>It's getting darker and darker here (01:55 PM) like a cloudy sky ! Last eclipse of millenium has just started.
>Cetin

We had 97% total eclipse here in London (at 11.20am Local time). Unfortunately it was about 50% cloud also so it wasn't the best view.

It was an interesting experience. The newspapers and TV have been full of how it would get very dark and birds would stop singing etc. etc. Everyone seemed to empty out of the local offices and thousands of people were standing on the bridges and along the banks of the Thames (anything for 30 minutes out of the office).

In reality it did get darker, but no more so than a heavily cloudy day, or early evening. As for the birds - well it's difficult to tell from amongst a crowd of people and the noise of the traffic in central London.

From your roving reporter,