From the age of 11 I was able to use my fathers 3" Dolland Student refractor, later in the 6th Form of Farnborough Grammar school  had access to the Army's refractor to study planets. and vividly recollect the great red spot on Jupiter. I have been a member of The BAA for 20 plus years and continue visually observing. 1997 saw me aquire a AP 900 mount and have a 6" refractor with a FSQ 85 piggy backed on top and use a CCD and a DSLR for guided images of Deep Sky. I am also venturing into Spectroscopy.