I have had a long interest in astronomy since deciding to offer an 'O' level GCE in the subject in 1972 when at Southend College of Technology. As a result of this course Peter Laycock and I jointly founded the South East Essex Astronomical in 1974, and I became its first Treasurer. When I moved to Kelly I introduced Astronomy into the third form Physics curriculum well before it became part of the national curriculum in 1988! The school doctor, Duncan Gibbs, and I found that we had a mutual interest in Astronomy and decided to form the Tavistock Astronomical Society in 1987, and I have been the Chairman since then. I am often called upon to give talks to local WI's (womens institutes).

The picture shows myself (foreground left), Dr. Duncan Gibbs (next to me) and Dr. Percy Seymour of the University of Plymouth (looking through our ten inch Newtonian reflecting telescope), when he opened the Society's observatory at Kelly College.