I observed my first solar eclipse in 1954, when I was a primary schoolboy in North London. We watched from the school playground, using solar filters provided by the school. The eclipse was total in northern Scotland but in London we saw a partial eclipse.
It had an impact on me, because it was the catalyst for a life-long interest in astronomy. I was nine-years old and I made a mental note that heavenly events like this were predicted in advance by astronomers - and I was later to compare this ability of science to accurately predict events with the dismal record of pseudosciences such as astrology and religion.
It was to be fifty-seven years before I observed another solar eclipse.
There may have been a few opportunities that I did not take, due to work commitments. There was a missed opportunity in June 2012, when I set up my camera in vain, as cloudy weather eclipsed the eclipse.
On 10th May 2013, I finally seized my opportunity and spent more than two hours observing and taking images of a partial eclipse, with a clear sky. Regrettably, my Canon 60D camera was being repaired at Canon, so I had to use the old 300D which had no 'live view' for focusing and a really small monitor screen. This seriously reduced my chances of getting a decent image.
Deprived of 'live-view' focusing and the larger monitor of the 60D, I had to keep taking images as fast as I could and adjust the focus each time, in order to ensure getting some in-focus shots. This 'Snap-frenzy'TM technique worked. Out of over 1100 images, most were slightly out of focus but some were sharp.
These are the best two images, one from each telescope:
Canon 300D mounted on 60mm Lunt Solar Telescope
Canon 300D on Meade LX-90 with solar filter.
My Meade astro-telescope with my Lunt solar-telescope in the background.
FOOTNOTE:
I still have not seen a total solar eclipse.
My aim now is to see the 2028 total solar eclipse in Sydney, when I will be eighty-three! I will have to make sure I remain 'focused' and the camera has live-view capabilities!