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Author
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Topic: 10/11: West Yorkshire Astronomical Society: Alan Bean (UK)
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Steve Procter
Member Posts: 1031
From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000
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posted 09-22-2007 01:07 PM
   
Anyone attending the Alan Bean presentation in Pontefract on October 11th? Got my ticket today, just wondered if any of the 'usual suspects' would be there.Steve |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 09-22-2007 01:07 PM
I'll see you there Steve.Regards, Rick |
spaceman
Member Posts: 1104
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-23-2007 12:57 PM
Hi, we'll be there, organiser Ken Willoughby has been kind enough to provide tradespace (as he did for Charlie Duke). We have stocked up on photos, mission patches and pins with an Apollo 12 emphasis.Nick
Spaceman
www.spaceboosters.co.uk |
Prospero
Member Posts: 94
From: Manchester, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 09-25-2007 06:12 AM
I'll be there too, heading up a crew of three. That's if I don't get lost, I've never been to Pontefract before. Does anyone know if Captain Bean will be signing?
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Please sponsor my parachute jump for the North West Cancer Research Fund: http://www.justgiving.com/stuartheal |
jut2y
Member Posts: 260
From: worthing west sussex united kingdom
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 09-25-2007 11:07 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Prospero:
I'll be there too, heading up a crew of three. That's if I don't get lost, I've never been to Pontefract before. Does anyone know if Captain Bean will be signing?
When he appeared at the Roundhouse in Camden London it wasn't confirmed he would sign anything but he did sign for about two hours after the talk so my advice would be take something just in case.Paul. |
icarkie
Member Posts: 618
From: BURTON ON TRENT /England
Registered: Nov 2002
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posted 09-25-2007 12:53 PM
I've booked a ticket for the Al Bean evening at Ponte.I'll be taking one item just in case, remember it an evening to here him talk, So if he does have time at the end then I'm thinking it's a bonus. If he don't have time well no worries I'll still be happy. From what mates who have told me who have seen him talk in the past it should be a great night out. See you there.
Ian |
Prospero
Member Posts: 94
From: Manchester, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 09-27-2007 12:58 PM
quote:
Originally posted by icarkie:
I'll be taking one item just in case, remember it an evening to here him talk, So if he does have time at the end then I'm thinking it's a bonus. If he don't have time well no worries I'll still be happy.
My attitude exactly. This will be the first time I've been to a public appearance by any astronaut, let alone one of the pioneers, so just being in the same room with him will be a thrill.------------------
Please sponsor my parachute jump for the North West Cancer Research Fund: http://www.justgiving.com/stuartheal |
spaceman
Member Posts: 1104
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-28-2007 05:40 PM
Hi, when Charlie Duke attended last year he signed freely after giving a very interesting and entertaining presentation, followed by a Q&A session. He was extremely patient with a very long queue and seemed to enjoy every minute of it as did his audience. I'm sure Al Bean will be every bit as good.Nick
Spaceman.
http://www.spaceboosters.co.uk |
Steve Procter
Member Posts: 1031
From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000
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posted 09-28-2007 05:51 PM
Hi Nick,Yes, Charlie was great! To be honest I didn't need anything further signing by him but I did have a photo of him and Hannah taken at Autographica which he was more than pleased to sign for her. He was working three patient queues at once and I hung around for a good hour afterwards chatting to friends and taking the odd photo - he was still going strong when I left when I guess he had another hour to do! The Al Bean event should be great - not really going for the signing possibility but for the presentation, but as has been mentioned previously I'll just have the one thing along just in case. However if nothing happens on that score I will have been more than happy to have sat and listened to him. Cheers Steve |
spaceman
Member Posts: 1104
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-28-2007 06:20 PM
Hi Steve, you are up late. One of the best things about these events are the number of younger folk attending and the fact that the 'man in the street' which most of the attendees seem to be are really enthusiastic about space when a visiting astronaut 'makes it real'. I'll have to bring some campaign for a U.K Astronaut material with me.best wishes,
Nick
Spaceman. P.S I booked the day off work to attend and was then contacted to attend coroners court at 12 noon for the same day. I could do with rocket power to get me there after. If anyone from NASA is reading this and you have a jetpack you want testing? |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 10-11-2007 06:52 PM
Just got home from a very pleasant "Evening with Alan Bean". The event was put on by The West Yorkshire Astronomical Society, in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.Excellent slide presentation sprinkled with jokes and anecdotes to a packed house. There was a signing afterwards but was limited to one item per person. My only gripe about the event was the "Heavy" employed to watch over the signing might have been better employed organising the queue that seemed to approach Alan from two different directions... but a pretty minor objection in all honesty. Great seeing some of the usual suspects again, Matt, Oliver and several others I could not put names to. Particularly good seeing Andrew Carson again; it has been a good while since work and family commitments allowed him the time to attend such an event. My thanks to Ken Willoughby and others for putting on an excellent evening. Got talking to one of the organisers after the event; with luck there will be a similar event, perhaps next year... and perhaps with a name everybody will want to meet! Watch this space. Regards, Rick |
spaceman
Member Posts: 1104
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 10-11-2007 07:21 PM
Hi, everyone attending the event tonight must have gone home happy. Thanks to Ken Willoughby and all for making it happen. I too heard that another event is planned within 12 months. It doesn't seem as though two years have passed since Charlie Duke appeared. Thanks to anyone who bought photos / patches / keyrings from us, it is appreciated. Thanks to everyone who attended and made it such a warm and friendly evening. Last but of course not least thanks to Al Bean (the one autograph limit was fine) and he signed and posed until everyone in that long long queue went away happy. He has such enthusiasm and is so approachable. Nice to see some of the usual suspects Steve P, Ian A, Ollie, Mark F and others... will see some of you over the weekend at Autographica. Nick
Spaceman
www.spaceboosters.co.uk |
Robonaut
Member Posts: 259
From: Solihull, West Mids, England
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 10-12-2007 09:37 AM
I too would like to offer my thanks to Ken Willoughby and the rest for organising what was a great evening. It was well worth the long journey to Pontefract and the late return home (2am).Thanks are also due to Ollie who did the hard work of driving there and back having come an even longer distance from Oxfordshire picking me and Mark up on the way. I had not originally planned to go but when I realised that Captain Bean was not planning to give a talk at Autographica I had to go. His lecture was truly inspirational as he talked about his career as an astronaut and his work since as an artist including his motivation for painting. I had first met Captain Bean at the first Autographica in 2000 where he genuinely seemed to enjoy meeting and talking to us and it was the same last night. He was also so patient in dealing with the queue of people who wanted to speak to him and obtain an Autograph. I spoke briefly with him about Skylab and he actually thanked me for coming. It was good to say hello to Nick's 'Usual Suspects', including Nick himself and his clan, Andrew (long time no see), Steve, Ian and the others. Best wishes
Rob Wood |
Prospero
Member Posts: 94
From: Manchester, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 10-12-2007 03:13 PM
I only just about managed to get there in time. I've just started a temporary job in Blackburn. I had to rush out of work dead on time to get back to Manchester and pick up my brother and an ex-girlfriend. I got to the rendezvous and find they're not there - my dozy brother had fallen asleep! They arrived half an hour late, so we left Manchester just after 6.00pm. Straight across the Pennines on the M62, traffic wasn't too horrible most of the way, and then we got lost in Pontefract. Fortunately we got directions from a local and arrived at the school just about on time. We were literally sitting down at the back of the hall seconds before Captain Bean came on stage.Worth the journey though. He's a very good public speaker, with a good sense of humour, and I enjoyed the anecdotes he told in response to the questions, and the stories behind the pictures. The signing session was a bit shambolic, frankly, someone should have been organising the queue properly, and I think he was starting to feel a bit fed up by the time I got to him, although he was still polite and friendly. He comes across as a really nice guy, though, and a good inspirational speaker. I'm a genuine admirer of his artwork, so I'm glad I finally got a chance to meet him and exchange a few words. I'll have to keep an eye on the WYAS website and see what guests they have lined up in future. |
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