Mary McKinnon is nearly there with her telescope. In fact by the time you read this, she will probably have finished her 8-inch, in a smart-looking Dobsonian mount, varnished and polished and all. She started making the mirror about a hundred years ago, in one of the old mirror making classes and has slowly and steadily got together all the other bits and pieces and will soon have a working telescope. John Scott has been helping her put it all together, and when you see it, as no doubt one day you will, you will agree it is a great effort. Mary says that so many people have helped her with this telescope she is going to have to attach a list of "credits" on the side of the tube somewhere. But then that is what happens in these telescope making classes - people help each other and in the end you find somebody with advice or a helping hand to get over your little problems.

There are so many others who have, over the years, half- finished their telescopes, or got their mirror "nearly finished" and put it away in a box in the cupboard with the vague idea of one day getting back to it. If you happen to be one of those people then why not come and join us at the Saturday afternoon telescope making sessions at Parktown Boys high school. We have access to all the machine tools one could wish for, including a lathe and welding equipment.

All YOU need to make that telescope is a little enthusiasm.