Aidan Philpott
Fossil mad. I have been since my grandparents hid fossils in their back garden for me to find at the age of 7. Since then I have travelled all over the UK and abroad in search of prehistory. I love the hunt, the adventure of it all!! UKAFH is great because it allows the as adventure to be shared with other fossil lunatics – and has exposed me to so many new localities across the UK.
Sam Caethoven
As a little kid my dad used to take me and my brother out to look for fossils and minerals. Then we grew up and it just seemed to stop – for about 30 years. Then I visited the Jurassic coast and joined a couple of organised fossil walks. The sense of wellbeing and simple happiness of it all took me back the next year. I tried fossil hunting more locally on my own once or twice then found UKAFH and joined some group hunts. I’ve really enjoyed being a member for the great information and advice and the well organised, fun fossil hunts with lots of like-minded people and getting outdoors. I’ve had some nice finds too and learned a lot along the way. I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Chris Tait
Like many, I caught the fossil bug quite early on having been taken to Lyme Regis by my Grandma as a 7 year old and my interest in ancient life has grown along with me. In 2008 I took the plunge and went back to university (Portsmouth) and in 2011 I graduated in Palaeobiology and Evolution. During this, I had field trips in Spain, Wales and Germany as well as numerous trips to Barton, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. I began a PhD investigating some new Coelacanth remains from Kimmeridge bay in Dorset, and despite learning lots, personal circumstances prevented me from completing those studies. Since then I have twice travelled to Morocco to search for dinosaurs and buy a few fossils. I am a total fossil nerd and love nothing more than a good hunt for ancient treasure! I am delighted to join UKAFH and very much look forward to meeting some like-minded people, having some fun whilst learning a bit and finding some cool fossils. 😀
Lee-anne Collins
I’ve been fascinated with dinosaurs and prehistoric life from a young age and when I saw Jurassic Park at the age of 9 it cemented my interest for life. I love reading about new finds and species, and when I took an Open University course on the subject of fossils and prehistoric life it really opened my eyes to all the exciting kinds of fossils there for the finding! That course was where I met Craig and so my affiliation with UKAFH begins! In “real life” I work in IT – I even owe that to Jurassic Park believe it or not – Lex became my hero at age 9 – and now at 30 she still is! I am looking forward to meeting more like-minded people, expanding my knowledge, and perhaps even finding some cool fossils of my own, especially at my local site of Aust, just down the road from me. Happy Hunting!
Dan Slidel
Like most geologists my fascination with rocks started early on, from a young age I could normally be found looking for new and interesting rocks. This led to academic studies in geology at A-level and on to Royal Holloway, University of London where I gained my MSci. During my studies at Royal Holloway I participated in many different field trips, ranging from the volcanic systems of Tenerife, the wet and windy slopes of the Scotish Highlands to my six week mapping project in the Italian Alps. I also joined CASP as a field assistant, collecting geological data, in the Canadian High Arctic Islan
ds on a summer trip. This trip focused on understanding the geological evolution of the Franklinian and Sverdrup basins and involved collecting many geological samples and fossils.
From my studies at Royal Holloway I went on to join Neftex in 2011 as part of a team working on the regional geology of the Arctic. I worked as a Geoscientist on the North American Arctic, Eastern Former Soviet Union regions, with a focus on the Western Eurasia region. With a particular interest in the geology and evolution of the Barents Sea. Landmark Software and Services, a Halliburton business line, acquired Neftex in June 2014. Shortly before this I joined the Play Analysis team and presently work as a Geoscientist with a focus on collating and utilising Field, Lead and Play information.
With more than ten years of experience in geology, five of which spent as a professional geologist, I am very much looking forward to working with you, running hunts and sharing in the excitement of learning about our geological history. Hope to see you soon!
Terry Newsome
My interest in fossils began when I was at college – my palaeontology tutor was bonkers and some of that has rubbed off on me: I’m bonkers about fossils. I love the feeling of finding a little treasure amongst the dirt; it’s like finding a diamond in the rough. My favourite spot is Lyme Regis and Charmouth – I love a good bleak, wintry coastline and a good ammonite! When I’m not working or fossiling, I can be found out and about with my camera, or trying to get the dog off something he shouldn’t be touching. I’m very excited to be a part of the team and look forward to meeting members of the UKAFH community. See you at the beach!
Andrew Eaves
I’ve bee a rock head for many more years than I’m prepared to share. I’m married with a 25 year old jazz singing daughter. I wanted an evolutionary biologist, but you can’t have everything. My collecting interests are: Lancashire crinoids, Kentish sharks’ teeth and Lancashire Coal Measure plants. I’m a bit of a maniac, when it comes to British Classic Fossils, however, and so can be found on chalk beaches, the North East coast of Yorkshire and anywhere else where I might find something. Other interests are: Napoleonic re-enacting, late 80s/early90s Indie music, collecting Victorian Palaeontological books and setting up as close a facsimile, as I can, to Darwin’s study in Down House. My wife clearly has a lot to put up with.
I’m an incredibly experienced( old) primary school teacher and run sessions up at Manchester University for the PGCE students. I also do talks on various subjects, well Napoleon and fossils, for local societies. Thank you for your kind attention, Andrew
Katherine Combe
As a child, I have a memory of the Mount St Helens eruption, this started my obsession with everything volcanic, which then turned into a love of everything geological after completing an A ‘level in Geology in 2003. Having completed a Global Hazard Geology Degree at the University of Derby in 2008, and then starting a MSC in Earth Science at the Open University in 2014, the passion for geology never wavered. I have a fulltime job as a nurse which I find rewarding and enjoyable, but my heart is shared with geology, I have an extensive collection of fossils and rocks of all types and from world- wide locations. From an early age I have included my children in fossil hunting within the UK and recently involved my mother and I now have change to inspire others and help find, collect and preserved the best of the fossils within the UK.
Andrew Bayliss
From an early age I was interested in fossils and Dinosaurs, my interest was renewed when I moved to Faringdon, Oxfordshire. The reason being that I kept finding pieces of fossil sponge in my garden, what I did not know was that Faringdon is famous the world over for its fossils. Being close to Wicklesham Quarry many a Saturday I could be found head down trying to find more fossils for my ever growing collection. My best find was a Plesiosaur Vert which was found on top of a small spoil heap, still my best find to date. My aim is to bring the joy of finding fossils to more people, favorite place besides Wicklesham Quarry is Seatown in Dorset and there is a nice pub right next to the beach.
Jack Charles Smith
I have been collecting on and off since i was 6 years old and have always found prehistory amazing. Since moving to Kent I took it up in a big way doing regular trips to sights all over the south east. I am by no means an expert but I am happy to learn and share what I do know with people along the way. I have made friends for life doing something that I love
Barry Taylor
I’ve been passionately interested in fossils and geology since I was four years old. I was a dinosaur-mad child, and as a direct result I became a fossil-mad adult! Growing up in the heart of the South Wales coalfield in a mining community meant that I had plenty of opportunities to look for Carboniferous plant fossils. As I got older I learned about rocks and fossils from different periods and locations as well. I’m particularly interested in Palaeozoic fossils, especially trilobites. In my professional life I teach both children and adults, and I enjoy educating others and introducing them to this subject that has captivated me so much. My unique selling point: as far as I know I’m the only Welsh-speaking UKAFH leader!
Eliott Mills
Hi my name’s Eliott I have been collecting fossil for on and off since I was about 7 years old. I’m now 35, but a lot more seriously for the last 3 years whenever I get chance I’m usually getting my hands dirty and would like to show and help people with finding fossils. I really find fossil hunting a very steep learning curve but I like that a lot lol Can’t wait to meet some like minded people along my journey.
Salma Khaliq
Hello I’m Salma. While growing up I was fascinated with dinosaurs, bones, rocks and minerals, and loved going to stalls that sold shark teeth and ammonites when I was younger. Now I love looking for fossils and helping people. My passion is finding tiny micro fossils but one day hope to find a mammoth tooth.
Joe Bauwens
I was interested in fossils from an early age, spending as much of my childhood as possible collection on the southern and eastern coasts of England. Having left school in the 1980s with little opportunity to go on to higher education, I worked for the family business, and travelled more widely in Europe and North Africa, before eventually emigrating to The Gambia to work in tourism in 1990. While working in West Africa I was recruited by a mineral exploration country, which gave me the opportunity to travel much more widely, as well as the confidence to go to university when I returned to the UK. I studied palaeobiology at the University of Portsmouth, geosciences at the Open University, and ecology at Christchurch University, before settling into a career in environmental chemistry. As such I have worked in commercial labs assessing water and soil quality, and at a number of schools and colleges, as well as the universities of Nottingham and Warwick, and am currently employed at the University of Northampton. I am still an enthusiastic naturalist and fossil enthusiast in my own time, and regularly visit sites of interest around the UK and beyond, as well as writing pop-science articles with an emphasis on the Earth and environmental sciences for a range of publications.