Eclipse day and the skies were obscured with heavy cloud. I hung around in my garden looking up at the vaguely lighter patch that betrayed the sun's position and suddenly a clear patch opened up just enough to see it. The moon was still in its position and a moment later started to move off the bright disc, creeping across the surface. There was no one else out in the gardens or on the street, just me, a private show. I only had time to snap a quick shot with an inadequate lens, the light from the sun overexposed and bleeding around the circle of the moon, obscuring its shape. Last time I watched an eclipse was the total eclipse in 1999. We went down to the West Country (along with thousands of others) and watched it from our campsite in a small crowd of people, many of whom we'd got to know over the previous few days. It was an extraordinary experience. This one was quieter, solitary but still very special.