Optimism or what ?

Heard about a dark sky event on R4 last week which involved nighttime cycling! I would have enough trouble in daylight.

I can hear DS groaning in horror at the comments about star gazing, he is an Astronomer and he would snatch your arm off for a chance to stand half way up a mountain. There is more than a few twinkly stars in the sky to watch and telescopes are motorised so that it can track whatever you are watching.

I've always been interested in astronomy, and i would love a telescope but i find, from talking to people who have them, if you haven't anywhere to have them permanently set up, they rarely get used, and people tend to think they will be easy to use, and, by and large, they aren't, even the little ones. We went to visit some friends recently that we hadn't seen for a long time. His family had bought him a wonderful, huge, digitally controlled telescope for his 70th birthday, and after he'd shown it to me and i had drooled all over it, he said, "you can take it home and try it for a while if you like - i'm b******d if i know how to work it! I thought you just looked through them!" I didn't take him up on it - i wouldn't have known how to work it either (i only talk a good telescope !

Anniebach, there was I envying you your skylight! Some years ago I slept in a room with a big octagonal skylight when I visited my daughter. When she moved I really missed going to sleep and awakening with a view of the sky above me.

Sorry ruby lady

Didn't like curry until I married an Indian and was introduced to the real McCoy. Now I love it. So many bad Indian restaurants around to put you off. The Gurkha curries sound wonderful - enjoy.

As for stars - they can look pretty but I cannot see the relevance of Orions Belt the Great Bear etc. figaments of someone's imagination and eyewateringly boring!!

Nobody really thinks Welsh houses are roofless! Think of all the rain.
I like curry, as long as it's very mild.

I remember climbing a Dartmoor Tor when beacons were lit for HM's silver jubilee - it was summer, so going up in the dusk was fine but coming down again in pitch darkness was another matter, despite torches (and I was a lot younger then).


DH is interested in astronomy but the telescope rarely comes out. I always think you have to be an optimist to have astronomy as a hobby in the UK.

I must try a Ghurka curry, there is a restaurant near us.

It was a joke ab

We have seen fantastic dancing displays by the Gurkha Families for the earthquake appeal

Galen , exactly , which is why I questioned star gazing in February, I haven't seen the mountains for ages and we are surrounded by them . Wales still exsists, the rest of the world has vanished

Rubylady, yes my house has a roof, obviously you have no knowledge of Wales

I don't like curry either (apart from a mild korma) or anything that makes my mouth fizz as DGS describes it

No Annsixty, I don't like curry either, possibly something to do with a holiday in India where EVERYTHING tasted of curry, even the breakfast toast, lol.

Are you sure Wales exists? It's vanished into the mists. I suspect it's like Brigadoon, only emerges every 100 years

Go for it! The Ghurkas make amazing curry - they may even dance for you afterward! That's amazing too!

mmm 12th February- kind of them to celebrate my birthday.

Another curry hater here! I can't stand any spicy food.

I'm not keen either. It looks so unapetising somehow -everything is brown! I love Chinese food though, lots of colour and crunchy veg.

Just a small digression but as curry pops up so many times on various threads, am I the only person in GB who doesn't like curry? (or sweet potatoes ).

ruby

Its a lovely idea. In theory I'd love to do it but in practice........

Do you not have a roof on your house?

Working on it Elegran, working on it I can see the stars lying in my bed anyway

Can you go for the curry and skip the star-gazing?

Their curry is just so delicious , they hold a curry supper on 5th November after their firework display , my poor ulcer . Well I will buy a ticket because the mayors charities are the victims of Tibet earthquake and the refugee jungle in Calais , and I do so want the curry

The Ghurka supper without the stars sound more fun. Everyone could stand outside for a few minutes beforehand gazing up and imagining them, then go in and eat.