Dark Zeppelin

 Now, that's a title you weren't expecting!

The day started with my usual call with the cousins. It was fairly subdued for some reason, but we heard the latest family news and they wanted to hear about our holiday in Turkey. (Needless to say, a picture of the view from the vill provided the backdrop to the Zoom call).

The rest of the morning was filled with bits and pieces... one of which was to fit huge linked cable ties around a pillar by the front door so Di could train a rampant fuschia up by the door. It took a little longer than expected but is already a lot tidier.

The afternoon saw us heading west along the M27 and through miles of roadworks. We had booked an early dinner (or was it a late lunch) at The Old Forge in Otterbourne. It is a gastro pub that I have passed hundreds of times when travelling to and from IBM at Hursley, but it was the first time I had stopped. Being mid-afternoon, it was very quiet and, to start with, we had the restaurant to ourselves. The menu was not huge (by some standards) but it had some wonderful choices. I started with Crispy Squid and then went on to half a rotisserie chicken with a tasty glaze and a chipotle sauce. Di chose the sirloin steak. We were both very pleased with our choices - they were simple but beautifully done. We finished off with some sorbet which came with a chewy chocolate cookie. It had been a good place to stop, and we may suggest it for our next meet-up with Jane and Trevor (as it seems to be about 45 miles from us, and the same from them).

From Otterboourne we moved on to the Winchester Science Centre.

The car park was almost empty and we could choose a convenient spot before walking along to the entrance. We had hoped to get into the building and see what events were planned and whether there was anything suitable for Ellie. It was closed, however, and not due to open the doors until 18:30. We waited in the warm evening sunshine, chatting with other visitors until,, finally, the doors opened and we were allowed in. 

We picked up a small brochure and chatted to the receptionist before entering the main exhibition space where could wander around until the doors to the Planetarium were opened.

At the allotted time, the doors were opened and we took our seats. We were almost lying down in the chairs as they were designed such that you looked up into the huge dome. We were there to celebrate 50+ years since the release of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon".

The lights went down and a visually stunning show flashed onto the dome as the music embraced you from every direction. The show illustrated the tracks as they progressed with views from space interspersed with incredible graphics. If visual displays similar to this had been available in the 70s, nobody would have needed LSD to blow their mind! The show followed the course of the original album, so it was all over in about 45 minutes. The audience was stunned at first, then erupted into applause before filing out.

We returned to reception and checked in for the second event of the evening - 50+ years of Led Zeppelin. Again, we had a wait while the Dark Siders left and Zep-heads arrived. It was noticeable that there were very few people under 60 in either audience - those who were there were in for an education! We filed in for the second show. Again, the light went down and as the dome lit up with some incredible graphics, the thunder of a Led Zeppelin track split the silence. I wasn't sure what to expect but we got tracks from many different stages of their career - "In the Morning", "Whole Lotta Love", Immigrant Song", "Black Dog", "Stairway to Heaven", "D'yer Maker", "Kashmir", and finished off with "Ramble On". (There were several other songs, but I can't remember what they were). Again the show lasted for about 45 minutes or so, and while the music was wonderful and penetrated right through you, I thought the graphics were a bit hit-and-miss.  Some were brilliant, but others were a little underwhelming. The final light-cycle chase during "Ramble On" was spectacular.

Before we knew it, the evening was done.  If you ever see these events advertised at your local Planetarium - don't hesitate to book your tickets and go!

We filed out to the car and hit the motorway. We had a fairly clear run and were home just after 22:30. It had been a brilliant day!