Running an imaging day

[lguise]

It is great to see all the enthusiasm for more imaging days and requests for beginners events following the excellent day arranged by Daz last Sunday.

Just a couple of thoughts:

If you want an event in your area find a venue. This can be the most expensive part. We are lucky in Bedford that the Bedford School facilities are provided as part of our Community Outreach.

If you can find a contact in a local school this may be a good route.

Remember you will need to have a room with almost full black out facilities so that the fantastic images show up, as well as a media projector for speakers to connect up to. Toilets, access to food or somewhere for people to eat sandwiches are also important.

If your event is on a Sunday in the Winter, check that the heating is set to work on a Sunday, or you can get access to switch it on! I made this mistake once and people can get very cold sitting still.

Once you have a venue there are so many great people in SGL and the wider Astronomical Community who will give up their time to give talks, run demonstrations etc and the best bit is there seems to be plenty of interest from all around the country from people wanting to attend.

Daz did a fantastic job organizing last Sunday and despite the hard work I know he felt very pleased that the day was so well received. That is what it takes, someone local who will sort out the basics at a particular venue. So if you fancy a day near you take the first steps.

I look forward to seeing a whole host of regional events being advertised.

Best wishes,

Linton Guise www.bedfordschool.org.uk/observatory

[steppenwolf]

This was a great venue with excellent facilities - even the car park was secure! The lunch - which was (I guess) a 'school lunch' as a whole bunch of boarders had it with us - was really good and a far cry from what I remember of school dinners!

We were certainly well catered for by the location.