| faringdon-online community web site home |
geology |
The Fossickers Page |
| September 2002 We can at last report that the Faringdon Town Council at its meeting on the 11th September 2002 decided that the SSSI in the Fernham Pit will be administered through a Trust. RIGS was hoping that this would be the management arrangement that would be adopted. It will distance us from the Council in such a way that we will not be unduely influenced by any future changes in the Council, whether they be the result of elections or of any major Central Government induced changes in local government arrangements. We will also come under the wing of the Charity Commissioners, and, as a registered charity will be eligible for wider range of independent sources of funding. We await further news regarding the details of this decision. I hope that all of you who attended the field excursion on the 7th September enjoyed yourselves. We had almost perfect weather and I think that we all ended with a ruddy glow to our complexions. It was a bit of a learning curve for me, I think that I spoke for too long at the start of things and I feel that you would all have enjoyed longer in Rogers pit, looking for and finding fossils. I think we all found the visit to the Baulking Fullers Earth deposit of considerable interest and I have written to both the management at Roger's Cement and to Bob Porter, the manager at Baulking for allowing us onto their sites and, in particular to Bob, for his very interesting presentation ( and the provision of the very welcome seats!). You may have realised that we were joined by a significant contingent from the recently initiated Faringdon branch of the University of the Third Age. We were very pleased to have them with us and will continue to update them with our programme and plans through Jenny Breithwaite,s good offices. Apart from those of you who attended the excursion the more general response to the even has been very encouraging and it looks as if we will have a repeat performance next Spring, and hopefully will also organise excursions to other local geologically interesting places. My best wishes to you all, Norman Snelling. |
| top |