[meteorite-list] My Visit To Fernlea

From: nctools <nctools_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:37:36 2004
Message-ID: <006901c06c20$e99233c0$f6c628c3_at_a>

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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

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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<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 &amp; purchased my first ever =
meteorite=20
from Rob Elliot at Fernlea.Im quite excited by it and wanted to tell the =
story=20
about my first introduction to meteorites.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</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 =
directions=20
and when I saw the big Balgonie Castle I knew I had arrived at the right =
place.I=20
had expected the meteorites to be sold from a shop but Rob operates out =
of his=20
home and has converted a room for his meteorites.<BR>After introducing =
myself=20
Rob took me through a maze of short corridors into a long lounge =
decorated with=20
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=20
keypad lock and then disarmed the burglar alarm before swinging open the =
door=20
and ushered me in.The room was dark and noisy because there were some =
fan units=20
operating at high speed.The cool air hit me and had a fresh smell of =
nothing in=20
particular.Rob flicked a switch and the whole room lit up in stages with =
an=20
increasing dazzling brightness.<BR>I could hardly believe my eyes.Tall =
glass=20
cases filled with hundreds of meteorites completely covered one wall and =
there=20
was another big glass cabinet standing in the middle of the room.The =
other walls=20
had long tables and display cases with large rock boulders sitting on =
the green=20
felt covering.<BR>Right in the middle of the room was a big metal ball =
that Rob=20
said had been part of a Russian spacecraft which crashed to earth.He =
showed me=20
lots of little dimples on the ball that had been caused by meteorites in =

space!<BR>The noisy machines in the room were for keeping the air clean =
and for=20
adjusting the temperature and humidity to stop some of the meteorites =
from=20
degrading he explained.<BR>All around me were meteorites and Rob was =
kind enough=20
to answer lots of questions &amp; show me some of what he described as =
the 'more=20
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 was=20
tight and I spotted 3 television cameras in the room and lots of alarm =
sensors=20
on the glass cabinets.Rob said that the outside of the house was =
protected with=20
more cameras and 8 heat sensors that key off body heat of intruders.Two=20
intruders had been caught in the grounds but that was years ago he =
said.<BR>I=20
wanted to buy my first meteorite and after looking at lots and lots of=20
suggestions I decided to buy a 4 gramme piece of Wold Cottage from =
England and=20
nearly 1 gramme of mars meteorite called Zagami from Nigeria.I have been =
looking=20
at them both with astonishment and wonderment ever since!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Has anyone else here in the group been =
there to see=20
his collection?Its like a museum in there and well worth visiting.I plan =
to=20
return in the new year to see it all again and to go to the natural =
history=20
museum as well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thank you for listening to a happy=20
man!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Regards,<BR>Paul</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Fri 22 Dec 2000 09:10:16 AM PST