IIS MICOMOU SOCIEY n ppl, ntr nrvtn t th ldlf nrvtn rr plnt nd frr nl. Ntr hvr, np fr dr rn thn th pplr . Th nrvtn f ntrl ftr ll nd rphll fndntl prt f nlh Ntr r. Bt h bthr nrvn r t

BRITISH MICROMOUNTSOCIETY

NEWSLETTER NO. 36 OCTOBER 1993

Chairman John Pearce 7 Condor WayBurgess Hill, SussexRHl5 9QB

Secretary Shirley Adrian 103 Woolwich RdAbbey Wood, LondonSE2 ODY

Membership Secretary Pearl Freeman 12A Allingham CourtHaverstock HillLondon NW3 2AH

Treasurer Sidney Freeman 12A Allingham CourtHaverstock HillLondon NW3 2AH

EDITORIAL

Many thanks once' again to Richard Belson, Kevin Johns and Martin Stolworthy fora first class Symposium weekend in Leicester. Although this was only the thirdSymposium I've attended, it seems to go from strength to strength and I'm certainlylooking forward to next year's already.

A few months ago Ken Luff sent me a copy of a letter he received from Tom Moatof English Nature. The letter was writen to Ken in reply to his inquiries regardingthe recently imposed restrictions on mineral collecting from Megilligar Rocks, inCornwall. I must admit that my initial response was one of concern - that EnglishNature (an organisation about which I knew rather little) appeared able and willingto impose a ban on collecting at such a popular and public site. As English Natureis based in Peterborough I invited Tom around for a beer and a chat to find out alittle more. He very kindly agreed to contribute an article to the Newsletter whichappears in this edition. I can only conclude that English Nature is an organisationwhose objectives are (or should be) very much in the long-term interests of all of us.

BMS Newsletter 36: pl

ENGLISH MINERALS - A CASE FOR CONSERVATION.Tom Moat, English Nature.

Formed from the Nature Conservancy Council in 1991, English Nature is the statutoryGovernment adviser on nature conservation in England Like its Scottish and Welshcounterparts, English Nature's business is the conservation of nature and promoting greaterpublic appreciation of the natural world throughout the country. One of the main means bywhich the conservation agencies protect nature in Britain is through designating a network ofnationally important sites which have special protection in planning law. About one third ofthese sites exist for their earth science interest, including in England over 100 mineralogical sites.This article presents a rationale for mineralogical conservation, English Nature's role and thepart that mineral collectors can play.

Geological Conservation

To many people, nature conservation equates with wildlife conservation - rare plantsand furry animals. Nature however, encompasses a far wider range than thesepopular images. The conservation of natural features - geological andgeomorphological - is a fundamental part of English Nature's work. But why botherconserving rocks? Most people understand the need to save whales, woodlands,meadows and badgers, but rocks are a different matter altogether - they don't dieout, and they're pretty robust, so its not particularly obvious why they should requireprotection. The rationale for valuing geological features as part of our naturalheritage can be explained in four main arguments:

1. Present-day natural processes, landscape, wildlife and human activity areunderpinned by the geological bedrock of this country.

2. Rocks, minerals and fossils provide us with great clues to the evolution of ourpresent day world, and provide useful lessons in dealing with some of theglobal problems of today.

3. Geological features, processes and stories can capture everyone's imagination,and are often downright exciting, even for those who've been dealing withthem for years!

4. Geological sites are not invulnerable, and can actually be lost. Overgrowth,large-scale quarrying, landfill and coastal defences all have contributed to theloss of geological sites, some of which are irreplaceable.

England, as with the rest of Britain, has been the cradle of many great geologists andgeological theories. The science of geology originated here over two hundred yearsago, and our diverse rocks have continued to encourage ideas on the developmentof the Earth, up to the present day. No other country in the world has such a varietyof geological features packed into such a small area. In themselves, the rocks holdthe earliest parts of Britain's heritage, recording a story over 2 billion years long,with volcanoes, gold, earth-quakes and (of course) dinosaurs added in! But this is a

BMS Newsletter 36: p2

story that's not yet fully understood. Many of our rocks still provide surprises,uncovering new details of past environments and past life or new minerals. Its forthis reason above all, that English Nature believes that valuing this geologicalheritage should extend to conserving the best of our geological sites for the future.If key sites are lost today, for whatever reason, the evidence that future generationsmight decipher will also be lost.

Minerals and SSSIs

Many geological sites are entirely natural; mountain outcrops or rocky coastlines forexample. Inland however, particularly in the lowlands, geological features tend to behidden beneath a patchwork landscape of agricultural and building activities. Asignificant proportion of geological exposures across the country are the work ofman. Without quarries and mines for example, we would have far fewer windows onthe geological past of great swathes of Britain. These exposures are no less valid apart of our natural heritage for being exposed by our own handiwork.

This relationship between the natural world and human industry is particularlyimportant with minerals. We are all aware that minerals can have an economic valueas well as an aesthetic and scientific value - the number of active and disused minesaround the world is testament to both these attributes.

Minerals found in metalliferous mines have historically formed the focus of thescience of mineralogy, and it is through science that mineralogical conservation hastraditionally had its raison d'être. Mineral occurrences chosen as Sites of SpecialScientific Interest (SSSIs) are of national scientific and research importance, and toa lesser extent, educational and heritage value (a newer designation for conservingsites of non-SSSI standard is the Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS), whichtends to focus on the educational and aesthetic values of sites). SSSIs, chosenoriginally in the 1980's by top research workers, include a coherent network whichattempts to cover the key elements of British mineralogy. The sites fall into two maincategories - occurrences of rare or type specimens, and key illustrations of importantore-forming processes. Both are equally important, and all sites have provided, orhave the potential to provide important information on mineralisation processes ormetallogenesis. An example of a rare mineral site is Swineside Gill near CarrockMine in the Lake District, whilst Small Cleugh Mine in the Pennines is selected forits metallogenetic importance. Many sites contain both rarities and quality examplesof mineralisation processes (e.g. Tremearne Par-Megilligar Rocks in Cornwall, orCroft Quarry in Leicestershire). Although many sites contain in situ mineralisation(more valuable for researchers, being in geological context), many include minedumps, where the original exposures are no longer easily accessible, or the mineralsof interest have been shown by researchers to have developed as secondaries on themine dumps.

The Role of Mineral Collecting.

The great diversity of minerals which have been found in Britain is closely related


to the diverse geological formations which underlie our island. To a large extenthowever, the sheer number and variety of mineral types known is the result of thediligence and endeavour of one group of people: the amateur mineral collector. Theetymology of the name itself (the Latin aniator - a lover) illustrates the depth offeeling for the subject that amateur mineralogists have. It also helps to explain thesize of contribution that has been made to mineralogy by amateurs, who often havea broader knowledge than many specialists, in conjunction with a different range ofskills and insights to offer. Most collectors are also interested in identifying theirfinds, and take unidentified or known rarities to be investigated by the technologyof specialists - a link-up which is self-evidently a good thing for mineralogicalresearch.

The Impact of Mineral Collecting

In Britain today, mineral collecting is more popular than it was in the time of thegreat Victorian collectors whose work forms the basis of many of the great museumand private collections. This increase may be less the result of any heightenedenthusiasm for things natural or aesthetically pleasing, but rather due to an increasein personal leisure time and mobility. Over the last few years, mineral collecting asan activity has grown to the point where sheer numbers of collectors are beginningto have measurable effect on the resource which is being collected. The collector ofsome years experience nowadays bemoans the fact that there are fewer productivesites overall, and fewer specimens to be had at those sites which are left. To get theprize-winning samples, the modern collector (discounting luck) has to resort toinvestigating more obscure sites and more dangerous old mines. In simple terms, thequality material is running out (the rise of micromounting in some ways illustratesthe paucity of good hand specimens). The plain fact is that there are only so manysites from which minerals can be taken in large quantities without the site being"worked out".

The old adage, "you can't have too much of a good thing" is one which is singularlyinappropriate in mineral collecting. It's with this in mind that the conservationagencies in Britain approach mineral collecting. Contrary to common belief, EnglishNature, CCW and SNH are not out to ban all collectors from their (legitimate)hobby or business. As outlined above, mineral collectors can play an important rolein the science of mineralogy, and without responsible collectors, there would be farfewer of the scientific treasures uncovered from minerals sites.

Our approach is to promote the good management of minerals sites by all site users,ensuring that sites don't disappear through overuse. This in effect is the principle ofsustainability, one which is increasingly being used by the minerals industry andthroughout the environment. It works on the basis that we should leave enough forour descendants to be able to enjoy the Earth's resource to the same extent as wedo. We are only borrowing the resource from future generations, and need to passit on in a fit state. Collecting, as a potentially unsustainable use of minerals sites,needs to be carried out in a manner which respects this principle.


Good collecting practice needs to be observed on a wide scale. This does not meanthat collecting should stop or be illegal on minerals sites including SSSIs (whethercollecting should be allowed is usually still legally a matter for the mineral rightsowner on SSSIs). It's only on those rare sites where the resource is so small and sofinite that it might be lost through continued collecting, where English Nature stepsin to formally restrict collecting in any way. Thus for example, on the Tremearne ParSSSI in Cornwall, where extensive high-tech collecting has removed most of the in-

situ material, far more quickly than would have occurred through natural erosiveprocesses, collecting has been controlled in agreement with the land owners.

Some Solutions

Mineral collectors are only one of the many groups who use or affect minerals sites.To encourage support for conserving minerals throughout the country, EnglishNature discusses and promotes these issues across the main groups who interact withminerals sites. This diverse constituency includes planners, industry, land owners,museums, educationalists, archaeologists, botanists, mineralogical societies andgeologists. With mineral collecting, the main emphasis is through amateur societiessuch as the Russell Society, FLAGS and the British Micromount Society.

These groups have an important part to play in promoting conservation inresponsible collecting. This includes such straight-forward but important principlesas safety, collecting only a few representative specimens, recording accurately whereyou found them, and letting museums or researchers know of unusual or importantfinds. That most collectors follow these principles is testament to their effectiveness.But the fact that some sites are still lost or threatened highlights the need tocontinue with these efforts. Perhaps to retain the sites which are at the heart ofmineralogy and mineral collecting for the future a mineralogical code of practice isneeded, encapsulating the principles of sustainability. The people who can make thiswork are the collecting community.

We don't know everything that rare minerals or good metallogenesis sites might tellus or how useful this knowledge might be, but we want to give future generations achance to find out and maybe enjoy themselves in the same way as we enjoy ourcollecting - if carried out responsibly.

ROSASITE IN BRITAINJill Goltz

I was very interested to read Steve Plant's article in Newsletter 35 (page 8), on a newfind of rosasite at Hendy Quarry, Miskin, in South Wales. I find rosasite an

attractive mineral, particularly when it occurs in association with hemimorphite and

au richalcite.

In addition to the Welsh localities listed in Steve's article, I have found rosasite atthree English localities during Russell Society and Warrington Mineral Society


collecting trips:

• At Bunton Level, Swaledale, North Yorkshire, rosasite occurs inassociation with aurichalcite and hemimorphite.

• At Roughton Gill, in the Caldbeck Fells, rosasite occurs withhemimorphite on the large dumps below the waterfall.

• At Sandbeds, also in the Caldbeck Fells, rosasite is associated withaurichalcite and hemimorphite.

All of the above finds were confirmed as carbonates and visually identified asrosasite by myself and (in the case of the first two localities) by fellow collectors withconsiderable experience.

The BMS Reference Collection contains a specimen from Swaledale (No.947).Other rosasites in the collection include specimens from the Black Ox mine atMatlock; Myers Head, Hartsop, in Cumbria, and Coldstones Quarry in NorthYorkshire. Brian Young's Glossary of the Minerals of the Lake District and Adjoining Areaslists a number of other localities where rosasite has been found. These include:Driggeth mine, Potts Gill mine, Ruthwaite Lodge Vein, Grisedale, Patterdale, andthe Roughton Gill area. The book also records a find in the upper level of Sandbedsmine, which is interesting in that my specimen was found on the "upper" dumps.

Although they are generally rather small, I consider British rosasites equallyattractive to many of the examples from overseas, although the latter are commonlylarger and therefore more spectacular.

It is possible that there are rosasites from other localities in members' collections.Perhaps in some cases confirmation is needed to distinguish them from minerals such

as malachite.

12th BRITISH MICROMOUNT SYMPOSIUM - 18 & 19 SEPTEMBER, 1993Roy Starkey

Once again the familiar faces gathered round the car park outside the Departmentof Geology at Leicester University. Each year it seems that members make evengreater efforts to arrive early - but this year to no avail! There was anotherconference going on as well as ours, and many delegates had to park some distanceaway. This is the first time that such a problem has arisen, and the organisers willbe approaching the University authorities to try and avoid similar problems next

year.

The teaching laboratory and lecture theatre were fairly busy with 88 delegates


registered, but bench space was adequate and before long it seemed that everyonehad established a base camp and gone off in search of early bargains or coffee.

After unpacking and a cup of coffee, we all gathered in the lecture theatre to hearChairman John Pearce welcome old friends and new members to the 12thSymposium. The formal proceedings commenced with a talk by Mike Leppingtonentitled "Caldbeck Fells - an Update". Mike guided us around the fells pointing outwhere the various dumps and outcrops are to be found, and what (if one is lucky)can still be seen. A wide variety of species is reported from the area, and Mikeadded several new occurrences to the ever-growing list - notably erythrite fromSandbed Mine. and possible chenite and hedyphane from Short Grain.

Richard Lamb, a new face at the Symposium, gave a very thorough account of some"New Slag Minerals" from various lead smelting sites in the Yorkshire Dales.Richard was careful to ensure that we were given a basic grounding in the metallurgyof early lead processing to aid members in their search for suitable sites. Theminerals described form a range of barium/sulphur compounds, shortly to bedescribed in the journal Mineralogy & Petrology. Usually a contentious issue at theBMS Symposium, Richard felt that the crystals found in slags should qualify asminerals, but the IMA Commission on Mineral Names will not allow them to beclassified as minerals since they are formed by the intervention of man. This issuehas been debated at length in previous years, and one does wonder why the IMA'sruling does not apply to minerals forming on the walls of underground mine workings(e.g. lanthanite-Ce, described from the Britannia Mine, Snowdon), which presumablywould not have formed if man had not provided the environment.

Malcolm Southwood took the proceedings up to lunch time with an excellentoverview of the Tsumeb Mine and its minerals. The mine has featured prominentlyin the mineralogical literature, and Malcolm was able to give a fascinating insightfrom personal experience, having worked as a consultant at the mine in the early1980s. The mine opened in 1900 and has yielded more than 210 confirmed mineralspecies, with more than a third of the Periodic Table represented. There are 11germanium species. Malcolm's summary highlighted the tremendous geochemicaldiversity and the hydrogeological and structural conditions which have led to theformation of three oxidised zones. Regrettably, the Tsumeb mine is expected toclose in the next year or so. A new mine is being developed to exploit the nearbyTschudi copper deposit, but unfortunately it lacks the specimen potential of Tsumeb.

After lunch, Michael Edwards of Hampshire Micro gave us a light-hearted guide onmicroscope care and maintenance. It was explained that there are two mainproblems - the specimen and the user. Most members' microscopes have rockparticles all over the exterior. Many members do not maintain there scopes andthose who do generally wreck them. Having established the ground rules andreduced the audience to a bunch of guilty-feeling incompetents, Michael proceededto suggest simple remedies which might be applied by even the least technicalmembers:


• keep it clean; blow off dirt and remove debris with meths and a soft rag.

• keep the optics clean by blowing off dirt. Never scrub, or use abrasive,on any part of the optics. Clean gently with cotton buds or lens tissueand discard these after use.

• inspect the rack and pinion mechanism for lubrication and function.Grease the slides, but do not get grease on the rack and pinion. Castro!LM grease is recommended.

• check electrical cnnections periodically to ensure that all wires aresecure, insulation is sound and that the correct rating fuse (3 amp) isfitted.

Remember: the best way to keep a microscope clean is not to let it getdirty!

Everyone (me included) rushed next door to have a look at their prized possessions,and a steady queue formed throughout the afternoon at Michael's bench. I thinkthere were a lot of MOT failures!

Saturday afternoon was taken up with the usual practical workshop and swappingsession. As the years go by it seems to me that there is relatively less new materialon the benches. Probably this is governed by two factors. Firstly, most of us havealready acquired specimens of what other members have collected and secondly, itis getting harder to find new material. So you'll all have to get out there and dobetter next year! It was pleasing to see more people bringing specimens to showrather than sell or exchange; perhaps this is where the Symposium will be headingin future years. Undoubtedly there must by now be tens of thousands of superbmicrominerals in the care of members. Let's see some collection micros next year -what about it?

A raffle was held for the new Mineralogical Record publication The Complete Book of

Micromounting". John Pearce had explained during his introductory address in themorning that the draw would be held prior to the auction so that if the winneralready had a copy they could donate it to the auction. Accordingly (or do I meaninevitably?), the ticket which Richard Lamb pulled out of the box belonged to....yes,you've got it, John Pearce! The afternoon concluded with the specimen auctionwhich as usual provided humour and entertainment as well as raising £264 forSociety funds. Trevor Bridges took over the role of auctioneer this year from RoyStarkey, and raised a record sum. Let's hope he enjoys the next ten years in the jobtoo!

An enjoyable evening was spent in the Garendon Room of the Charles WilsonBuilding, with the buffet reception followed by Ken Luffs quiz. As is usual on suchoccasions, there was much barracking of the quizmaster, as so-called experts soughtto find errors in the questions/answers. However, as the BMS is a democratic body,


the loudest voice won, and the prize went to the Sussex Mineral and Lapidary Clubtable - well done!

Sunday morning started with the AGM which was transacted in a brisk and business-like manner. The BMS AGM is always a pleasure to attend as it does not sufferfrom the petty politics which flaws so many societies. The proceedings are alwaysamicable and constructive; perhaps this is because we've got loads o' money" andwe only see each other once a year. Full details of the AGM are reportedseparately.

The Founder's Cup was presented to Mick Wolfe in recognition of his sterlingservice and efforts to consolidate the Society into what it is today.

Peter Braithwaite organised a micromount competition once again and this was muchbetter supported this year. Last year there were only three entries, compared with24 this time round. Peter's advice to anyone thinking of entering next year is "don'tbother". The entries were of a good standard, and the final six were very closelygrouped. Peter presented his findings with characteristic dry wit and good humour,much to the amusement of the audience. Each specimen was described in a writtenreport, and Peter had clearly put a lot of time and effort into providing helpfulcomments for each entrant. The winning specimen was a linarite in slag submittedby Harry Day. Chris Jewson came second with a fine dippingite. For my own partI had to suffer what must be the final ignominy of any past Chairman of the BMS;my entry carried the following commentary from Peter.

"...arrived with pedestal detached from box. Fragments in box suggestthat specimen did not have broken crystals as new (certainly not!).Pedestal glue does not appear to have been compatible with paint onbase. Regret must disqualify."

Oh dear! (or words to that effect!)

The morning was rounded off by the traditional review of "What's Interesting".formerly the preserve of David Middleton, but performed again this year by MikeBothwell. Mike opened his address by starting to tell a joke, pausing, changing thesubject to minerals and then concluding the session by telling the end of the joke.This year's offering concerned a burglar in a darkened house, suddenly disturbed bya voice behind him saying "Jesus and I are watching you...". If you want to know thepunchline, come to next year's Symposium.

Highlights of the Symposium included the following:

• The Wallaces: Cumengeite from Gunver Head, Cornwall; kasolite fromLow Warren at Botallack, Cornwall.

Nigel Hoppe: Hydrocerussite from Greystones Quarry (collected byMaurice Grigg).


George Fletcher: Bright purple blobs in fluorite from Bonsai! Moor.

Andy Castleton: Very good linarite and langite from Geufron, Wales.

Mike Leppington: Erythrite from Sandbed Mine, Caldbeck.

Trevor Bridges: Namuwite and serpierite from Smallcleugh Mine.

David Green: Millerite and botinoite from Brownley Hil Mine;hilgardite-Tc from Boulby Mine.

Richard Bell had a striking natrolite from Loanhead Quarry, Scotland. Beryl Taylorhad some enigmatic silver balls in zeolite amygdales from Mull. Chris Jewson hadsingle crystals of botallackite mounted on wire. Elsie Hansford - possibly the ideaof the future, had a superb carousel of 25 zeolite micros beautifully mounted so asto be co-focal when rotated. Simply stunning! Well done Elsie!

The remainder of Sunday afternoon was spent catching up on news and some lastexchanges before the long drive home. See you all next year!

BRITISH MICROMOUNT SOCIETY - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGLeicester University, 10.00a.m. 19 September, 1993

77 members were prsent. The Chairman was John Pearce.

1. Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from Kevin Johns, Max Wirth, David Roe, Bill Swindell,and Rex and Norma Bingham.

2. Minutes of the A.G.M. of 20 September, 1992

The minutes having been circulated in Newsletter number 33, the Chairman askedthat they be taken as read. This was accepted.

3. Matters Arising from the Minutes

No matters were raised.

4. Treasurer's Report

Sidney Freeman presented the Receipts and Payments account for the year ended31 May, 1993. He pointed out that the Society's assets at 31.5.93 were 1201 greaterthan at 1.6.92., but that 1992 accounts included a grant to the UK Journal of Mines and

Minerals and the BMS prize. He explained that the Sundry Expenses included thecosts of the visit to the Natural History Museum, the Spring Committee Meeting, and


an affiliation to F.L.A.G.S. The account as presented gives a distorted view of thecosts of the Symposium. In 1992 the registration fees brought in £1274, the raffle£88 and the auction £173 - a total of £1535. Expenditure was £1583 for the hire ofpremises etc., 125 for the raffle prize and £104 for photos - a total of £1712, givinga deficit of £177. However, the financial state of the Society was healthy and he feltthat a small loss could be accepted. Sidney also reported that this year's raffle hadraised £70 and the auction, a record £264.

Trevor Bridges congratulated the Treasurer on his management of the Society'sfinances and proposed that the report be accepted. This was seconded by NeilHubbard and carried unanimously.

John Pearce thanked Mike Leppington for examining the accounts and asked himwhether he would continue as auditor. His re-appointment was proposed by PamPearce, seconded by Martin Stolworthy and carried by the meeting.

5. Membership Secretary's Report

Sidney reported, on Pearl's behalf, that there had been a healthy increase in themembership during the past year. The membership of 164 included 22 familymembers and represented an estimated 188 people. There were 21 new members,five resignations, and two non-renewals. Two members who had previously resignedhad now rejoined.

6. Chairman's Report

John Pearce said that last year he had set himself the task of promoting a furtheraim of the BMS: to promote mineralogy, by drawing on the potential of the membersfor the benefit of other members and non-members. The informality of the Societyworks well but needs an appropriate committee structure to maintain it. He thoughtit should be recognised that co-opted members are full members of the committee.BMS branches need to relate to the BMS as a whole and Jean Spence (Northern),Isabel Geldart (Warrington), and Austin Lockwood (South-Eastern) have agreed tobe branch representatives on the Committee. The Committee meets twice a year -in the spring and at the Synposium. The intention is not to increase bureaucracy, butto improve the exchange of ideas and make it easier to develop BMS projects.

One of these projects is the production of BMS Occasional Papers. (Perhaps thepaper on Wanlockhead Slag Minerals might be republished with Eric Otty'spermission.) The Chairman reported that the editorial board has been set up,consisting of David Green, Mike Rothwell, Malcolm Southwood, Roy Starkey, MaxWirth and himself, with Peter Braithwaite as illustrator. It has already discussedformat, house-style, copyright and refereeing. Each paper will be refereed by at leasttwo people. The typical cost will be 75p for members and £1 for non-members. Todate there are four papers ready to go, four drafted or in preparation and six or eightbeing considered. Details of thse publications will appear in the Newsletter. TheBoard would welcome ideas and offers to write papers.


Another project is the preparation of a database of minerals from UK sites. This isbeing undertaken by Harry Day.

John congratulated Trevor Bridges on being the second recipient of the RussellMedal awarded for outstanding services to mineralogy.

The Chairman reported the death of John Houghton in August, following a longperiod of ill-health. Gillian Goltz paid the following tribute: "One just cannotreplace someone like John - universally liked, amusing, fun-loving, earnest, generous,caring and intelligent. It is a privilege to have known him." The Society's sympathygoes to his family.

John also asked Muriel Swindell to take the Society's best wishes for a speedyrecovery to her husband Bill.

The Chairman said it is time to raise the profile of the Society and he anticipatedthat this would start with an article in the UK Journal of Mines and Minerals.

John said that Mick Wolfe had told him last year that the Society would not bedifficult to run, and that he was right because there are many people doing thingswithout bothering him. Sid Freeman not only covers matters financial, but alsowrites indignant letters to our insurers; Pearl Freeman deals with all new members'applications and also acts as the distribution centre for all BMS communications.The co-opted committee members: Malcolm Southwood on the Newsletter; MurielSwindell our archivist; Max Wirth our micromount collection curator; RichardBelson, Kevin Johns and Martin Stolworthy the Symposium organisers; MikeLeppington our auditor; branch co-ordinators Isabel Geldart, Jean Spence andAustin Lockwood; Mick Wolfe the micromount directory editor; Mike Rothwell our"reproductions manager"; Elsie Hansford and Austin Lockwood on displays; all geton quietly and efficiently. The Chairman thanked them all for their efforts on behalfof the Society.

7. Reports of Co-opted Committee Members

7.1 Newsletter Editor

Malcolm Southwood thanked those who had contributed to the Newsletter andhoped that articles will keep coming in.

7.2 Archivist

Muriel Swindell said that all volumes of Ooldschmidt had now been located and sixwere available. If sent by post, recorded delivery, the cost would be £430.

7.3 Symposium Organisers

Richard Belson said that they had been unable to fix the date for the 1994


Symposium. He reported that the supplies of coffee and biscuits had been stolenfrom the staff room during the previous night. He strongly urged members to takeout all-risk insurance policies for their microscopes and said that he intended toclarify the insurance position with the University. He thanked all the speakers andworkshop leaders, Trevor Bridges for acting as auctioneer, Peter Braithwaite forrunning the micromount competition, Mike Bothwell and Pam Wallace for theirwork on the brochure and Roy Starkey for recording the proceedings. He alsothanked Ken Luff for the efficient transfer of the Symposium organising.

Richard asked those attending whether they wished to continue with the presentarrangements for the Saturday evening meal. After discussion it was decided thatthe convenience of having the meal on the University premises was the mostimportant factor and that this should continue.

7.4 Branch Co-ordinators

Austin Lockwood reported that, following suggestions in an activity questionnaire,the South-East Branch members had taken part in a workshop on micromountingtechniques organised by Harry Day, and as a result, 14 specimens had been enteredfor the micromount competition. There had been a field trip to North Walesattended by 11 members. Harry Day had started work on a database of mineralsfrom British sites which will now become a Society project. Steve Rust hadundertaken to compile study sets of micromounts as an aid to identification. TheBMS display stand at the FLAGS/GA reunion had won second prize, and when puton again at the Sussex Mineral Show, had gained new members. There is an averageof 30 members at the quarterly meetings in the Ringway Community Center, BaringRoad, Grove Park, and the next meeting will be on 21 November.

Jean Spence said that in spite of the Northern Branch being widely scattered, about15 members usually attended the meetings in the Bircotes library. There wereoccasional field trips and slide shows, as well as the usual exchange of finds andideas, and refreshments. The next meeting will be on October 30.

The Warrington Branch reported that the collection of the late John Houghton wasfor sale.

8. Founder's Cup

The Chairman said that the Founder's Cup is given in recognition of services to theBMS or to mineralogy in general. This year the Committee had been unanimous inwishing to award the Cup to the person who had worked extremely hard for theBMS, particularly over tha last five years. He had consolidated and developed ourearlier procedures, communicated vigorously through the Newsletter and edited thepast two issues of the Directory.

The Chairman then presented the Founder's Cup to Mick Wolfe.


Mick thanked him and said that he had been looking forward to not having to speakat this year's Symposium! He hoped he would remain a member long enough to seemany more illustrious names on the trophy.

9. Election of Officers

All officers having agreed to stand, and there being no other nominations, their re-election was proposed by Trevor Bridges, seconded by Pam Pearce and carriedunanimously.

10. Appointment of Co-opted Committee Members

John Pearce, as newly re-elected Chairman, promptly co-opted the same team asbefore.

11. Any Other Business

a. Roy Starkey said that Max Wirth would appreciate new specimens for the

Reference Collection.

b. Alan Dyer reported that John Faithfull had looked after members very well

on their visit to the Hunterian Museum.

c. Mike Rothwell said that the visit to Oxford Museum had also been verysuccessful.

d. Peter Wallace congratulated Roy Starkey on the photo taken at the 1992Symposium and the detective work involved in the accompanying identificationdiagram.

e. Richard Belson said that the new pubication Understanding Crystallography at $20

was highly recommended.

The Meeting closed at 11.15am.

DATABANK OF MINERALS RECORDED FROM UK SITESA BMS PROJECT

Harry Day

Many of us commonly encounter problems such as:

• What minerals have been reported from a given site?• Where does one look for a particular mineral?

• From whom does one obtain permission to visit a site?

• Is a site still accessible for mineral collecting?


Over the years, many articles have been published in journals and books whichreport minerals that have been found at UK sites. Although many of our membershave their own private filing systems, as far as we can establish, no collectivedatabank exists in the UK from which this information is available to our members.

It was suggested at a meeting of the South East Branch of the BMS that we shouldcompile a record of sites and minerals together with details of site owners. However,it has since been decided that the list of owners should be compiled as a separateproject.

An exploratory start has -been made on this databank, using an IBM PC and with theassistance of a professional computer programmer. The focus is to produce analphabetic listing of UK mineral sites, recording all the minerals that have beenreported.

Initially, the following journals and books are being consulted, along with the BMSReference Collection:

Journals: UK Journal of Mines and MineralsJournal of the Russell SocietyMineral Realm and GemsMineralogical RecordMineralogical Magazine

Books: Embrey, P.G. and Symes, R.F.:Cooper, M. and Stanley, C.J.:

Young, B.:

Minerals of Devon and CornwallMinerals of the English LakeDistrictGlossary of the Minerals of theLake District and AdjoiningAreas...

A group of interested members discussed the project during the BMS Symposium.There was a great deal of support. but concern about how comprehensive the projectcould or should he. Whether, for example, it should include "minerals of the countryrock", and how far hack in time the search should go, hearing in mind the changeswhich may have taken place.

There was also some discussion on the validity of entries; whether visualidentification is an adequate criterion for inclusion of a mineral, and whetherpersonal recordings of finds should be included at a later date. It was agreed thatsites no longer available for collecting should still he entered since material may stillbe available and underground workings may still he accessible.

The following points were agreed upon:


1. If all the information listed above becomes available on the databank it willprovide an invaluable service, even if the project is taken no further.

2. Where applicable, journals will be searched back to 1970. This date coincides(roughly) with the start-up of many UK mineral societies. Also, it may bedifficult to check the reliability of earlier information in certain cases.

3. An informal Consultative Group has been set up, consisting of David Green,Frank Ince, John Pearce, Cyril Merritt and Martin Stolworthy. This group willbe available to offer advice on issues such as:

which journals and books to consult, and how to get access to themhow each mineral should be referenced to its source(s)how members can help with compiling the data bankhow lists of minerals might be validatedthe form in which the data bank should be presentedavailability to non-BMS membersproblems of copyright, data protection etc.

4. The project should be tackled in stages. The first stage will scan those journalsand books well known to amateur collectors and make no attempt to validateany of the entries. Hopefully, this will be completed in time to show membersat the next Symposium.

If other members have a particular interest in this project, please let me know; youwill be very welcome to join the Consultative Group.

RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE BMS REFERENCE COLLECTIONMax Wirth

Peter Wallace contributed a specimen of the mystery matrix containing ettringite(1403), which he described in Newsletter 35. It is comforting to know that theNatural History Museum has stated that the matrix is an unknown materialcontaining quartz. Kemp Meikle found a relatively large zircon (1404) on Harris;at least four faces are visible, but the crystal is opaque.

Roy Starkey produced barytocalcite (1405) from Foster's Hush in Lunedale. It isnever easy to spot these crystals, although their habit seems characteristic;barytocalcite is not a common mineral.

Chris Scheding found bismuthinite (1407) at South Crofty in Cornwall. It is in theform of slender, curved blades, protruding from siderite, pyrite and a clay. He alsocontributed paratacamite (1408) and connellite (1409) from Wheal Hazard. MikeBrooke gave us a delightful fluorite on calcite from Hampstead Farm Quarry (1410)- tiny, brilliant yellow cubes sitting on two faces of the calcite - a challenge for anyphotographer.

BMS Newsletter 36: p16'

Machen Quarry in Gwent was the source of galena encased in coarse hemimorphitewith some cerussite and a spot of cinnabar (1411-1413), as well as smithsonite,aurichalcite and hydrozincite (1437-1439). There is more at this locality than meetsthe eye!

Steve Rust has again sent a selection of interesting specimens: glassy, tabular apatite(1414) from Brynyrafr Mine, bottinoite (a new nickel antimonate) from HendreFelen (1415), white pyromorphite (1417) in a ridiculous association with feldsparsand rutile - again from Brynyrafr Mine. There is also litharge (1422), susannite(1421), pyromorphite (1425/6) and an unidentified copper mineral (1427), all fromFrongoch.

Bill Eliasson sent us several specimens, one of which is new to our collection. It isa pink petalite from the Meldon aplite quarry. The specimen is massive, but veryinteresting. From shap granite, I entered a specimen of gypsum (1436), not a raremineral, but unexpected in this association. It must be a post-quarrying mineral. Atthe Silvertop quarry in Cumbria I found what looked like a bit of a rusty iron bar.Actually it is a stalactitic formation from the surface of which came a very nicespecimen of barite (1440) with free-standing crystals to 2mm, capped withsmithsonite of ants' eggs habit and even a spot of cinnabar. This is quite photogenic.

Kemp Meikle contributed two more fascinating specimens of strontianite, fluoriteand chalcopyrite on calcite (1444/5) from Trearne quarry near Beith. He also gaveus a very interesting specimen of vanadinite (1446) from Belton Grain atWanlockhead. The vanadinite is sitting on what may he sandy descloizite.

It is heartening to find that we are still getting so many interesting contributions tothe collection.

SOUTH EAST GROUP REPORTAustin Lockwood

Twenty-seven members of the South East Group met at the Ringway CommunityCentre, Grove Park, London on Sunday August 15. It was reported that our firstworkshop session on mineral identification, organised by Peter Wallace and held onJune 13, was attended by eight members. The meeting was a success and it wassuggested that further similar meetings could be held on a regular basis - perhaps onthe first Sunday of each month during the autumn and winter. The first suchmeeting will be held at Austin and June's home on Sunday October 3.

South East Group members entered no less than fourteen specimens for the BMSmicromount competition this year. We are rather pleased with this total in view ofthe fact that only three specimens were entered last year from the entire BMSmembership.


Steve Rust reported on a number of interesting specimens which members hadbrought to the meeting. These included:

• Various copper minerals (including connellite) and native silver fromNewcliffe Hill Quarry in Leicestershire (Steve Burchmore).

Saleeite (or autunite?) from Wheal Owles, and realgar, orpiment andarsenolite from the Greenhill arsenic works at Gunnislake, Cornwall

(Harry Day).

A variety of mimetites from Dry Gill in the Caldbeck Fells (Richard

Belsen).

Caledonite, susannite and native silver from Frongoch Mine, mid Wales

(Steve Rust).

• Barite on calcite, from the Wimpey Hobbs Quarry, Stanhope Lane, Avon(June and Austin Lockwood).

Steve is also organising the group's study collections of micromounts and would bepleased to receive members' duplicate specimens for these collections at the nextmeeting. Harry Day reported on his progress with the formation of a computerdatabase of British mineral loclities. It is now intended that this project will involvethe whole of the BMS rather than just the South East Group, and it will be discussed

further at the Symposium.

Our next meeting will be held at 3.00pm on Sunday, November 21 at the RingwayCommunity Centre. Look forward to seeing you there!

IN BRIEF•...

Paul Wallace has a rather sophisticated diamond saw for sale. It is a bench modelTyslide, with a 127mm blade and is ideal for cutting thin sections of rocks becauseit has a microslicing unit and microslide holder. The price is f800, and Paul'saddress is 14 Wimbourne Avenue, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 7RQ.

Three museum visits were arranged at this year's Symposium:

• Manchester University; organiser - David Green• The Ruskin Museum, Sheffield; organiser - Shirley Adrian• The Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge; organiser - Peter Wallace

If you are interested in any of these visits and were not able to sign up at theSymposium, please contact the appropriate organiser for further information.(Regrettably there was insufficient response to arrange visits to the Truro Museumor the National Museum of Wales on this occasion; we'll try again next year!)


In addition to Megilligar Rocks (mentioned on page one of this Newsletter), it isdisturbing to report that access to two other popular collecting sites has recentlybeen restricted.

• Mike Rothwell reports that the adit entrance at the Hilton Mine hasrecently been closed off (although not permanently sealed), apparentlybecause of concern for the safety of a nearby nesting site for peregrinefalcons. Mike says that this concern was heightened by the visit of amineral dealer to the mine who, instead of walking to the adit entrance,attracted the wrong sort of attention by parking his Landrover there.

• Further south, much of the loose rock at Fall Hill Quarry near Ashoverin Derbyshire, has been bulldozed into the pit, leaving the site in anextremely muddy condition. George Fletcher reports that the site is nowsurrounded by barbed wire and that, although it is still possible to getinto the quarry, the site is watched carefully and collectors are asked toleave in no uncertain terms.

Finally, and on a much lighter note, somebody (I can't quite remember who) sent methe following cartoon:

"You know. I usod to Ilk. Mb hobby.... Sul shoollSeems Wm oviwybody's got o took cotessehon. •


CHANGES OF ADDRESS / PHONE NUMBERS

Please note the following new addresses

David IfoId: 7 Redlands Road, Fremington, nr. Barnstable, Devon. EX31 2NY

David Neal: 210 Waterhouse Moor, Harlow, Essex. CM18 6BW

NEW MEMBERS

New members are urged to inform the editor should any of their particulars (asnoted below) be incorrect:

Nick Elton: Tregears, Little Treviscoe, St Austell, Cornwall PL26 7QLTel: (0726) 824 128

Maurice Grigg: Sunset, The Drang, Indian Queens, St. Columb, Cornwall TR96PWTel: (0726) 860 368

Peter Harrison: 13A Burney Bit, Basingstoke, Hants. RG26 6TJ Tel: (0734)700 184

Paul Lowe: Endsleigh, 50 Daniell Road, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2DATel: (0872) 223 227

Robert Moseley: 70 Stanley Road, Earlsdown, Coventry. CV5 6FFTel: (0203) 676 837

K. Rose: 22 Priory Orchard, Wantage, Oxon. OX12 9ELTel: (0235) 767 947

NEWSLETTER EDITORMalcolm Southwood

9 Gascoigne, Werrington, Peterborough, PE4 5EH

(Please note that the deadline for articles for Newsletter 37 will be February 1st,1994. Please let me have contributions as soon as possible in order to spread thetyping load. Many thanks, happy Christmas and all the very best in 1994.)

Finally please note in your diaries that the BMS Symposium for 1994 willtake place on 17th/18th September at Leicester University.


Documents

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