ABOUT ME
The story of a West Sussex geologist
About me
My walks and talks
What's on in West Sussex
Hello, my name is David Bone. I’m one of those people that would be called an amateur geologist as it isn’t part of my day job (more about that later), but I have been studying the subject for nearly 40 years, much of it in West Sussex.
My mentor in the subject was Martin Venables (1901 – 1990) the former curator of Bognor Regis Museum, a respected local geologist, natural historian and prolific writer for the local newspapers on the subject. Martin’s principal area of study was the foreshore London Clay outcrop at Bognor Regis, so it was on those rocks that I cut my geological teeth in my early teens. Even today I can find my way around in the dark on the beach at Bognor, with the fossil beds buried under beach sand.
Over the years, I have extended my interests to cover all aspects of the local geology, from fossils to building stones, the rocks of the Cretaceous, Palaeogene (Tertiary) and the Quaternary periods. Consequently, I have, amongst other activities:
- Published a number of research papers, magazine articles and guides.
- Provide talks and walks for geological societies and special interest groups since 1975.
- Have regular annual events for Chichester District Museum, Chichester Harbour Conservancy (from 2002) and the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum (from 2005). The Bracklesham Bay fossil hunts for Chichester District Museum (formerly with Mike Goodchild, another local geologist) have been running every year since 1983.
- Served as Field Meetings Secretary for the Geologists’ Association (1999-2004) and Tertiary Research Group (1998-99) and as Chairman of the West Sussex Geological Society (1981-89)
- Assist local museums and archaeological organisations, including the Sussex Archaeological Society in the identification of local fossils and building stones.
- Act as a volunteer warden for the Pulborough sand mines on behalf of the Sussex Wildlife Trust (from 1999).
- Received the Foulerton Award from the Geologists' Association in 2007 for services to the Association.
- Currently assisting the Curry Fund of the Geologists' Association for grant awards.
If you want to know what I'm doing at the moment please go to My walks and talks.
So as a footnote, what is my day job? Well, on leaving school I trained as a laboratory chemist but I left that behind many years ago. A succession of jobs has taken me through research chemist, commissioning engineer, project manager to my current role with Southern Water (with a job title that is meaningless unless you are in the business). It still has nothing whatsoever to do with geology, so this is very much a full spare time occupation.