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Peak Star Party 2015: 5th anniversary extravaganza!


jamespels

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HI James,

Sorry to read you're stepping down from PSP.

​Thank you for getting PSP resurrected. And letting it rise like a Phoenix, from the ashes of the old PSP at Rivendale. 

​I sincerely hope you and Paul C can talk a society, local to, Derbyshire- into getting involved to take it over.

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Just come across the thread, as I've not been looking but sorry to hear you are bowing out James but like you say it is a huge commitment.

I also echo what the others have said and wish to thank you for the previous events which have been enjoyed by so many and been the starting point of many great friendships. You will be sadly missed as the face of PSP.

Thinking caps on :smiley:  we at least have the dates to work with, and the event should as others have said still go ahead.

Damian 

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As im new to this star party game only been to two and both P2P im sad James is leaving I also want to echo what everyone else has said and say thank you you made my first forays into star partys enjoyable I just hope it can carry on as at the moment i dont see myself getting to any others any time soon.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all,

many thanks for the kind words, everyone!

For now, Shallow Grange are looking after all the kit for us, I have renewed the domain hosting, etc. and kept the Paypal and bank accounts with their small surplus so PSP can be kicked off again in 2016 if anybody has the time to do so. If we get to this point again next year, I will fold PSP completely and distribute the remaining assets.

I have just switched the SW250P / EQ6 combo I never used for a Celestron 5SE (very happy with it based on a 5 minute viewing last night - didn;t have time to cool down and the collimation is slightly out but still got two cloud bands on Jupiter) and I am planning to come to at least one star party this year so will hopefully see you there...

Best wishes,

James.

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  • 4 months later...

Hi James,

I used to help organise the 'old' PSP/PSP Lite many years ago at the Rivendell site before I moved abroad. I was immensely happy to see that the event had continued when I came back to the UK last year and that there had been a lot of effort and work in making the event a wonderful meet up for beginners and experienced alike.

Well done to you and others in making people come together and the personal sacrifices it took to make this happen.

Best wishes

Dannae

Yes those PSP badges you made your niece slave over were great!! Still have mine in a draw somewhere! :)

It's a shame you have to step down James as I understand you produced quite an event, but fully understand the demand It places on your time (I too helped organise the original PSP)

I reckon it will rise again... :)

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  • 2 months later...

Is anyone, like me, beginning to feel any withdrawal symptoms as the date for what would have been PSP approaches?

Well I definitely am in terms of missing catching up with everyone at this time of year. It would be great to have another Autumn star party to go to.

I must agree with Calvin though, there are better skies out there which I would rather go to if spending the time. Even just a bit deeper into the National Park is significantly better I believe. It's all about finding a decent location I guess?

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The skies weren't the best as Calvin says but meeting up with everyone is what I'll miss. Was a great atmosphere.

I would've attended again and supported the event.

Damian

Yep, me too

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I agree. James worked incredibly hard at this event and I can understand why he quit.

Personally, I love the meeting up too but it's even better with some astronomy thrown in. This is why I wish some sort of short notice system could be worked out for more informal gatherings. Mainly it's not happening due to our laziness I reckon - certainly mine anyway. I am going to make a more concerted effort to get out to a darker site more often this season given that my neighbours are driving me made when they leave their insecurity light on constant.

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I agree. James worked incredibly hard at this event and I can understand why he quit.

Personally, I love the meeting up too but it's even better with some astronomy thrown in. This is why I wish some sort of short notice system could be worked out for more informal gatherings. Mainly it's not happening due to our laziness I reckon - certainly mine anyway. I am going to make a more concerted effort to get out to a darker site more often this season given that my neighbours are driving me made when they leave their insecurity light on constant.

Ditto. James is a star.

Well Shane I for one would be up for informal get-togethers up north.

I'm sure Ian (Uplooker) would be interested as well.

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I agree. James worked incredibly hard at this event and I can understand why he quit.

Personally, I love the meeting up too but it's even better with some astronomy thrown in. This is why I wish some sort of short notice system could be worked out for more informal gatherings. Mainly it's not happening due to our laziness I reckon - certainly mine anyway. I am going to make a more concerted effort to get out to a darker site more often this season given that my neighbours are driving me made when they leave their insecurity light on constant.

bring your 16" to snowdonia shane like i have said in the past, mag 21 sky there :smiley:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I definitely am in terms of missing catching up with everyone at this time of year. It would be great to have another Autumn star party to go to.

I must agree with Calvin though, there are better skies out there which I would rather go to if spending the time. Even just a bit deeper into the National Park is significantly better I believe. It's all about finding a decent location I guess?

I wouldn't go deeper into the Peak park looking for darker skies, it doesn't happen due to Interference from Manchester and Sheffield; especially on those iffy nights. I've driven around in the dead of night whilst looking for an alternative to the Rivendale site a number of years ago. I found the best area was around the Lathkill dale. Namely "Over Haddon". There's a couple of useful campsites up there, but if memory serves me you'd have to be self sufficient. You would however get the best skies the peak has to offer, IMHO.

Alternatively, if you wanted great skies...... Travel to the Llyn Peninsula, south of Abersoch. You are looking straight out to sea with nothing in you're way for about 80 - 100 miles! More importantly, the skies are so inky black you don't need dark adaption to see objects that are usually unobservable until you have full dark adaption!

Choice...... The spice of life :)

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I would agree with the skies around Snowdonia/Lleyn; I was very lucky because I was brought up on a hill farm just outside of Llanbedr and have never seen skies like it in this country so far. There are a lot of campsites in any of those areas as Dark Horizon points out. In fact Anglesey is pretty good as well - visible milky way quite often and looking directly out to sea in a lot of areas.

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If only there where a campsite on the Bodorgan Estate, South of Aberffraw....... Now that's the darkest sky I've ever seen. I nearly fell into the sea cos of how dark it is, but my jaw proped me up!! :)

Yes, Anglesey has some fantastic skies, even from my suburban street the Milkyway is as clear as a bell and as large as the Amazon!

Imagine that without the "LED" street lights.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Only just catching up on PSP news. Was busy having cancer surgery (not as much fun as it sounds!)

Fully understand why James has had to step down and like all those who have been there for the previous years I salute his hard work and dedication to pull it all together year on year. I'll keep an eye on this thread just in case we come up with a new party planner and location. If not then it was good while it lasted. 

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