Finally! I got a clear night with no moon, no clouds, and no work the next day!! I stayed out until around 2am and shot a range of things I have been meaning to experiment with.
First cab off the rank - the milky way, around 4 minutes using an EQ6 pro mount under my camera to track the stars for the duration.
Interesting blue outer finish Barry. Whether it is right or not I am inclined to like the look. Maybe a larger resolution would be better for presentation.
Thanks very much everyone for the great feedback. Hey even though I personally like this colour rendition, can anyone point me to a photograph that is the correct colour?