AFTER DINNER SPEAKER AND GEMINIDS GALA

'A fantastic evening Jane, many thanks it was a brilliant evening!'

A delicious three-course meal complemented by Cradle Valley wine, a whistle-stop talk - Tour of the Universe - with Jane Green FRAS, and a follow-up guided tour of the night sky, bedazzled by the Geminids Meteor Shower, all made for a perfect sellout evening at the beautiful Rathfinny Wine Estate.

A Geminids fireball.

Tickets sold out within two hours of advertising this exciting event, an ever-lengthening waiting list testament to not only a spectacular astronomical phenomenon but a wondrous observing location as well.

Views of the Cuckmere Valley from the Rathfinny Wine Estate.

With its 360-degree panoramic views, and capitalising on the Souths Downs National Park's Dark Sky Reserve status, the moonless night afforded idyllic conditions for enjoying the starlit sky and spectacular shooting stars.

The Flint Barns nested in Rathfinny's Cradle Valley - host venue for the Geminids evening.

I extend enormous thanks to Estate owners, Mark and Sarah Driver, as well as organisers Georgia Mallinson, Richard Eyre, Adrian Lamb and all the staff at Rathfinny for initiating such an unforgettable evening.