New Scientist Weekender, Cheshire
June 30, 2025
Despite pesky train cancellations, I made it to the De Vere Cranagh Estate Hotel in Cheshire for a New Scientist “Mysteries of the Universe” weekend. It was hosted by the brilliant Dr Stuart Clark. Check out his excellent books. By the time I arrived, the participants had already been on a tour of the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank radio observatory. There was just time for a quick 20 lengths in the extremely nice pool before my talk on my book, A Crack in Everything. Thanks to Lara Paxton and Pip Orchard, who invited me and must have put in loads of work to make everything work as smoothly as it did for the 80 participants.
Here I am with my eyes closed, having a little sleep during my talk (well, birds on the wing do it!)
Lovely view from my hotel room window!
The fabulous science writer Stuart Clark, who hosted the weekend
The iconic 76-metre Jodrell Bank radio dish was not far away. Incredible to think it was built in 1957!
The De Vere Cranagh Estate Hotel, which, sad to say, was once a “Certified Institution for Mental Defectives”. Hopefully, society is more enlightened now
There is even a hotel suite named after Sir Bernard Lovell, who founded the nearby Jodrell Bank radio observatory
