There was a total eclipse of the sun on 11th August 1999, supposedly visible in southern Cornwall and south-west Devon. The weather was foul, so all that happened was it got very dark. It wasn't much better in Ledbury, from where a maximum of 96% the sun's disc was covered by the moon at midday. One Ledburian reported that it got so cold, they switched on their heating. This was arguably the last non-event of the 20th Century.

Such a contrast with the weather on 11th August 2009 - a beautiful sunny day on which an eclipse would have been perfect.

However, a group of about 15 people, including some from Ledbury, were more fortunate. They travelled over land and sea to Romania to see it. 11th August 1999 dawned bright and sunny in Sinaia, Transylvania, where the group was staying. However, the weather forecast for the mountains, from where it should have been spectacular, was not good, so Plan B - head towards Bucharest (also near the eclipse centre line). The spot chosen was Lake Snagov, about 25km north of Bucharest. Ceauşescu's country palace, now a hotel, was on the opposite side of the lake. When totality came, it was just like the houselights going down for the greatest show on earth.

Because it was slightly hazy, only the planet Venus became visible - unfortunately no stars. The birds stopped singing and some lights with automatic sensors came on. One local was totally oblivious of the whole proceedings - he just carried on fishing! After the total phase, it gradually got cloudier, so the final part when the moon cleared the sun's disc was not visible.

Eclipses often upset the weather and this was no exception. There was a humdinger of a thunderstorm that evening in Bucharest, made all the more eerie by the howling of dogs, descendants of those turned loose after Ceauşescu herded villagers into flats in Bucharest's suburbs.

See http://www.stevegs.com/eclips99/eclips99.htm for more.