Tiverton A. S. was founded in 1985. They are a group of friendly people who meet around once a month for lectures and talks. They also organise other social events and outings, and offer regular observing sessions to see the wonders of the night sky. Douglas Rice, their chairman, has run the society since its inception. They are a member of the Federation of Astronomical Societies (FAS). Tiverton Astronomy Society began in 1985, when Graham West convened a gathering of people in the town interested in the subject. Regular meetings began, often with visiting speakers who have covered a wide range of topics from Planetary Geology to Astrology, and from The Soviet Space Programme to Observing the Moon.

At the time of the society’s inauguration Douglas Rice, a teacher at Blundell’s School, had recently discovered a fine 8″ Newtonian telescope belonging to the school. With the help of a pupil, Nicholas Wood, and advice from Patrick Moore, he restored the instrument to working order. It was built about 1910, is extremely solid with a tube 7 ft long, and is very user-friendly (if you don’t mind climbing a step-ladder). Stonehenge is a remarkable monument from our past as far as the astronomical associations with it are concerned. It proves that our ancestors knew a great deal more about the behaviour of heavenly bodies than we realised, before our attention was brought to the subject with Hawkins’ book “Stonehenge Decoded”.

For more information, please visit http://www.tivas.org.uk