Sunday.

After that, it should not be dug up and re-opened for another 1,000 years.

Mike Stephens, Lions member said the millennium project was extensive and the club were putting in 16 granite stones, five carved wooden posts and a couple of trees.

He said during the summer eleven of the schools within Tavistock and those adjoining the parish boundary would be filling other time capsules donated by the Lions — these will be buried at individual ceremonies with the schools.

'We very much wanted to involve the children in this. It's something they should remember and it fits in very neatly with their curriculum,' said Mr Stephens.

He said a photographic record is to be created of the ceremonies and kept by the town council.

'A lot of records are lost and we thought it would be nice to keep a permanent record of what we are doing,' said Mr Stephens.

'We've had advice from Gerry Woodcock, Dr Tom Greeves and the National Park and they've all been most helpful.'