Will Hay Appreciation Society Astro T shirt

[Martin Mobberley]

Steve Godwin of the Will Hay Appreciation Society has asked me if I would draw attention to one of their new products, an astronomy themed Will Hay T-shirt. The legend is from a quote by Hay and the picture is based on Voyage dans la lune (1902) by Georges Melies.

https://www.photogra-fix.com/product-page/will-hay-tee-astronomer-man-in-the-moon-3-colours

The Society profits go towards Will Hay themed events (eg memorial benches, meetings, memorabilia, maintaining Will’s grave etc… ) and a major chunk goes to the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Will Hay was, of course, a BAA member and an observer of comets and planets, discovering the White Spot on Saturn in 1933. He was also probably the most famous UK film, radio and stage comedian of the 1930s, especially when he teamed up with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt.

A splendid set of videos about Hay appear on the Society’s youtube channel ‘Buggleskelly Station’:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpqfslEKsAWbntyQuPuS8Ow/videos

Regards,

Martin

[Mr Jack Martin]

Martin,

I looked through his note book at the RAS some years ago, saw the drawing and notes on his discovery of the great white spot on Saturn. A very accomplished amateur astronomer.

Regards,

Jack

[Martin Mobberley]

Jack,

Yes, the notebook is fascinating. Hay was a highly intelligent man, a perfectionist in comedy and astronomy, and totally different to the bumbling characters he portrayed in films. Unfortunately he became so busy with films in the 1930s that astronomy had to take a back seat and then his health declined just as WWII ended, and just as he was elected to the BAA Council. See:     http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/2009JBAA..119…67M/0000067.000.html

Regards,

Martin

[Ray Emery]

Martin – a friend of mine in the Leeds AS tried the link; he tells me they are currently not open for business…

Didn’t Patrick get himself dressed up as this famous Melies Moon? – Ray –

[Martin Mobberley]

Hello Ray,

Apologies. I didn’t spot your post two weeks ago! The link seems to work for me. They sent me a complimentary shirt which arrived today. Quite possibly, re. Patrick….it rings a bell somewhere…. The Melies film was mentioned in the Sky at Night with Michael Bentine – Suns, Spaceships and Bug-Eyed Monsters, on 16th Dec 1977.

Regards,

Martin

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