There are days when this area has the highest numbers of hours of sunshine – but predictably when we needed the sun, it was cloudy.
The solar eclipse was largely uneventful in Ferndown because of the thick cloud but it didn’t mean people weren’t prepared.
Ferndown Tennis Club member Shirley Jenner turned up to play, full of optimism that the clouds would lift so she could see the phenomenon. Equipped with solar eclipse glasses, Shirley took to the courts at King George V Playing Fields but found her woolly hat was far more useful than the dark glasses.
Shirley said: “I had the glasses from the 1999 eclipse which I saw in Torquay. The birds stopped flying on that occasion and it was really magical. This was all very disappointing.”
There might not have been much to see, but the players enjoyed their match and are encouraging people to join the club which is open all year round – come wind, rain, snow and ever solar eclipses!
