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Season of stress and success…
As I felt my mood lighten with the brightening of the day as the sun burned through the murk and mist, I was led to pondering once more about the lateness in returning to Greenwich Mean Time. Our bodies are aligned to the sun and at this time of year, the sunlight seems increasingly out of sync with the time of day. The mornings are cold as it is earlier than the clock displays of course. I welcome the return of the hour so that the morning light and temperature are much more in tune with my body and the time of day.
Having borrowed a couple of books from the Children’s Library, I was incensed to come across two errors. And not to mention a mistake about Sir Norman and helium in the August edition of Astronomy Now. Why, oh why, can’t I get published!? However, I am not immune from making mistakes myself and have just completed revising an earlier book of mine. The main errors were punctuation not factual though.
Stress levels were quite high during the week on an outing to the city of Exeter for a special screening of the film Pressure, accompanied by a talk from the Met Office technical adviser. The film was powerful with breathtaking performances from the lead actors. The stress came from finding a car park which stayed open late, was easy to find, near the venue, and did not involve a strange parking app. The scene setting of the film was superb with attention to detail as I had not been aware of in a film before. The whirling cigarette smoke of a 1940s office, the type of paper and pencils used, the accuracy of the weather charts and accompanying background conversation, the gentle breeze which foretold of the forecast accuracy. Of course, liberties were taken with who was where and the addition of thunder, but, overall, the film took us along for a rollercoaster ride of emotion, a collective sigh of relief when the rains fell.
Stress was followed swiftly by success in an apple pie competition in which I came first. There were not many entries in the event organised by the local town council for Apple Day I must admit, although the pie was a worthy winner with its light flakes and buttery flavour.
There was more breathtaking action by the performers of Exeter Opera Group as they performed Saint Saens Samson et Dalila. Iryna Ilnytska has worked hard over the years to bring together enough musicians and singers to make this opera group not only a success, but of a high standard to appear at bigger and bigger venues. She deserves success. Her voice and performance are outstanding. If you have not seen her, do catch one of the performances in Devon. And tell your friends! Soloists from other areas add to the mix of more local singers, while Iryna herself is an award winning Ukrainian mezzo soprano whose desire to help Ukraine involves multiple solo concerts. Money raised goes straight to volunteers in Ukraine for buying essential small items.
The week was rounded off with a trip on a tram at Seaton Tramway to celebrate my husband’s son’s birthday. Friends joined us for the ride and the inevitable cream tea afterwards. The day was warm and sunny, and we ambled along the seafront afterwards, basking in the late afternoon warmth.
Trouble and strife seem far away on glorious late summer days of warmth and friendship. Harvest festival reminded us to share and be kind to one another. If only. I sang the harvest hymns with gusto as this time of year always reminds me of my dear Dad who loved to grow and share his vegetables.
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Stars
w/e 20 September 2026
With the sun continuing to beam warmth and light, I made the most of a low tide by taking a dip in the warm sea. It was delicious and as life affirming as always.
There was a lot of last minute preparation and a fair few rough nights before Saturday, which turned out to be well worthwhile. On the day itself, around forty people interested in learning more about Lady Lockyer, an inspirational lady, were enthralled by the fascinating talk given by local author and storyteller, Janet Dowling, at the Norman Lockyer Observatory on Saturday 19th September. Janet said “It is difficult to walk around Sidmouth without being aware of the legacy of Lady Lockyer, or Mary Browne as she was known, and her sister, Annie Leigh Browne. Both were formidable and inspirational women.”
I enjoyed putting together this successful event and learning more about Sir Norman’s later life. I was particularly excited to hold a law book used by Lady Lockyer when she was considering bequeathing land owned by her to her husband – which became the site of the Observatory. We owe her a great deal. Today I am recovering from the energy required to put on such an event. Hopefully, next time if there is one, I shall have a team of people to help host. I had plenty of helpers but would love someone to share the worry load.
Also at the event, members of Sidmouth Quilters and Patchers were on hand to explain the making of the special quilt to honour Mary Browne, which is on permanent display in the Observatory. They were delighted by the positive response to their efforts. All in all, the event demonstrated how much the Norman Lockyer Observatory has to offer with its rich historical heritage.
Sadly, although there were some paintings by John Meacham for sale, none sold. He was pleased that they were being exhibited and enjoyed by the visitors.
The book I refer to above, was the Lawes Resolution of Women’s Rights which is in Exeter Central Library. On a previous visit, it could not be found, so I had to make a quick additional visit on Friday to photograph it. It falls open at the pages relating to a wife bequeathing land to her husband. Very pertinent.
Blue skies and sunshine to round off the last week of official summer before the equinox which has ripened some tomatoes and provided some more runner beans.
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w/e 13 September 2026
The heat has gone…
Summer seems to have disappeared as swiftly as it appeared last May. The extreme heat has abruptly given way to cooler, fresher days needing a cardigan. The days are still relatively warm; it is the drop of so many degrees that make them seem cool. Our bodies have not adjusted yet. One such day was enjoyed on Dartmoor. It was perfect. Not too hot, and not too cold with clear visibility. There were lots of birds, ponies, and cattle to enjoy. I had not been to Buckland before and was delighted to find the famed large stone carved with the ten commandments at the base of Buckland Beacon with no difficulty at all, as well as the church clock which has ‘My dear Mother’ in place of numerals.
This week sees the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. I recall the 10th fondly as I remember happily spending the day gardening, with an interval to take a phone call from a friend recently moved to Switzerland. Shortly after that, news of the relocation to Exeter broke. Life was never the same again. Twenty-five years on, I am now settled in a house that feels like home with a husband who cares and is attentive to my needs as am I to his. I feel heard and seen. The one constant has been the Norman Lockyer Observatory, without which I cannot imagine life now.
The 11th itself this year, I have spent quietly at home apart from a lovely walk in the warm afternoon sunshine. A contemplative day.
A friendly local barbeque hosted by the local vicar in their garden was much enjoyed by all. There were friends old and new, lots of lovely puddings, and a sausage or two to whet the appetite. The day stayed pleasantly warm well into the evening.
Sunday saw us have Sunday lunch using the new dining chairs given to us by a friend who was downsizing. My original dining chairs had seen over 65 years of use and were becoming a bit wobbly, having been repaired a couple of times. A couple of them shall be saved, and the rest to the recycling centre. A tasty tropical trifle seemed appropriate to enjoy for this occasion, followed by a stroll along the seafront.
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w/e 23 August 2026
The second talk about the Moon, this time with rockets and craters, was also well-received. A young girl came up afterwards to say it was the best talk she had been to, and that she had been to lots! Again, everyone commented on my use of hoola hoops to explain the orbit of the Moon. Simple, yet so effective. This group were treated to a crater making display, using flour and cocoa onto which I dropped a marble. The effect is strikingly realistic.
I had a meeting with the archivist at the University of Exeter who kindly offered support and information for my research and work at the NLO. Altogether, a week full of positives.
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It’s a different world
w/e 16 August
Times have indeed changed. I have just read a Facebook comment that ‘My little girl is wanting a birthday party for her 6th birthday but doesn’t want to go to the local sports centre as she’s been to so many there already.’ Oh my word, my friends and I at that age only had small parties, tea parties that is with sandwiches and a few games, at our homes. One friend had a fancy-dress party – that was amazing as it was so unusual. My 21st birthday party was indeed a special event, although still held at home. On the other hand, my 18th (this was just coming in at the time) involved a group of friends going out to a nightclub for dinner and a show. That was posh and grown up!
Some things, however, do not change. The attraction of space to young girls remains strong. I am happy to report that following a talk I gave at Seaton Library yesterday, an 8 year old girl came to me with lots of questions about space and who shared a pack of stickers with me as a thank you. She wants to study space. There is hope. I made her laugh when I remarked that I was about her age at the time of the first Moon landings and loved all things spacey! Then felt really sad that no one had landed on the Moon since 1972. Using hoola hoops to explain the motion of the Moon around the Earth went down really well, with many saying how they now understood why the Moon was high in the sky at times.
And then I read the newspaper. An article described a recent mission to the Moon’s dark side. Oh dear!
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Special Eclipse post 12 August
The Moon is my friend. I felt seen and heard as the Moon gave us respite from the heat and light of this very hot summer. With a talk coming up on Saturday, I am grateful to have some fresh eclipse photos to show. It was a fantastic experience to be interviewed by BBC Spotlight live, their interviewer, Hattie McCann was friendly and put me at ease. It was a great opportunity to spread the word about the Lockyer telescope and the potential for the site. If you are interested to learn more, please look up the Norman Lockyer Appreciation Society page on Facebook.
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A busy week, leading to a shorter blog
Struggling to process a big news item about adult literacy, that there is a shortage of volunteers. Well, I loved my work with LearnDevon working with adults to help with their literacy and numeracy. Work hours dwindled until it was not worth working. There was a demand, still is a demand, and I have the skills. I am struggling financially and cannot afford to undertake the amount of voluntary work that is required.
Some good news though, an email arrived from the University of Exeter Old Library to the effect that I shall receive some support (probably not financial) but certainly valuable encouragement and indeed they have endorsed my project to write up about my finds in the archives in addition to my research into Sir Norman Lockyer.
Sadness that my mother is uninterested in my achievements or interests. She doesn’t ask, I don’t say any more. I did mention my talk on Saturday at the end of a list of what we were doing this week. No response.
So, a shorter blog this week as I try to get on top of my other paperwork to make space physically and mentally for this work.
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Sherwood Observatory
Report of visit to Sherwood Observatory 27 July 2026
On arrival we were warmly welcomed by the staff and volunteers. After having our tickets checked, we looked at the exhibits outside the planetarium. These included reference to a local engineer who had made some spectroscopic equipment for a certain Sir Norman Lockyer. There was a fine case of globes, orreries, and telescopes. A video was running explaining the history and development of the site, a former waterworks, as it transformed into the Observatory and Planetarium it is today. Other people also gradually drifted in to enjoy the displays before the show. Visitors are admitted up to 45 minutes beforehand and are also welcome to continue exploring after a show.
We fortified ourselves with coffee and cake overlooking the Nottinghamshire countryside and browsed the shop displays. The small café was run by a local college as part of their learning programme.
The immersive full dome show, a voyage through the solar system, was a roller coast ride of sights and sounds. I particularly enjoyed the journey through a large orrery and a close-up diagram of what the sun’s surface is like. The show was presented by a paid professional astronomer who ably dealt with a variety of questions from the audience.
After the show, we ventured down to a lower level beneath the planetarium, where there was a further display area. This was a brilliant space exhibition with well-lit and interesting objects in large display cases, over which hung a series of large models of the planets and the Sun. There were models of rockets, a Lego space station, real engines, a telescope project, and lots of information about space and time. The whole planetarium building is built around an old water works – recycling indeed! The small adjacent dome housing a telescope was not open when we visited.
We then chatted to the chair, Dr Steve Wallace, who explained how Sherwood has evolved. He said they had had an outside review of their governance procedures which had been more than worthwhile, a local college ran the small café and provided all the refreshments, and they had some paid staff to complement and support the team of volunteers. The volunteers were treated to a show and a buffet now and again as a thank you for their efforts, as well as free drinks when on duty. Steve explained that their board of trustees contained a mix of specific roles with a couple of non-role specific people who considered strategic planning and longer-term planning. Following investment and reorganisation, he shared that their membership and their income had both risen exponentially. They were working hard to encourage the members to volunteer a couple of times a year; although people were keen to be trained, there were fewer signing up to volunteer.
Before we left, Karen Barker, the administrator/receptionist shared her excitement at having landed her dream job which included outreach as well as coordinating bookings and volunteers. She told me she had also been involved in campaigning for the continuance of the Sky at Night programme following the death of Sir Patrick Moore and subsequently attended a reception held by Sir Brian May at Sir Patrick Moore’s home.
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Derbyshire Days
The drive to Derbyshire for a family wedding reinforced my view of travelling. Driving is no longer as fun as it used to be. Larger cars, heavy traffic, roadworks, bridges being built to connect who knows where to who knows what, the speed of traffic, the difficulties of navigating in a new area all combined to make me yearn for a comfy coach seat.
Derbyshire days included a lovely day out at the Butterley Railway. We enjoyed a long chat with one of the volunteers who explained that the site was really two separate groups, one running the trains, and the restoration group restoring steam trains. The place was a pleasant walk from our hotel, although we caught a bus back to the town centre. Not much in the town, so walked back to the hotel.
The wedding was a colourful, friendly affair and an opportunity to catch up with cousins and people not seen for a very long time.
Sherwood Observatory was a real highlight and has its own separate report for the benefit of my own observatory. Uploaded as a separate part 2 blog post.
Newstead Abbey provided a pleasant background to a day with one of my cousins. The former home of Lord Byron, the garden had been left untended but the paths were kept maintained and the lake with its array of water lillies. The abbey itself sounded of interest although we did not go in that day. It was quite warm and humid so we sat and chatted and then chatted some more over a cup of tea in the nice tearoom.
The following day we took the bus to Derby. I had not been there before and was pleasantly surprised by how clean and bright it was, with a pleasant riverside walk. Our aim was to locate 27 Queen Street, the childhood home of John Flamsteed. This we did and then found the museum and art gallery with its special exhibition of Joseph Wright paintings. They were stunning. His depiction of emotions and candlelight was awesome. We had an interesting conversation with the volunteers there.
And then it was time to drive home. I chose to make a short detour to see a Peak District village where we stopped for a stroll and a breakfast. The traffic on the M42 is something I never with to experience again. It took me a few days to recover, hence the late uploading of this post. My long-distance driving days are behind me sadly. It is a hard thing to admit to.
It is with disbelief that I hear a news item about vegetables that are ‘too large’ being donated to those who need help. I would have bought them. There seems to be an issue with standardisation, surely, as if they were on sale in a local greengrocer, I am sure many people would buy them.
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Odysseys
Seeing culture began this week with enjoying the new film about Homer’s Odyssey. At three hours this was a committed watch, thrilling after a bit of a slow start, although some time was needed to set the scene. Although I still don’t understand how Odysseus got lost on his way home from Troy. The special effects were amazing although my head was spinning from these and the sounds for many hours afterwards.
The day was also the anniversary of the first moon landing. I am still enthralled by the Moon and was delighted to receive a photo via WhatsApp of the Moon as Dawn sees it in Australia. It is indeed upside down with the crescent waxing from the other way round. It complements my photo of the same crescent nicely, just in time for a talk at Seaton Library.
A day trip to Lynton via the steam railway at Woody Bay was a real treat. The coach collected us promptly at 9am and we went on a tour of East Devon collecting little pockets of people before heading up the M5 to North Devon. On arrival at Woody Bay, it was off the coach and onto the train in a seamless transition of transport. We chugged along through the beautiful countryside and back again.
From there we were whisked away to Lynton to enjoy a couple of hours exploring the many shops and cafes or simply to enjoy the rest of a picnic overlooking the stunning coastal scenery. The driver kindly dropped us off at our local bus stop so we did not have to walk back up from the high street and we were home indoors just after 7pm for a late tea. It was relaxing not to have to worry about navigating, other drivers, steep hills, car parks, while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Coach travel is the way forward.
Another week, another odyssey
w/e 2 August
