Imagine my dismay only a few weeks ago when I woke up to hear that the Aurora Borealis had been seen in the skies above the village. Not just seen in the distance, but in great bursts of energy, in wonderful patterns, shapes and colours across the sky. Several times during the winter, having heard on the radio/TV that the aurora borealis might be visible tonight, Beryl and I had searched the skies in possible viewing places of the parish looking for this rare event in the skies. Stamford Lane and Hockenhull Plats seemed good places to try, but no luck on three occasions. There were plenty of stars in the dark skies around us, even a satellite, but no colourful shimmering light patterns of the aurora. My interest in this natural phenomenon began when I was a teenager. I had been very fortunate to study the aurora as a 17 year old whilst on a British Schools’ Expedition to Arctic Sweden in 1959. My main task in the mountains of the Sarek National Park was as a geologist and photographer, but due to an injury sustained whilst trekking over rough terrain, I was confined to stay at our Meteorological Station to collect readings for several days, whilst the other members of the group were trekking into Norway. This was a blessing in disguise, as I witnessed so many things, including thousands of reindeer crossing the tundra in front of me, lemmings scurrying around the camp, and sightings of the aurora borealis on several nights. As I was working on a hillside above the tree line, I had a clear view all around me, and wonderful memories of seeing these natural light displays, shimmering across the sky, red, orange, yellow and green, but also a close encounter with a very bright light, a sputnik arcing overhead to its base in Russia. This was a vital part of the Russian Space programme before man (Yuri Gagarin) went into space.

I guess frustration that I had missed the Christleton display, was lessoned by finding that several people had not only witnessed this very rare event, but had photographed it, and have very kindly allowed me to share their images with you. So a very big thank you to Richard Hall and Becki Tall for their pictures taken right in the centre of the village. I have since been sent images from Vienna, where my friends saw an equally spectacular show on the same evening. Why had I missed the Christleton display? Beryland I had gone to bed early, as we had to catch the train to London the following morning to sing The Mozart Requiem with the Really Big Chorus at the Royal Albert Hall. That was a wonderful occasion, and our last opportunity to sing with the chorus there. I can’t have any regrets, but I wish I had seen the aurora in Christleton.

The best report I have of previous aurora sightings in Christleton Village comes in the writings of Henry Prescott in 1716. Henry a famous Diocesan Treasurer working in the Cathedral wrote in his diary after visits to Christleton; 
 March 11th 1716 "A sharp but kindly day. Accounts describe a phenomenon in the sky from 8 o'clock until 3 in the morning. Tis called the Aurora Borealis, a light or moisture sometimes dilated, sometimes embodyed into columns, sometimes broken and divided into figures and strands".

Lets hope the next aurora display is much sooner.