Following on from my mission to revisit previous blog posts
from the past ten years we return to April 18th 2013 when I uploaded
a post devoted to the history of the now defunct Halley's Comet Society ofLondon and how it had all came about after I had noticed Sir Patrick Moore wearing
a blue Halley's Comet Society tie with the society’s '1986' logo embroidered on
it in an episode of the Sky at Night from 1982. This society fascinated me and
as there was very little about it online I made it my mission to correct this,
resulting in a fairly comprehensive post (confirmed by numerous people who have
reached out to me since uploading it) and I was so taken by the society that I
decided I would like to own my very own society tie and thanks to my creative
friends Barry McCabe and Iris Hung I was able to create one bearing the 2061
logo (the year Halley's Comet returns) I have since worn it to astronomy
related events and gatherings ever ready to explain what the 2061 stands for! Since
uploading I have only ever encountered two 1986 Halley's Comet Society tie
owners but discovered that the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich have one in
their collection along with thirteen of the '2061' variants! So, what else has happened
since uploading that post? |
Sir Patrick sporting his 1986 Halley's Comet Society tie
|
In 2015, Dr Brian May announced the sad news that despite
all efforts, plans to convert Sir Patrick Moore’s former home Farthings in
Selsey into museum (as Patrick had hoped) the idea had been abandoned due to
impractical reasons and so the effects housed within had to be divided up and the
house put up for sale and so Patrick’s professional possessions, observations
and collection were donated to the Science Museum to be permanently available
to scholars along with the promise of a permanent monument dedicated to Sir P.
Other items were (quite rightly) donated to the Chichester Planetarium (of
which I have also mentioned before on this blog and highly recommend you visit)
because as Dr May explained, “This small
but busy planetarium is one of the best possible living monuments to Patrick’s
lifelong commitment to Astronomy. Every year it gives thousands of young
students their first taste of the wonders of the Universe – and doubtless at
this very moment is inspiring the next generation of Astronomers – as Patrick
himself did for over half a century.” Some of the most salable of
Patrick’s possessions were consigned to Christie’s, in London (his trademark
monocle sold for £688) with all remaining items to be auctioned off at HenryAdams Auctions in Chichester on the 7th and 8th of
October 2015.
 |
Auctioneer Andrew Swain with one of the ten memento boxes
at Henry Adams Auctions, Chichester. October 2015
Spot the Halley's Comet Society tie?
|
Many of the effects on offer at the Henry Adams Auction seemed to represent the great man such as his beloved xylophone (which sold for
£1,005) his typewriter, orreries and Hawaiian shirts. At the auction 10
limited edition memento boxes were created containing a selection of
Patrick’s belongings offering fans the opportunity to acquire their very own
keepsake, as I looked through the catalogue there was one box that was of
particular interest to me lot: 717. Not only did it have the Hawaiian shirt
that he wore during our book launch in 2009 and the evening I proposed to Beth,
but also a pewter mug, purse, pipe, paperweight, letter opener, four shot
glasses and there among it all was a blue tie with '1986' embroidered on it... His official Halley's Comet Society tie! I am delighted to say that I was the
successful bidder at the auction and I now have my very own Halley's Comet
Society tie, the very tie (if not THE tie) that prompted me to research into
the society in the first place. Being able to say that I finally have one is
fantastic, to know that it once belonged to Patrick makes it all the more
special to me, I am delighted with it. Now if I can just figure out what that
tie clip he wore was...
© Arfon Jones 2019. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.
