Six months in the pandemic, as most educational activities were cancelled, my wife and I offered a telescope to our youngest daughter Elodie, 16 at the time, as she is strongly interested in anything Science and Engineering. We enjoyed astronomy when we were her age and thought it could be a nice way to use her lockdown time.
But the experience of a beginner trying to observe the skies for the first time from a back-garden in outer London, with a good amount of light pollution, was not completely optimal.
So, after a little googling, my family and I joined the Wycombe Astronomical Society (WAS) late summer of 2020.
We particularly liked how the senior members of the club welcomed us, and the level of attention given to Elodie. For example, she was invited to send her questions, and this list became a major source of inspiration for discussions during social meetings for many weeks.
Unfortunately, we could not yet enjoy as much as we wanted the clearer sky above the club observatory, and the observatory itself, but the end of restrictions and times for a clearer weather let us hope we will benefit more from that wonderful asset, doubled by help and advice of a very knowledgeable and open team.
We really appreciate the lectures, naturally delivered online since we joined, that were all great quality. The committee puts a lot of energy into finding and inviting great speakers, and that clearly pays off.
Finally, we were able to attend a number of socials, that, even if we are not always talking astronomy, are enjoyable and entertaining.
WAS members are incredibly knowledgeable. They welcomed us with open arms and helped our teenage daughter discover the universe... of astronomy.
Jean-Marie Lapeyre