1999 June 19 - the 'new format' for SAGAS (Southern Area Group of Astronomical Societies) summer meeting included the first visit to a host society ie Vectis AS on the Isle of Wight. More than a dozen SAGAS societies participated with over 40 attendees and a great day was had by all. Vectis have self-built a superb observatory with clubroom and computer room in record time adjacent to the local community centre and under a pristine skies site. Observatory Director - John Smith - donated his 14" Celestron and Starlight Xpress SX camera to the society - now mounted under a 12 ft refurbished Ash dome. The scope is unusually mounted on a steel Serrurier-like truss pier raised direct off the observatory floor slab. However the massive floor slab is isolated from the rest of the building including all walls that bear the weight of the dome. For precision work via CCDs etc the observatory raised deck is abandoned for the adjacent Computer Room.

A footnote for astronomers: a checkout-girl at an IOW supermarket, on seeing a CfDS tee-shirt depicting a space shot of 'Britain lit-up at night' - remarked that the "Isle of Wight was missing". It was - light pollution is much lower there than the adjacent south coast bordering the English Channel.