How do I attend a Breckland Astronomical Society monthly meeting?

Updated

Just turn up. Breckland Astronomical Society (BAS) holds its monthly meeting on the second Friday of every month at Great Ellingham Recreation Centre, Watton Rd, Great Ellingham, Attleborough NR17 1HZ. Doors open at 7:15 pm and the session starts at 7:30 pm. There is no booking, no membership requirement and no experience needed — you pay £3.00 on the door, and under-18s get in free.

What happens at a monthly meeting

The evening usually features a speaker. One example from the society's own events listing is "Women In Astronomy Part 2" with Mary McIntyre FRAS — in that case the speaker joined via Zoom while the audience gathered in the hall, so don't assume every talk is delivered in person.

The society describes the meetings as open to all, members and non-members alike, "regardless of experience and knowledge." That means you can sit through a talk on a specialist topic without any background in astronomy and still follow the evening.

Step by step

  1. Check the date. Confirm the second Friday of the month you're planning to attend. The society also points people to its app and online calendar for upcoming events, which is worth a look if a date has shifted.
  2. Arrive from 7:15 pm. The doors open then; the session proper begins at 7:30 pm. Arriving at opening time gives you a chance to settle in and talk to people before the talk starts.
  3. Go to Great Ellingham Recreation Centre. The address is Watton Rd, Great Ellingham, Attleborough NR17 1HZ. The observatory sits at the corner of the recreation ground, but the monthly meeting itself is in the hall.
  4. Pay £3.00 at the door. Free if you're under 18. No advance payment or sign-up is mentioned.
  5. Stay for the talk. No need to book, just turn up and enjoy.

What to bring

Nothing is required. The meeting is a hall-based event with a speaker, not an observing session, so you don't need a telescope, binoculars or warm outdoor gear. If you're new and want to ask about the club, the informal time around the talk is the natural moment.

If you'd rather observe than listen

The society runs separate Public Observing Nights at its observatory on the last Friday of the month, when it's dark enough — usually excluding May, June and July. These are free to all, with donations welcomed, and there's no schedule: arrive when you wish, leave when you're tired. The observatory is a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site and is equipped with a computer-controlled 20-inch reflecting telescope. Unlike the monthly meeting, this one is outdoors at night, so dress for the weather.

Common snags

  • Turning up on the wrong Friday. It's the second Friday, not the first or last. The last Friday is the observing night.
  • Assuming you need to join first. You don't. Non-members are explicitly welcome at monthly meetings.
  • Expecting a fixed end time. The society doesn't publish one for the meeting; the 7:15 pm doors and 7:30 pm start are the firm details.
  • Confusing the two venues. Meetings are at the Recreation Centre; observing nights are at the observatory on the corner of the recreation ground.