Eclipse 2026 - how was it for you?

Thousands of people across the West Midlands held parties, gathered on high ground and peered through special glasses to observe Wednesday's solar eclipse.

Between 18:20 and 20:10 BST, the Moon caused a near-total eclipse of the sun, providing people across the country the best opportunity to see the event since 1999.

For those that missed it, there will be a 64-year wait to see it again in the UK.

Here is a round-up of what people across the West Midlands saw and what they thought of the rare experience.

In Warwickshire, Newbold Comyn saw about 200 people gather to watch the sky.

As they sat together in warm evening temperatures, they took safety precautions to avoid damaging their eyes.

In other parts of the county, however, there was frustration, with some people missing the event because of traffic issues at Burton Dassett Country Park.

Scores of people arrived to watch, but the number of cars heading to the park meant queues. And while those at the top of the hill did see the moon and sun do their celestial dance, those further down were left disappointed.

In Herefordshire, eclipse-watchers gathered at Prior's Frome near Hampton Bishop, a beauty spot 120m (393.ft) above sea level.

Seventeen-year-olds Amelie, Vik and Liv were there after finding out about the eclipse on TikTok, but they then had to look up what it actually was.

Eddie and Meg Ballinger were also there with their young sons.

The next eclipse of similar totality is in 2090.

"I'll be 100 by then, but I'll hopefully still be alive and kicking and maybe watching it with [my boys] and Meg. Maybe we'll watch the next one here."

The Shropshire Astronomical Society held an all-day event at Rodington Village Hall, offering special glasses for the public to observe the eclipse as well as being on hand to answer any questions about what was going to happen.

Philip Osman from the society said: "The eclipse was brilliant. It was fascinating to see that thin sliver of a crescent of the Sun. But, wow, what a crowd."

Osman said: "We expected maybe 100, 200. In our wildest dreams, 300 or 400. We had just under 1,000 people turn up. Some were still there at midnight, watching the meteors."

Elsewhere in Shropshire, people gathered at The Eagle and Serpent pub in Kinlet to watch, thanks to 70-year-old Glynne Wooldridge who took his welding mask along so locals could see the eclipse safely through the gear's visor.

In Staffordshire, about 2,000 people gathered at Keele University and Paul Klimczak from the observatory there said it was a brilliant evening.

"It was a lovely clear night, very, very hot, but everyone went away happy.

"If you haven't got the proper kit, you don't really see a lot, but those who had the glasses and the telescopes we had set up, they had great views."

In Birmingham, the Black Country and Wolverhampton, people met at various locations, setting up cameras in open-space areas including Suttin Park.

Cath Adams from the Wolverhampton Astronomical Society said she had taken her smartscope to Bantock Park in the city where people had gathered.

And by the look of things, it was worth it...

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