Explore Bedford’s glittering night sky in the company of friendly Rhodes astro-physicists during the Bedford Garden Festival from 23 to 25 October.
Explore Bedford’s glittering night sky in the company of friendly Rhodes astro-physicists during the Bedford Garden Festival from 23 to 25 October.
There is no charge for this fun stargazing session which will take place on the golf course.
Prof Allon Poole, a former Rhodes Physics lecturer, will lead the adventure on the Friday night.
On Saturday night Oliver King (26) and Sarah Miller (23) will be the guides to the universe.
Oliver is a Rhodes graduate who grew up on Kingsvale farm near Bedford. He has just handed in his PhD at Oxford. Once he has done his viva exam in November he will move to Caltech in California on a post-doctoral fellowship.
He is believed to be one of the brightest young astro-phycists of his generation. His Texan friend Sarah is a Rhodes scholar and is currently in the second year of her PhD at Oxford. The stargazing sessions are part of the Garden Festival’s self-guided Star-Trek safari.
You get in the mood with cheese and wine (from 4 – 7.30pm) at the Modern Service Showroom (R25 which goes to DRC and Presby church projects).
Then wind your way to the night garden at 17 Stockholm Street where skilfully placed lights enhance the beauty of trees, lawns and flowering borders.
From there it is a short hop to the Bedford Golf Club for fresh and fast supper (around R40). Mike Norton is a dab hand on the grill and you can choose between wors or steak rolls, beef or chicken burgers. There’ll be a salad bar and the pub will be open.
This is an ideal venue for children, would-be astronomers and exhausted garden lovers.
The stargazing will start around 7.30pm.
