51°µÍø

Highlights

• Spend the weekend accompanied by leading experts in astronomy, cosmology and space science
• Enjoy talks from leading science communicators including Dr Anna Scaife, Jo Marchant, Marcus Chown, Dr Laura Wolz and Chris Baker
• Enjoy a private tour of Jodrell Bank's south side and an in-depth guided tour of this historic site
• The weekend break is hosted by astronomy journalist and fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, Stuart Clark
• Stay at the beautiful, Grade II-listed De Vere Cranage Estate hotel
• Meet 51°µÍø Discovery Tours staff, space experts and fellow 51°µÍø readers
• Dinner and drinks with your fellow experts and guests

Meet the expert

Dr Stuart Clark - Host

Stuart is an astronomy journalist who has devoted his career to presenting the complex world of astronomy to the general public. He holds a first class honours degree and a PhD in astrophysics, is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a former vice chair of the Association of British Science Writers. In 2020, he was awarded a higher doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire for “services to astronomy and the public understanding of science”.

Stuart’s latest book is Beneath the Night: How the stars have shaped the history of humankind (faber), and in his capacity as cosmology consultant, he writes articles for 51°µÍø. Through his company Expanded Universe Ltd., he consults for the European Space Agency, the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Fusion Cluster, and International Asteroid Day. He has written for, among others: BBC Sky at Night, BBC Science Focus, The Times, The Guardian, The Observer, The Economist, The Times Higher Education Supplement, Astronomy Now, Sky and Telescope and Astronomy.

Dr Anna Scaife

Anna is a Professor of Radio Astronomy at Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics and one of the five inaugural AI Fellows of the UK’s Alan Turing Institute. Previously she has worked at the University of Southampton, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Cambridge. She has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and an undergraduate degree from the University of Bristol.

She is part of a team working on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio-telescope, and she led the design of the computing and storage for the European SKA Regional Centre. She is currently the UK representative to the International Union of Radio Sciences (Commission J: Radio Astronomy) and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Royal Astronomical Society’s Techniques & Instruments (RASTI) journal. 

In 2014, Anna was honoured by the World Economic Forum as one of thirty scientists under the age of 40 selected for their contributions to advancing the frontiers of science, engineering or technology in areas of high societal impact. In 2017 she was awarded the Blaauw Chair in Astrophysics (prize chair) at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands for excellence in research, broad knowledge of astronomy and an outstanding international status in astronomy. In 2019, Anna received the Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, awarded for outstanding invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques.

Jo Marchant

Jo Marchant is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker. Her writing explores the nature of humanity and our universe, from the mind-body connection to the mysteries of past civilisations and the awe-inspiring night sky. Her books include The Human Cosmos: A secret history of the stars and Decoding the Heavens: How the Antikythera mechanism changed the world. 

Jo is the host of the podcast 'Where the wild thoughts are' which discusses a range of subjects from cosmology and quantum physics to neuroscience, archaeology and ecology. Each week, Jo interviews scientists who are challenging our assumptions, stretching our minds, and changing how we see the world.

Jo regularly speaks for audiences around the globe, from the UK’s Royal Institution and Hay Festival to the World Science Festival in New York, the Dutch-Flemish Institute in Cairo and the Emirates Literature Festival in Dubai.

Marcus Chown

Marcus is an award-winning writer, journalist and broadcaster. He worked as reviews editor, science news editor and cosmology consultant of 51°µÍø and is formerly a radio astronomer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. His books include Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You, The Ascent of Gravity, which was The Sunday Times Science Book of the Year and recently published A Crack In Everything which explores black holes. Marcus has also tried his hand at Apps and won The Bookseller Digital Innovation of the Year for Solar System for iPad.

Marcus was a regular guest on the BBC4 comedy-science show, It’s Only A Theory and often appears on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. He has appeared at a variety of events from the Cheltenham Literary Festival to the Sydney Writers Festival, from the National Theatre to the Wilderness Festival. 

Dr Laura Wolz

Laura is a Presidential Fellow (Academic) at the University of Manchester in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Theory Group. Laura has worked on Neutral Hydrogen Intensity Mapping (H i IM) surveys which will be a powerful new probe of cosmology. 

Chris Baker

Chris is an astrophotographer with a focus on "deep-sky objects". Interested in astronomy since the 1970s, Chris has set up remote telescopes in Spain and more recently Australia, allowing him to capture the southern hemisphere skies in ideal clear-sky conditions, for sale via his company Galaxy on Glass. In addition, Chris analyses data from exoplanets, which are planets orbiting stars other than our sun. 

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• A full programme of talks and demonstrations
• Two nights’ accommodation with no single supplement in a double or twin room
• Two breakfasts, two lunches and two three-course dinners. The dinners will be in a private dining area exclusive to 51°µÍø (please advise in advance if you have any dietary requirements)
• Tea and coffee throughout the event
• Jodrell Bank tour including transport to and from the site
• Fully detailed joining instructions pack, sent two weeks before the event
• 24-hour onsite support
• Onsite parking
• Access to heated indoor pool, gym and steam room

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

• Travel insurance
• Transport to the venue
• Additional snacks, drinks and alcohol
• Visa/ETA (if applicable)
• Additional nights of accommodation (Thursday and Sunday night available).

HOW TO GET THERE

The weekend break is hosted at the De Vere Cranage Estate hotel in Cranage, near Crewe in Cheshire, England.

By road: The hotel is minutes away from junction 18 of the M6 motorway. The postcode is CW4 8EW.

By rail: The nearest train station is Goostrey, which is just 15 minutes by train from the mainline station at Crewe. Goostrey is just 4 kilometres from the hotel and a local taxi service is available (advance pre-booking is required). Alternatively, you can alight at the mainline stations of Crewe or Macclesfield, both of which are 20 minutes away by taxi.

WEEKEND START AND END TIMES

The weekend will begin at 17:00 on Friday evening with an introduction talk followed by the first main talk at 17:30. The talks will finish at 15:00 on Sunday afternoon. 

Hotel check-in is available from 15:00 on Friday. A member of the 51°µÍø team will be on hand at the hotel from 15:00 to help answer any questions you may have. Checkout will be at 10:00 on Sunday. There will be somewhere to leave your luggage.

PACE AND PHYSICALITY

The talks will be held in a private conference room at the hotel with comfortable seating. 

Transport  to Jodrell Bank on day two will be provided in a comfortable coach. Guests will need to be able to get on and off the coach. 

During the visit to Jodrell Bank the group will watch a film presentation in an indoor seated pavilion as well as a walking tour of the south side area of the Jodrell Bank site. The outdoor walking tour is accompanied by an expert from Jodrell Bank and provides an insider look at the origins of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour will last approximately 1 hour 30 minutes and will take place outside, visiting areas of the grounds not usually accessible to the public. Due to the historic nature of the site, paths may be uneven in some places, sturdy footwear is suggested and dress according to the weather conditions. Please note that this a strictly outdoor guided walking tour of a working Observatory; as such, it will not be possible to access inside the Observatory buildings.  During the walk there will be nowhere to sit or rest so this part of the tour is not suitable to anyone with mobility issues.

CAPACITY

For this weekend, there will be a maximum capacity of 90 guests. Discovery Tours generally operate at much smaller capacities, between 14 - 22 guests. However, our weekenders work slightly differently, they are based in one location and involve a series of highly engaging talks from a number of distinguished speakers as well as an offsite activity. During the visit to Jodrell Bank, the group will be split into smaller groups of between 20 - 25 guests to explore the site. 

SOLO TRAVELLERS

Our group tours are perfect for solo travellers, as travelling as part of an organised group provides security and peace of mind in faraway places. For this weekender, there is no single supplement. 

AGE RESTRICTIONS

Children are welcome, but must be aged 10 or over. Please bear in mind that the level of the talks and activities are aimed at adults.

Accommodation

De Vere Cranage Estate, Cheshire, England

Tucked away in a peaceful corner of Cheshire, this Grade II-listed 4-star rural retreat is near the charming village of Holmes Chapel. It has both indoor and outdoor restaurants, comfortable meeting rooms for our event, a heated pool, gym, steam room and tennis courts.

Outdoors, there are 20 acres of attractive gardens with views across the Cheshire countryside. Jodrell Bank is within 8 kilometres of the hotel.

Please note: If required for reasons beyond our control, we reserve the right to substitute alternative accommodation of equal or higher quality or adapt the itinerary if required.