At exactly 11:11 am, on the August 11, Britain witnessed its last total solar eclipse of this millnnium. The countdown to it had begun months in advance. A 100 per cent eclipse was promised in Cornwall. The RAF Hercules plane relayed pictures of the entire eclipse which the thousands gathered in Cornwall, Falmouth and Isle of Scilly saw on large screens set up in the open. It was a once in a lifetime experience for most.