Dame Vera Lynn today spoke of her honour at being named personality of the century in a nationwide poll.

The 83-year-old, who lives in Ditchling, said: "It's lovely, I'm very proud." Dame Vera, who shot to fame with songs like We'll Meet Again and White Cliffs of Dover, won more than a fifth of the votes when members of the public were invited to name a personality who represented the spirit of the 20th Century.

Today, mementos including her autobiography, records and a life-sized enlargement of one of her most famous wartime photographs were being sealed in the Millennium Vault 2000 in Guildford, Surrey, which will not be opened until the year 3000.

Dame Vera said: "Sixty years ago there was a poll with the service chaps in France and I came out top, that's how I got called the forces sweetheart. Little did I think that 60 years hence I would win another poll."

Dressed in a navy blue suit and wearing the glittering brooch bought

by her husband to celebrate her Freedom of

London award, she was philosophical about being immortalised in this fashion and said she was not sure whether people would still be around in 3000.

She said. "It depends if they hold back on a lot of what they're doing to the world at the moment. In 1,000 years there won't be very much of it left."

Dame Vera revealed she was inspired by the Queen Mother. She said: "We first met at Windsor when Queen Elizabeth was 16 and through the years we've continued to meet through charity work and the little parties she would put on for ex-servicemen."

The singer was one of 120 names put forward by

voters of all ages who were polled at shopping centres across the country. Today she was helping to close the steel door into the airtight vault in the side of a hill in the grounds of Guildford Castle.

Other souvenirs of the century include a small-scale car, which has been specially treated to stop it decaying, one of the Yehudi Menuhin's violins, a Sony Walkman and a pair of trainers. It is believed to be Europe's biggest time vault.

The project, backed by Guildford Borough Council, also features letters to the people of the year 3000 from personalities including Prime Minister Tony Blair and actor David Suchet.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.