Ian B wrote:
When I was a wee kiddie I was an astronomy nut. One of my teachers' husbands
was a keen amateur astronomer with a good telescope, and one evening I went
to their house with my mum and looked through his scope at Jupiter, and I
can still remember the thrill of seeing the Galilean moons for real- not
just a picture in a book- for the first time. Totally awesome.

Apparently it's the best it's been for about 40 years at the moment!

I daresay nowadays that would have to be approved by the government in case
they were "grooming" me for something and everyone would be scared about
getting sued if I fell off the footstool I stood on to look through the
telescope or something.

Or a planet fell on you.

Back then, Mrs Emerson just asked me if I'd like to
do it, and I asked my mum to take me up there, and my mum and Mrs Emerson
had a cup of tea in the warm while us men pottered in the garden. Simpler
and more sensible times, and a very happy memory.

It is sad that things have changed so much. When my parents moved to the
other end of the country when I was 10, my teacher (presumably jokingly)
offered to let me go and stay with him and his wife. He'd probably have
been arrested for even suggesting it these days.