The Great Greenwich Ambush and a Box of Tomatoes
The FAS AGM on Monday 14th September had been a full and memorable evening, marking an important milestone for me and for the Society, and we were also treated to a fantastic talk by Prof Ed Daw.
For the AGM, we have had a full house of members, a smooth handover after five years as Chair, and the honour of being awarded Honorary Membership of the Royal Museums Greenwich. The committee and RMG presented me with a beautiful framed photograph of the Isaac Newton Telescope, and there was even a cake marking my departure. We rounded off the night with drinks with Prof Ed Daw, which felt like the perfect closing act to the celebrations and the handover to Paul May. With all of that behind me, I assumed the coming days would be quiet, reflective, and uneventful.
However, the committee in collaboration with my wife, Georgie had other ideas.
On Friday night, Georgie told me she wasn’t feeling too well and asked if I could drive her to a garden club meeting at a pub in Greenwich. I didn’t think anything of it - she enjoys her gardening group, and I was happy to drive her. On the way out, I picked a small box of tomatoes from the garden. I thought, if it’s a gardening group, they might appreciate some freshly picked tomatoes – especially as they were a particular purple and red organic tomatoes.
When we arrived at the Richard I pub, everything looked perfectly ordinary. People chatting, glasses clinking, the usual Friday night atmosphere. I followed Parbs inside, carrying my box of tomatoes, expecting to find a table of gardeners discussing compost or pruning techniques. As we got into the middle section of the pub, I saw a long table of people wearing Star Trek Original Series paper masks - every single one of them.
Spock. Kirk. McCoy. Uhura. Chekov. Sulu. All staring in my direction. At first it looked a bit freaky and fun. It was such a bizarre sight that my first thought was simply: Greenwich really does attract all sorts. The faces kept staring at us walking in, so — out of politeness — I gave a small Vulcan salute. I assumed they were just a themed birthday party or a stag do. Meanwhile, Parbs was still walking ahead, “looking for her gardening club.”
Then one mask came off, it was Barry Cassels!!!
My brain immediately tried to make sense of this. Ohh… these must be Barry’s friends. I should go over and say hello. I started walking towards them, tomatoes in hand, still completely oblivious.
Then another mask came off, then another, and suddenly the entire table revealed themselves — past and present FAS committee members, including the new Chair, Paul May.
It hit me all at once, this wasn’t a gardening meeting, this wasn’t a random Star Trek birthday party - this was a full committee ambush.
The whole pub became our audience as the group erupted into laughter. And the tomatoes — the innocent box of tomatoes I had brought for the imaginary gardening group — became an instant comedic highlight. I walked into a Star Trek surprise party carrying produce. You couldn’t script it better.
The atmosphere was warm, joyful, and full of mischief. Paul gave a heartfelt speech about his first time joining Flamsteed and getting to know me and the committee. In turn, I thanked the committee again and reiterated how happy I am to be part of the society, and to have had the privilege of serving as Chair, something which has always held a special meaning for me.
They then presented me with a beautiful photobook — a curated collection of photos from events, trips, talks, meetings, and moments from the past five years. It was accompanied by a card signed by past and present FAS committee members. The entire surprise had been planned by Poly and Georgie, Amy led on the photobook with help from Paul and, and the venue was chosen by Frederik. It was a true team effort, and it showed.
Helen Edwards was stuck in traffic but eventually made it.
The evening was full of laughter, affection, and genuine camaraderie. It wasn’t just a surprise — it was a celebration of friendship, shared experiences, and the community spirit that makes Flamsteed Astronomy Society what it is.
I left feeling deeply grateful and content to remain part of a Society that is not only passionate about astronomy, but also rich in kindness, humour, and friendship. It was a truly special event, and I appreciated every moment.
PS. Georgie eventually won first prize with those tomatoes “Black Beauty” a few days later at the Charlton and Blackheath Horticultural Society meeting.
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