Kielder Spring SP 2010

[ZOG]

Phil, let me know if you get stuck, if you could make it for Wednesday I could take you up, I have a Volvo V70 estate now so theres plenty room.

Oh, I have a new toy to play with as well

[PhillyDee]

Cheers for the offer, got the car back today, and they claim they cannot find anythign wrong (Compression test and hydrocarbon test). They do admit there is a bit gunk in there, but still.

Personally, I get the feeling that they are incompetant, useless and haven;t got a clue.

Heaters are off, gunk in the expansion bottle, gunk under the oil filler cap, lost a lot of coolant in the space of a week. Hmm . . . .

But theres nothing wrong . . . . ?

I will be there! Luckily I have RAC membership just in case

[ZOG]

Def sounds like the head gasket mate.

[PhillyDee]

Yup. Try telling that to the garage.

[Dangerous-Dave]

We had an old Skoda Estelle with that problem and it was a knackered Head Gasket as ZOG suggests. The browny cream gunk is oil which has emulsified into the cooling system.

We used to carry around big Robinsons squash bottles full of water and reload the system if it blew. A new head gasket or skim was a waste of money on an old car.

Can't remember if I asked alreadt, but are there speakers and vendors on the Saturday, as per the Autumn event? I haven't got a pitch booked but might come up for that.

[ZOG]

I think it follows the same format as the Autumn party Dave.

3 days to go Time to raid the garden shed and sort out the camping gear.

[Tinkerbell]

Well Chaps and Chapesses only one more sleep for Me.

See You all up there whenever that is.

[Solar B]

Iam just back from Kielder and by all accounts had a great time,even though i was only able to stay for one night.

I think that reports back from this one are going to be exceptional ,it was great to catch up with everyone again to

I look forward to reading these reports,and especially hearing how

everyone behaved themselves by not becoming intoxicated

Brian

[gary1968]

Got back from this a wee while ago. My good lady fancied a wee trip down there, just for the day. She wanted a look around Kielder and the camp site, I think her nose was bothering her as to how many mad folk like me there actually were in the country. So, I thought to myself, oh goody, I'll take her there, humour her and I'll get a wee look round the trade stands and maybe pick up a bargain.

I was fairly disappointed with the trade stands, nowhere near as many as there had been in recent years. Maybe they had packed up early, I was there about 2:30, but I doubt that. There were actually only 2 stand there.

As it was a spur of the moment thing I am not too bothered but I hope there is a better turn out for the autumn starcamp.

Anyway, other than that, the camp site was much, much drier. I think they must have improved the drainage, they certainly have improved the road running through the site.

The weather looked fine, it was actually warm and the sun was shining. I look forward to the reports from the night skies and also to any images posted.

Cheers,

Gary

[PhillyDee]

Just back here too! Im knackered!

There were only 2 stands on all day, It never rained, so drainage wasnt tested!

A fantastic starcamp! Dry, good skies, great food at the Anglers, and bitterly cold. What else can you want!

[MG1]

Ha, phil you beat me to it!

I'm still on M6 heading home (via mothers!)

Was a cracking few days but I'm shattered too. I managed only two hours sleep on Friday night as it was so clear I just didn't want to go to bed! Felt it last night though and finally turned in around 3:30. Really wished I could have taken Monday off work and stayed tonight like we did in Autumn. Still it chucked it down then and we woke up with the waves of the sea of Gary lapping at the tent.

Weather was great this time and we were much better prepared for the cold so it wasn't a problem at all.

Spring is cluster-tastic and the clear skies just make viewing them even better.

For those who haven't been yet, last night you could pick out the Orion nebula, naked eye from around 6:30-7ish, well before it was even properly dark. The seeing was superb later on and I even managed for the first time to get nice little concentric diffraction rings in and out of focus.

Thanks to some great assistance from Paul, John and Paxo I was able to finally get my head around drift alignment so my polar was spot on. Only trouble is now I understand PE and need to try and get guiding working to get rid of that!

Steve & John (I think) have convinced me to keep going with the LVI, although I very nearly drop kicked it to the challets!

Oh and I saw the brightest fireball of my life at around 2 that left a visible trail for some time.

All in all a cracking few days and I am already looking forward to repacking the tardis and catching up in October. If only the drive home wasn't so long.

Three cheers to the organising committee!

Mike & Jen

[AndyH]

Both me n Allison, are just back ourselves.

Cracking skies, smashing site and facilities(both on and offsite) and top notch organising. So dry. I believe the drainage has been improved. A cleared drain or something. 2 more hobbit hutches too !!

As always, friendliest bunch of peeps, you could hope to meet.

The beer and food were top notch. Even better than before. Being a beery fan, I was delighted with the condition of the Kingfisher and Anglers(rebadged beer from a local-ish micro brewery in the Newcastle area). Massive quantities were consumed.....burp.

Jamie should have stuck with the beer. Whisky in THAT quantity is a bad bad idea !!!

Spent the Saturday afternoon chatting to Steve(?) who runs the Galloway event. Top bloke. Sadly the quality of the Rugby was of a lower standard.

Can't wait for Autumn. Wooohooo.

Andy.

[PhillyDee]

Jamie should have stuck with the beer. Whisky in THAT quantity is a bad bad idea !!!

Andy.

I think he said it was a dodgy ice cube . . . .

[Dame]

First Star Camp I'd been to.

Superb clear skies for both nights with amazing views, fantastic company with brilliant organising.

Everyones so friendly, thank you all for helping when needed and for guidance on what to view, especially Peter and Alan and Mike.

Will have to try for extra special stamp on the passport for Autumn - drops too close to the good lady's birthday, else will be returning for the next Spring Camp.

Dame.

[barkis]

Seems as though Kielder was an unqualified success this Spring then.

Albeit a bit cold at times.

Anyway, where are all the piccies guys. The early ones last year showed snow, but everyone smiling. No snow this time around apparently, so with the good skies and all, some cracking Astro stuff has to be on the cards.

Ron.

[lulu]

Glad you boys all had a good time. No floods, plague or pestilence but plenty of clear skies, alhtough the Kielder Gremlins did seem to strike on the Wednesday. Did make you realise just how cold it can get up there though didn't it. Can't wait to start seeing the pictures though so get processing chaps.

Lynn

[ZOG]

A cracking starcamp indeed, many thanks to Kev, Lynn and co for the organisation. Thanks also to FLo for getting the replacement mount to me (the Fedex van puloled up right next to my tent )

Although the gremlins hit me with the mount closely followed by a nasty flu type bug, I still enjoyed the event tremendously.

A couple of pics,

Mick and Jans set up with Micks amaxing box of tricks

A view from the hill over the electric field

Important discussions at Philydee's office

[mikeyscope]

Found ....

While walking the campsite on Monday morning I came across a 1.25" black plastic Vixen tube end cap ....or possibly an eyepiece cap.

This was found on the non-electric field several yards in front of the warm room near where the Renfrew lads were camped.

Just PM me if you know to whom this belongs and I will forward it to the rightful owner.

Mike

[Dixie]

Mike,

I think this belong to my Vixen LV12mm - keep it safe and I'll pick it up at the October event or before if we meet up.

cheers

Richard

[mikeyscope]

No problem Richard

...guess I better go and pick it back out the bucket then.

Mike

[Dixie]

Gary

Re the trade stands it was never the intention of the Spring event to compete with the one in Autumn, which will have the usual number of vendors, ie Widescreen, Ian King, Rother Valley etc. Spring is a bit more chilled out and informal - quite literally given that it almost always has the lowest temperatures (minus 11 on the Wendesday night).

Cheers

richard

[mikeyscope]

I had the digital thermometer stuck to the outside of the caravan at Kielder which recorded the minimum temperature at... -11.6

......didn't feel a thing with the electric blanket and fan heater.

[gary1968]

Gary

Re the trade stands it was never the intention of the Spring event to compete with the one in Autumn, which will have the usual number of vendors, ie Widescreen, Ian King, Rother Valley etc. Spring is a bit more chilled out and informal - quite literally given that it almost always has the lowest temperatures (minus 11 on the Wendesday night).

Cheers

richard

Thanks for the explanation Richard, I didn't realise that. |The last couple of years the local astro group I am with has organised a spring event so I haven';t been to Kielder in the spring for a few years.

I will be there in the Autum for 3 nights, looing forward to it.

Cheers,

Gary