[meteorite-list] My Visit To Fernlea
From: Jim <Jim_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:37:37 2004 Message-ID: <002601c06c23$f4990ca0$5b5f32d0_at_hgo.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C06BFA.0A40F880 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Paul: I for one, would like to thank you for your very well written = description of your excitement and impressions of your visit to see = Rob's collection. It was enjoyable reading. My very sincerest regards and best wishes for a Happy Holiday to you and = all other list members. Jim Strope 421 Fourth Street Glen Dale, WV 26038 Catch a Falling Star Meteorites http://www.catchafallingstar.com ----- Original Message -----=20 From: nctools=20 To: Meteorite List=20 Sent: Friday, December 22, 2000 9:10 AM Subject: [meteorite-list] My Visit To Fernlea Hello again. I hope its allright to send this message to the group but yesterday I = saw & purchased my first ever meteorite from Rob Elliot at Fernlea.Im = quite excited by it and wanted to tell the story about my first = introduction to meteorites. Rob wasnt keen to have visitors so close to Christmas but I think he = recognised the enthusiasm in my voice and we agreed a time for me to = call on Thursday afternoon.I followed my map and Robs directions and = when I saw the big Balgonie Castle I knew I had arrived at the right = place.I had expected the meteorites to be sold from a shop but Rob = operates out of his home and has converted a room for his meteorites. After introducing myself Rob took me through a maze of short corridors = into a long lounge decorated with two christmas trees and decorations to = a large archway at the end of the room.This was the entrance into the = meteorite room.He pressed a few buttons on a keypad lock and then = disarmed the burglar alarm before swinging open the door and ushered me = in.The room was dark and noisy because there were some fan units = operating at high speed.The cool air hit me and had a fresh smell of = nothing in particular.Rob flicked a switch and the whole room lit up in = stages with an increasing dazzling brightness. I could hardly believe my eyes.Tall glass cases filled with hundreds = of meteorites completely covered one wall and there was another big = glass cabinet standing in the middle of the room.The other walls had = long tables and display cases with large rock boulders sitting on the = green felt covering. Right in the middle of the room was a big metal ball that Rob said had = been part of a Russian spacecraft which crashed to earth.He showed me = lots of little dimples on the ball that had been caused by meteorites in = space! The noisy machines in the room were for keeping the air clean and for = adjusting the temperature and humidity to stop some of the meteorites = from degrading he explained. All around me were meteorites and Rob was kind enough to answer lots = of questions & show me some of what he described as the 'more = interesting pieces'.I think my favourite for astoundability value was a = large black rock weighing several pounds which contained components of = the oldest matter in the solar system.There were several other = meteorites on display that came from the moon and mars.These had been = cut into segments like a slice of bread and sat on a clear plastic stand = with a printed name label in front of them.Some of the names had very = strange spellings and I asked how to pronounce them correctly. Rob said = 'beats me! but if you are unsure just say it with confidence and no-one = will be any the wiser'. There were hundreds of meteorites in the room and Rob gave me a story = about each one I pointed to and explained what it was.Under one of the = display tables were yet more meteorites in a wooden case and there must = have been another 2 or 3 hundred meteorites placed in 6 inch glass = fronted black boxes in that wooden box alone.Later on I also saw some = more 'special' moon rock which he keeps under lock and key in a safe in = another room. I asked Rob how much all these meteorites were worth but he just joked = about it and didn't really give a straight answer.Security was tight and = I spotted 3 television cameras in the room and lots of alarm sensors on = the glass cabinets.Rob said that the outside of the house was protected = with more cameras and 8 heat sensors that key off body heat of = intruders.Two intruders had been caught in the grounds but that was = years ago he said. I wanted to buy my first meteorite and after looking at lots and lots = of suggestions I decided to buy a 4 gramme piece of Wold Cottage from = England and nearly 1 gramme of mars meteorite called Zagami from = Nigeria.I have been looking at them both with astonishment and = wonderment ever since! Has anyone else here in the group been there to see his collection?Its = like a museum in there and well worth visiting.I plan to return in the = new year to see it all again and to go to the natural history museum as = well. I hope my rambling on and on has not bored anyone but Iam so pleased = to have seen meteorites up close for the first time and owning my first = ones is like a dream come true. Thank you for listening to a happy man! Regards, Paul ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C06BFA.0A40F880 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV>Hi Paul:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I for one, would like to thank you for your very well written = description=20 of your excitement and impressions of your visit to see Rob's = collection. =20 It was enjoyable reading.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My very sincerest regards and best wishes for a Happy Holiday to = you and=20 all other list members.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Jim Strope<BR>421 Fourth Street</DIV> <DIV>Glen Dale, WV 26038</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Catch a Falling Star Meteorites<BR><A=20 href=3D"http://www.catchafallingstar.com">http://www.catchafallingstar.co= m</A><BR></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A href=3D"mailto:nctools_at_ukonline.co.uk"=20 title=3Dnctools_at_ukonline.co.uk>nctools</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20 href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com"=20 title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>Meteorite List</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 22, 2000 = 9:10=20 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] My = Visit To=20 Fernlea</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello again.<BR>I hope its allright = to send this=20 message to the group but yesterday I saw & purchased my first ever = meteorite from Rob Elliot at Fernlea.Im quite excited by it and wanted = to tell=20 the story about my first introduction to meteorites.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Rob wasnt keen to have visitors so = close to=20 Christmas but I think he recognised the enthusiasm in my voice and we = agreed a=20 time for me to call on Thursday afternoon.I followed my map and Robs=20 directions and when I saw the big Balgonie Castle I knew I had arrived = at the=20 right place.I had expected the meteorites to be sold from a shop but = Rob=20 operates out of his home and has converted a room for his = meteorites.<BR>After=20 introducing myself Rob took me through a maze of short corridors into = a long=20 lounge decorated with two christmas trees and decorations to a large = archway=20 at the end of the room.This was the entrance into the meteorite = room.He=20 pressed a few buttons on a keypad lock and then disarmed the burglar = alarm=20 before swinging open the door and ushered me in.The room was dark and = noisy=20 because there were some fan units operating at high speed.The cool air = hit me=20 and had a fresh smell of nothing in particular.Rob flicked a switch = and the=20 whole room lit up in stages with an increasing dazzling = brightness.<BR>I could=20 hardly believe my eyes.Tall glass cases filled with hundreds of = meteorites=20 completely covered one wall and there was another big glass cabinet = standing=20 in the middle of the room.The other walls had long tables and display = cases=20 with large rock boulders sitting on the green felt covering.<BR>Right = in the=20 middle of the room was a big metal ball that Rob said had been part of = a=20 Russian spacecraft which crashed to earth.He showed me lots of little = dimples=20 on the ball that had been caused by meteorites in space!<BR>The noisy = machines=20 in the room were for keeping the air clean and for adjusting the = temperature=20 and humidity to stop some of the meteorites from degrading he=20 explained.<BR>All around me were meteorites and Rob was kind enough to = answer=20 lots of questions & show me some of what he described as the 'more = interesting pieces'.I think my favourite for astoundability value was = a large=20 black rock weighing several pounds which contained components of the = oldest=20 matter in the solar system.There were several other meteorites on = display that=20 came from the moon and mars.These had been cut into segments like a = slice of=20 bread and sat on a clear plastic stand with a printed name label in = front of=20 them.Some of the names had very strange spellings and I asked how to = pronounce=20 them correctly. Rob said 'beats me! but if you are unsure just say it = with=20 confidence and no-one will be any the wiser'.<BR>There were hundreds = of=20 meteorites in the room and Rob gave me a story about each one I = pointed to and=20 explained what it was.Under one of the display tables were yet more = meteorites=20 in a wooden case and there must have been another 2 or 3 hundred = meteorites=20 placed in 6 inch glass fronted black boxes in that wooden box = alone.Later on I=20 also saw some more 'special' moon rock which he keeps under lock and = key in a=20 safe in another room.<BR>I asked Rob how much all these meteorites = were worth=20 but he just joked about it and didn't really give a straight = answer.Security=20 was tight and I spotted 3 television cameras in the room and lots of = alarm=20 sensors on the glass cabinets.Rob said that the outside of the house = was=20 protected with more cameras and 8 heat sensors that key off body heat = of=20 intruders.Two intruders had been caught in the grounds but that was = years ago=20 he said.<BR>I wanted to buy my first meteorite and after looking at = lots and=20 lots of suggestions I decided to buy a 4 gramme piece of Wold Cottage = from=20 England and nearly 1 gramme of mars meteorite called Zagami from = Nigeria.I=20 have been looking at them both with astonishment and wonderment ever=20 since!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Has anyone else here in the group = been there to=20 see his collection?Its like a museum in there and well worth = visiting.I plan=20 to return in the new year to see it all again and to go to the natural = history=20 museum as well.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I hope my rambling on and on has not = bored anyone=20 but Iam so pleased to have seen meteorites up close for the first time = and=20 owning my first ones is like a dream come true.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thank you for listening to a happy=20 man!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>Regards,<BR>Paul</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C06BFA.0A40F880-- Received on Fri 22 Dec 2000 09:32:02 AM PST |
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