ENTREPRENEUR Bill North is feeling a little under the weather - it's that time of the year.

Macclesfield Council's Outdoor leisure services boss cannot keep his eyes off the sky, the barometer, or the TV news as he prepares himself for the annual Family Fun Day.

The slightest hint of a black cloud and organiser Bill North goes under one. He loses sleep over something he cannot control - the weather.

But so far - all 18 years of them - so good.

August 18, 2002, is the nineteenth spectacular he has masterminded at West Park and each year his prayers are answered.

Last year there was a shower before and after the free event which annually attracts thousands of spectators, but then there was a warm sunny interlude which lasted the duration.

In spite of his continuing good luck Bill is never complacent. In fact his pessimism is legendary.

"My wife gets really fed up with me every year because I worry about the weather," he confesses.

"I listen to every radio weather forecast, I watch every BBC weather forecast on television, I am on the phone every day to Manchester Weather Station, and the weather is always at the forefront of my mind, so I can understand how she feels."

Bill should have a sunny disposition judging by his consistent good fortune come each August.

The weather played an important role in the first event he organised way back in 1984. His problem was not rain - but lack of it.

"I remember West Park was totally brown and burnt by the hot sun," he says. "There was not a blade of green grass to be seen anywhere."

The headache over drought was shared by the Prime Minister of the day Maggie Thatcher who created a government position to deal with it. "But then as soon as she did that the rains came," he says.

This year, still two months away from lift off, Bill is already planning next year's event. He's already penned in the date - August 17, 2003.

It is no secret that, inspired by the stunning Music of the Millennium concert two years ago, Bill would dearly love to inject a huge dose of music into his already packed programme.

A member of a top band in the Swinging Sixties which made Top of the Pops, and one of a showbiz family, he loves variety of all description.

So he asking for feedback from our readers who will enjoy a full musical show from 2.30pm until 4pm by Silk FM, the local radio station.

This year at the Fun Day, which is sponsored by Gradus, Macclesfield Express, Ciba, AstraZeneca, PE Jones and Lookers Renault, there are lots of fantastic attractions.

They include the RAF Falcons Parachute Display; the London Flyers Gymnasts; and other daring stunt shows including the Over-The-Top Motorcycle team; James Dillons international; Dual Impact Impossible Mission; the Horsemen of the Apocalypse; The Globe of Death; and the Cheshire Constabulary Emergency Road Traffic Collision Scenario.

Favourites also include the Rockwood Dog Display team; Tom Longton Sheep Dog display; the Derby Midshipman marching Band and the Forgemen Marching Band.

There are sideshows and children's attractions galore including pony rides, a fairground, quad bikes and simulators. And Mr Hairy the talking keyboard playing puppet is there as usual.

There is, as always, something for everybody. So make it a date in your diary and prepare for the thrills and spills of Sunday, August 18.