A little late ( as will be the next post) but definitely worth recording as a TVGS contribution. Friends of Bishopswood asked TVGS to be at their show for families and children and so we were!

Bob Allison and self set up our usual display with Bob bringing (part) of his fine minerals and fossils collection.  The event was well attended, over 100, and much intense activity took place.  As well as the dino trail, we recorded half a dozen pastimes that fascinated the children–their enthusiasm knows no bounds.  We made new contacts and importantly learned a good deal about simple geological and palaeontological fun activities to educate children.  Many of these were developed through the originality and creativity of the ‘Friends’ committee. Bob gave a short talk on local geology.

If you don’t know Bishopswood, one of Worcestershire County Council’s young persons’ facilities but used for all sorts of activities for adults too, then it is worth a visit.  See HERE for overview details, HERE for location map and HERE for Friends of Bishopswood web site and programme.

Andrew Bloodworth, BGS Science Director for Minerals and Waste gave a most compelling talk on our insatiable hunger for the Earth’s raw materials. Using the ubiquitous mobile phone as an example, where in the last three decades, rare minerals, previously almost unknown outside of the laboratory now focus the efforts of mining engineers the world over to satisfy our technological hunger. Andrew convincingly argued that the threats to supply come not from a shortage of such materials within the Earth’s crust, but from the countries in which many of them are concentrated. His remarkably clear models of extraction processes conclusively demonstrated that the supply problem solution lay not in our collecting and expensively extracting with poor efficiency the vanishingly small amounts from each item, but in improving the beneficiation processes at source and by re-working tailings dumps. Whilst taking one’s redundant phone to a collecting point has a feel good factor especially for politicians, it don’t cut much mustard in the real world, sorry. Apart from the risk that key deposits are held by a few, the increasingly appalling environmental costs of extraction, demands for water, widespread pollution and so on, will act as a limiter. Andrew’s wide ranging and for me gripping talk concluded with shocking tales of the sad lot of many, including children, in the third world, forced by circumstances and /or evil gangmasters to quarry the rocks by hand to bring ore to market, ore without which our gadgets would not work. Thought provoking isn’t it?

In response to Janet’s note of thanks came Andrew’s reply:

Thanks for your thanks, and also a very enjoyable evening. There were many questions and conversations to be had after the talk – always a good sign. My congratulations to you, your committee and members for running what is clearly a vibrant and wide-ranging programme. As a professional (sometimes given to a little cynicism after 30 or so years in the business) it is heartening to experience such enthusiasm for my science!

Mike Preston’s Rock of the Month, and the tale of the rock that changed his life and that has probably changed the lives of many of his geology students, was perfect for the slot.  The clues in the rock–raindrops, bedding and ripples, sand particles, footprints–testify to the great unfolding revelations that intelligent appraisal of a single ‘lump’ can bring about.  This glimpse into an era gone hundreds of millions of years is tantalising, even a little magic and explains why many are hooked on the science.  Thanks Mike

Finally, a month after the dig on 2nd Sept., some pictures of the amazing, spectacular, multi-coloured excavations at Martley Rock field, kind permission of Helen and Rob Taylor of Cob House Fisheries, all on a glorious early Autumn day in the driest September (it turned out) on record. Whew. A day not to forget for those there, with every bucketful revealing more and often surprising features of the rocks just under the surface soil. Of course by now we know about the 5 (or is it six?) geological periods in the field, but we didn’t know about the quartzite reef that bisected one trench, nor the direction of the East Malvern fault at the North end of the field as it dived under the hedge and across Kingswood lane.  The pattern of the formations and the discovery of new fault lines add evidence of a giant, million year mix, the presence of copper ore (azurite, bright turquoise) in small quantities (a sometime feature of magmatic rocks such as the Malvern Complex granites), never seen here before. Wonderful.  Some pictures (there are hundreds more)

 

 

Amazing day out for a small (but beautiful) group of TVGS members (pictured in front of the main bedding plane at Memorial Crags).

Mike Howe (BGS) was allocated as host, mentor and tour leader for this famous geological area.

A shaken squash bottle of motley sediments illustrated how layers form in water.

 

A pristine display of local rocks and some casts of Precambrian fossils, including the world famous Charnia masoni, set us up for the day’s events.

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We inspected the walls of Mount St Bernard Abbey,

We visited Precambrian outcrops of the Blackbrook Group and saw the impressive unconformity in Morley Quarry

 

 

 

A car ride to The Bomb Rocks on a heathland Nature Reserve preceded a quick lunch at the Abbey Tea Rooms. (Note from Julie–this is now considered to be boulders in a poorly sorted matrix – we actually think it’s a debris flow, not volcanic bombs)

 

 

The afternoon was spent in Bradgate Park once the home of Lady Jane Grey.  Allegedly the ancient oaks were pollarded simultaneously with her beheading.

 

Some of the park crags are a spectacular development of the

Sliding Stone Slump Breccia and Hanging Rock Formations and those of us struggling with the geological definitions were beguiled by these names.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ended the trip, exhausted and exhilarated with a specially arranged visit to an exclusive fossil site.  The fossil bearing bedding plane covers 25m2 with some 50 fossil impressions.  What a privilege and what a wonderful day out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our sincere thanks to Mike Howe of BGS.

 

 

 

 

This ‘Rotator’ shows more pictures

Thanks to Harriet (Howell) for this piece, with pictures from Lucy (Cornelius) and help from Julie (Harrald) in matching them to the text.

*this now featured in Chris Darmon’s magazine, ‘Down to Earth’, No. 88 rec’d here early August 14. Chris continues to extol Martley as a real destination Geo-village and is coming here Oct 4th with one of his field trips.

Opposite entrance to Scar Cottage, a bit of clearing revealed extensive drifts of pebbly materials often sharp, within the (Triassic) Bromsgrove Sandstone massive beds. When Chris Darmon showed us how to look at and study a rock face on the Nubbins near the Interpretation Board, very thin seams of small sharp gravel were noted (two), the conjecture being that the material looked Malvernian, created by an ‘event’ in the laying down of the main sandstone. The gravels at the latest site are much more extensive, feet thick, cross bedded with the main layers, see pictures. The road cutting shows the layers of sandstone for a considerable diatance and further study would we are sure be rewarded with more fascinating discoveries to add to the story of these deposits. We feel that they should be classified as an LGS (Local Geological Site)
PS–at least I had a 50p in my pocket for sizing, apologies for not placing it the right way up!

On Sunday 29th June David Green, a geologist friend of the Society from Ross on Wye, led a mixed group from the Harrow and Hillingdon Geological Society and the Mid Wales Geological Society, to Martley to visit Martley Rock and the Bromsgrove sandstone exposure at Scar Cottage Quarry. We were delighted to make contact with the visitors from Harrow and Hillingdon, who John Nicklin and I last met at the Geological Association annual meeting in London last December, where we encouraged them and lots of other societies to organise field trips to Martley. And lo it has come to pass.

Twenty four visitors picked around the sandstone at Scar Cottage, examined it with lenses, chipped bits off and dripped acid on to the calcareous veins, which duly fizzed.

One of the best things about having lots of visitors to the quarry is that each group brings one or more new ideas about the rock formation and history, which sometimes agree with the “official line” and sometimes are in opposition to it, making for a really interesting gradually evolving story.

This group had the privilege of being the first to examine the newly recognised bands of pebbles in the sandstone in the road exposure opposite Scar Cottage (the Scar which gave its name to the cottage). As far as we know, this is the only substantial exposure of pebbles and rock debris in the Nubbins outcrop, so thick at this point as to almost constitute a band of conglomerate. From the layout of the beds, David was able to hypothesise that the material may have come from the North, and may include debris from nearby coal measures. As is always the case, “further research is required”.

After leaving us, they went to the Crown for their sandwiches and drinks from the pub, thus demonstrating how the local geology and local businesses can come together for mutual benefit. This visit would not have taken place without the site development and support of TVGS given by the EU Leader fund and the Earth Heritage Trust, and is an example of the kinds of outcome we wish to develop over the next phase of the Society’s existence.

Alasdair and John along with 4 from other groups, plus Beth Andrews and Rob Hedge (WCC archaeologist and leader of the course) enjoyed a very interesting and knowledge packed three and a half hours studying Hartlebury Common and learning to recognise a variety of landscape features.  We also set about a practical surveying task but had to leave slightly early.  This course, part of the Building Stones Project, was free and to keep we volunteers happy, lashings of tea (Alasdair happy) and packs of bikkies (me, very happy) were placed at our disposal.

Here are some pictures:

A varied and interest packed evening, the general verdict. From Ian’s Rock of the Month (an idea taken back to the Geological Association by Prof, Rory Mortimore as a good idea) and heavy exhibits, Michael Riggs expert (his first?) chalk sculptures, neatly linking with our main topic of the night, Arthur Tingley’s deft promotion of a major mapping project to Rory’s fascinating tale of the technicalities and pitfalls (sorry) of boring under Stonehenge. There was much to occupy the many who came along.

Ian focussed on the rock exposure we found down by the river last year and gave theories as to its existence. Considered to be solid (Silurian) Raglan Mudstone, it has an aesthetically pleasing feel and appearance; Ian as a developing sculptor has managed to shape it and wishes to use it as plinths for other works. Here is Ian’s slide set:

Michael (he of the Caddis Fly Rock of the Month talk in February) placed his chalk exhibits alongside Ian’s Silurian, forming a neat little display. We don’t see chalk around here, eroded off over the aeons apparently and a little unusual to see it in such a large carveable block, shaped by the very substance to be found with it–flint. Michael says this about his work, called Sleeping Muse
Arthur’s relaxed, friendly and ‘you can do it’ or ‘you will be able to do it when I have finished with you’ approach to mapping the empty quarter (geologically mapwise that is) around Knighton, enthused many to sign up for this ambitious project (how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time). Here is Arthur’s presentation with some background notes:

Knighton Map Project Take a look at the back of any BGS geological map, and locate map 180, it has not been mapped by BGS, and it is one of only three in the country that fell off the now defunct BGS mapping program. This area covers the upper reaches of the River Teme, and the outer reaches of the known [TVGS] world!
It is a large area extending from Brampton Bryan and Shobdon in the east, and Penybont to Llandegely Rocks in the West. It encompasses the Church Stretton Fault which merges with the Leinthall Earls Fault near Presteigne and the Pontesford Disturbance, and so forms a real transition from the Silurian Shelf environments near Ludlow and the Welsh Basin.
Some of the area has been worked on by Charles Holland and others, and so the enterprise of mapping it should not be too onerous, but all of the sheet needs to be checked, with quite a lot of original geological field surveying.
Arthur Tingley has undertaken a feasibility study and concluded that the work could be carried out with a little citizen science. So with the help of a small award from the Geologists Association and the Open University, he is nearly ready to make a start.
At the TVGS meeting he asked for expressions of interest in the project; 16 people indicated their willingness to participate. They have a wide variety of levels of geological experience and skill, and so program of training and skill building will be put together to enable the volunteers to build their confidence to make a useful contribution to the project.
This is a unique opportunity to do some real mapping on an area that needs it. The purpose it to build the map of Knighton 180 sheet to a standard that could potentially be published by BGS. If you would like to sign up for more information when it becomes available, please contact Arthur at [email protected].

On March 17th, we were treated to a personal account of the great New Zealand (Christchurch) earthquake by Dr Richard Hamblin, lately of BGS (British Geological Survey), who took a busman’s holiday to see the geology of that far away country. As luck would have it whilst there, the great earthquake occurred, so Richard was not only superbly qualified to give us a quick outline of the geology of this complex region, but also to tell a gripping tale of what actually happens if you are there, right there, almost at the epicentre, and again apply his professional interpretation to scenes few ever see. I most certainly will not try to precis his talk here, but am able to attach a number of the pictures shown in the course of an entertaining and educational evening enjoyed by over 50 at Martley Memorial Hall.
Latterly a rather unusual coincidence occurred that led me to believe, fleetingly, that perhaps I was the only one NOT at Christchurch that day, and we hope this incident will be of future benefit to the Society too.
Read on.
With another hat on, I am part of a voluntary group that installs broadband services in the area (Martley Web Mesh). Recently I was chatting to the lady of the house where we were working and she said she had a son in NZ, to which I remarked that we had recently listened to a very interesting talk on the earthquake, made very much more real, as our speaker was actually there at the time. ‘So was I’ she said, ‘My son lives in Lyttleton, (a suburb of Christchurch and much closer to the epicentre than the centre of Christchurch itself) and I was on holiday there! Best of all her other son is a doctor of geology, qualified at Durham and apparently is quite well known as a speaker, so I have passed his name on to Janet.
I just love this networking thing.

Charnwood Guide HERE
EHT Newsletter April 14 HERE