HOW much would you pay for a slave to pander to your every need as the new

millennium dawns?

This is the question fund-raiser John Wells-Thorpe is asking as he puts himself out to tender to the highest bidder - promising to fulfill your every wish on New Year's Eve.

The 71-year-old architect says he is prepared to consider anything legal in a bid to raise funds for the Martlets Hospice, in Hove, where he is chairman.

He said: "I am prepared to do anything within my capabilities. I don't do striptease or pull rabbits out of hats or anything. I play the piano very badly but by the time people have had three or four drinks they won't notice.

"I don't mind what I do as long as it's entertaining for everybody and within the law.

"I'm always being accused of being too frivolous and I have a good sense of humour and a broad back, so I have no worry about having to do things that affect my dignity."

But modesty aside Mr Wells-Thorpe boasts extensive talents - including jungle warfare.

As a teenager he served with the Royal Artillery in Malaysia where he led a team of 24 young Malaysians through the jungle but left after three years to train as an architect.

During his career he designed Hove Town Hall, a higher education establishment in Tanzania, and buildings in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabia.

He was also involved in setting up the South Downs Health NHS Trust in 1991, was on the board of BBC TV South, was chairman of the Institute of Directors in Sussex and has travelled extensively during his lifetime - particularly as president of the Commonwealth Association in the Eighties.

He said: "My duties might include tasks such as washing up, driving, being a barman, pet minder, cleaner, granny or grandad sitter, after dinner speaker or a combination of any of these.

"But if someone says come round and give me six hours on the drawing board designing a new kitchen I could do that.

"Or I could be a master of ceremonies or an after dinner speaker which I often do and people seem to enjoy my talks."

The talented pensioner dreamed up the idea while having breakfast with a fellow hospice fund-raiser from New Zealand at a conference in Manchester earlier this year.

He said they were comparing the wages being demanded for working on Millennium Eve and realised the potential for fund-raising.

He said: "Over the cornflakes I said 'why don't we offer our services to the highest bidder?' so now we are both doing it in our respective countries."

His wife Meta is fully supportive of the plan and has even offered to add her services to her husband's and will act as his chauffeur for the evening.

Mr Wells-Thorpe, who was born in Brighton and lives in Varndean Drive, Withdean, is raising funds for the Martlets Hospice, which offers an 18-bed in-patient wing, day care for 15 patients and palliative care for

terminally ill people in their homes.

He said: "Only 22 per cent of our funding comes from the NHS and we have to raise the rest. It costs £4,000 a day to keep the place on the road, but we do it through rattling tins in Western Road, fashion shows, shops and events."

And he is full of admiration for the 350 volunteers at the hospice who save the costs of gardening, cooking, driving and many other services.

He is hoping for at least a three figure bid for his New Year's Eve stint, but says he will even stand on his head in public all night if an organisation is willing to bid enough.

The one challenge he said he might have to turn down is setting sail in a force seven gale - because he gets seasick.

He added: "This is something which I have been dreaming up for some time.

"I'm not aiming to match the £30,000 Sir Trevor McDonald is believed to be being paid by ITN for a similar stint but I hope people will respond generously.

"I am out to turn a bit of generosity into fun so everybody gives a bit and we all have a good laugh with a cheque for the hospice at the end of it."

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