Taking to the Skies!

Founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, comes to Richmond on October 11th to share his passion and his fascination with clouds, in all their glorious forms.

A few years ago, fed up with ‘blue skies fascists', Gavin decided that someone needed to stand up for clouds. Formation of the Cloud Appreciation Society led to a rush of worldwide enthusiasts signing up in droves, brought together by their common appreciation of the beauty of the skies. The society now numbers over 30,000 members, many of whom are in the UK. They know that by choosing to enjoy our ever-varied cloudscapes instead of complaining about them, these most poetical parts of nature are a daily spectacle that brings variety and drama to our lives

Gavin's illustrated talk will work as a tour of the sky that will educate, entertain and enthral. He will show us how to distinguish the different cloud formations, from the common Cumulus to the rare and fleeting Kelvin-Helmholtz wave cloud. He will explain why clouds have always been such an inspiration to poets and playwrights, and argue that finding shapes in the clouds is the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life. After his visit to the Environment Trust this October, looking up will never be the same again!