CURRENT PROGRAMME

Guided walks / Fossil Hunts / Lectures / Courses

• March 30 (Sun)  -  Church geology: Lyminster church. A guided walk around the church to look at the 22 or so different building stones that have been used in the construction of this ancient church. Please contact me or the West Sussex Geological Society for details.
• April 5 (Sat)  -  South Downs & Bracklesham field trip for 'Frederick Dixon, a geological pioneer in West Sussex'. A Local Heroes event for the bicentenary of the Geological Society. Full details here.
• April 20 (Sun) -  The building stones of Boxgrove Priory & Westhampnett church. Afternoon visit for Sussex Archaeological Society.
• May 17 (Sat) -  “Pebbles on the beach” morning walk for Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve. We discover how flints are formed and learn about their journey from the South Downs to the coast, turning from downland flint nodules to beach cobbles in the process. You will never look at a  flint beach in the same way again!
• June 4 (Wed) - Evening geology walk around Chichester Harbour from Bosham to Ferry Point (just across the water from Itchenor), taking in building stones, raised beaches, and Ice Age erratics. Return by minibus.For booking, see Chichester Harbour Conservancy events.
• June 21 (Sat) -  Ice Age landscapes walk for Chichester District Museum. A gentle walk around the hillfort rampartsat the top of The Trundle hill north of Chichester. The view allows us to consider the impact and after effects of the Ice Age, including the formation of the downland valleys, the raised beaches of the coastal plain (and Boxgrove Man), and the Solent. For booking, see Chichester District Museum events.
• July 9 (Wed)  -  Chichester building stone evening walk for Chichester Local History Society. Attendance by non-members may be possible. Please contact me for details.
• July 16 (Wed)  -  Repeat of 9 July walk for Chichester Local History Society.
• September 7 (Sun) -  An afternoon guided walk around the building stones of Pagham church for Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve. For booking, see Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve web site.
• September 18 (Thu) - Late afternoon Ice Age Landscapes walk around the Trundle for the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum and Life-long Learning in Open Air Museums European Conference.
• September 20 (Sat) -  Church geology day for Chichester District Museum. Effectively repeating the second (2005) excursion of a three-part series, we hope to visit the churches at Felpham, North Mundham, Sidlesham, and West Wittering. For booking, see Chichester District Museum events.
  

• May 3 (Sat) - A late afternoon Bracklesham fossil hunt for Chichester District Museum. For booking, see Chichester District Museum events.
• May 4 (Sun) - A late afternoon Bracklesham fossil hunt for the Tertiary Research Group.
• August 30 (Sat) -  A late afternoon Bracklesham fossil hunt for Chichester District Museum. For booking, see Chichester District Museum events.
• Advance notice for 2009 - May 24 (Sun) - Reserved for a geology and fossil hunting trip to Bracklesham for the Oxford Geological Society.

• I have the following dates with decent low tides free for late afternoon fossil hunts at Bracklesham or Bognor Regis if your group wants to organise a trip: Mon 5 May (Bank Holiday), Sun 31 August, Sunday 28 September. Trips can always be arranged at other times, subject to convenient low tides. Please contact me if you are interested.

• May 22 (Thu) - 'Geological curiosities of West Sussex'. Evening public lecture at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, on interesting snippets of local  geology. For details, see Weald & Downland Open Air Museum web site.
• June 27 (Fri)  -  'Geological Highlights of West Sussex'. Evening talk to Ferring Conservation Group on the geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex and why they are protected by UK legislation.
• September 15 (Mon) - 'Exploring the building stones of West Sussex churches'. Evening talk to Bognor Regis Local History Society at the Royal Norfolk hotel, Bognor.
• December 12 (Fri) - 'A field trip to Frankfurt, Messel & Nierstein (Germany)'. Evening talk to the West Sussex Geological Society in Worthing.

• January 19; February 2, 16; March 1, 15 (Sats) - Rocks, Fossils & Building Stones. Short course for University of Sussex CCE (Centre for Continuing Education) at Fishbourne Roman Palace. Details from CCE 01273 678527.
• April 26 (Sat) -  Geology and building stones of West Sussex churches. A day course held at Fishbourne Roman Palace for WSCC Adult Education. This is the classroom version of  the church geology excursions, with the opportunity for more wide-ranging discussions.
• Advance notice for 2009 - April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, June 3, 10, 17 (Wed evenings) - 'Geology on your doorstep'. Short ten-session evening course for University of Sussex CCE (Centre for Continuing Education) at Fishbourne Roman Palace. Details from CCE 01273 678527. Saturday16 May will be spent outdoors looking at the local geology.