I have always loved the sight of the sky at night; it never ceases to fill me with wonder and awe. I remember when I was living up in Alsager, looking up at the stars of an evening on my way back to my room, and having my breath taken by the sheer magnificence of what I saw. Here in London, of course, the stars are largely drowned out by the light pollution, so the view isn’t so good. In Cyprus, though, the view was amazing. I will always remember the night’s sky there: it was so clear that it took your breath; we must have been able to see hundreds, if not thousands, of stars. I was able to make out the constellations (well, those I know) quite easily.

These days, we often see images of the stars on TV or in film, but such pictures cannot compare to the sight of the night’s sky in a place like Polis. The deep darkness seemed to arch over us, pricked by countless tiny points of light, indescribably viviid, making me feel tiny in comparison to it’s vastness. Frankly, that sight alone was worth the trip in itself, and is something I’ll never forget.