Winchester Weekend 201707/04/2017
Astronomy

The Winchester Weekend is the astronomical equivalent of Ascot to horse racing or Le Mans to endurance car racing and Wimbledon to Tennis…You get the picture.

Held once a year around Easter, it’s a three day event where we all camp out in the student accommodation at the Agricultural college at Sparsholt in Hampshire.

The weekend starts on a Friday morning, where a number Kernow Astronomers all bundle into cars and head East.

Well what a gorgeous day to start a Winchester weekend. Just having one last cup of tea before the off. This will mean that I will be dying for a pee by the time I get to Bodmin.

The first stop near the Cornwall Devon border is always lunch. with a very nice Chicken Curry at the King’s Arms at Tedburn St Mary

I’ve arrived. Astronomers Astronomerising.

The first lecture of the weekend is on the Friday evening

Here’s our full itinerary for the weekend.

Ian and his bloody Selfie Stick
No. You’re giving this talk!
Yet another meal
One group of rather dim Sunspots and no prominences, despite being able to see them in other H-Alpha scopes at the meeting.
No. It isn’t foggy. Lots of moon, but scope slew to all objects entered and most were even visible – including Bode’s Nebula.
Lots of toys to tempt the weak willed astronomer
Dinner chaos on the Saturday night, when one oven went down and there wasn’t enough food to feel the huge queue of hungry astronomers.
Clear skies on the Saturday Evening
Student rabbit hutch accommodation
I see no sunspots

The final meal of the weekend at the Arundel Arms Hotel in Lifton, safely eaten.