Low-cost, high-value binoculars.

I have a set of cheap (as in 15 quid) 10x50 binoculars from Lidl. 

They are Bresser branded (Bresser is a subsiduary of Meade, whom are well known in astronomy) 

I've used them a few times for quick, casual viewing of the night sky.
10x is about as far as you want to go with hand held binoculars, otherwise the magnification makes it all a bit shaky when hand-held.

The Bresser binoculars actually have a tripod mounting in the front of the "hinge", but you'd have have to have a pretty tall tripod, or be sitting down, to use it.

Lidl currently have a pair of 8x60 binoculars for 25 quid that I would consider, but I don't really need 10x50 and 8x60 binoculars, given the amount of use they get (limited!).
 

Anyway, here is another review of the Lidl/Bresser 10x50 binoculars, and they are compared to a set of fancy "astronomical" binoculars too.
Well worth a read.