Southampton Mineral & Fossil Society

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Southampton Mineral & Fossil Society Meetings Programme for 2025


Unless otherwise advised all Spring and Summer (April - September) evening meetings will take place on the third Tuesday of each month at the Oasis Academy Lord's Hill, Romsey Road, Lord's Hill, Southampton, SO16 8FA beginning at 19:30. Car park access is on Redbridge Lane and plenty of free parking is available. Directions from Google Maps can be accessed from here: Venue map. We usually finish around 21:30.
For the Autumn and Winter months, October to March, we hold online meetings using Zoom where we are able to enjoy expert speakers from all around the world.

At most evening meetings there will usually be a "Members' Display" of rock, mineral & fossil specimens (or any other related material) bought along and displayed by the members on a theme loosely related to the evening activity. There are occasionally specimens for sale, and for free, at some meetings.

Guests are very welcome to come along to any evening meeting as a visitor to meet SMFS and the members before considering joining the Society. If you wish to join us on Zoom please contact us for joining details.


Pyrope variety of garnet.

Pyrope variety of garnet.

January

Tuesday 21st January 2025

Evening Meeting - A talk by Mr Barry Pitt on "The Life and Mines of Peter Clymo." Clymo was a 19th century mine captain who operated the higly successful Caradon Mines area.

Members' Display: Minerals from South Caradon Mine and Menheniot area.

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Quartz variety amethyst.

Quartz variety amethyst.

February

Tuesday 18th February 2025

Evening Meeting - Dr Roy Smith from the University of Portsmouth. Title to be advised but it will be paleontology.

Members' Display: To be advised.

Wednesday 19th February 2025

The Society will be participating in the Mineral Day at Portsmouth Natural History Museum, Cumberland House, Eastern Parade, Southsea. PO4 9RF. Come along with your minerals for identification, meet us and see our displays. More information and details at Mineral Day.

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Beryl variety aquamarine.

Beryl variety aquamarine.

March

Tuesday 18th March 2025

Zoom Meeting - Presentation by Mr Gary Morse entitled "Winners and Losers in Mineralogy." those mineral names that have been lost, changed and expunged from the mineral classifications as knowledge increases and the science becomes more complex. Learn about the evolution of mineral naming through history to the modern day and those who won or lost.

Members' Display: Minerals that have had their names changed.


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Diamond.

Diamond in matrix.

April

Tuesday 18th April 2025

Evening Meeting - To be advised.

Members' Display: To be advised.

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Beryl variety emerald.

Beryl variety emerald.

May

Thursday 16th May - Monday 20th May 2024

Field Trip - A long weekend field trip to collect minerals in Cornwall. SMFS Members only

Tuesday 21st May 2024

Evening Meeting - "Bird Evolution" a talk by Dr Neil Gostling, Senior Lecturer in Evolution and Palaeobiology at Southampton University.

Members' Display: Bird fossils and related material.

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Orthoclase feldspar variety moonstone.

Orthoclase feldspar variety moonstone.

June

Tuesday 18th June 2024

Evening Meeting - "The Collections of Cumberland House Natural History Museum" a presentation by Christine Taylor, Curator of Natural History.

Members' Display: Your former museum specimens with their history.

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Corundum variety ruby.

Corundum variety ruby.

July

Tuesday 16th July 2024

SMFS Annual General Meeting (Members only) followed by Photographic Competition and Field Trip report.

Members' Display: Your photographs.

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Olivine variety peridot.

Olivine variety peridot.

August

Tuesday 21st August 2024

Evening Meeting - Our Annual Swap and Sell meeting for members to pass along any material that they wish to dispose of and for others to acquire some more material.

Members' Display: Not applicable.

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Corundum variety sapphire.

Corundum variety sapphire.

September

Saturday 20th September 2025

Hampshire Mineral & Fossil Show. For more information go to the Show Page. See you all there!

Tuesday 17th September 2024

Evening Meeting - A presentation titled "Discovering the early evolutionary history of sea urchins." by Dr Jeff Thompson, Lecturer, University of Southampton.

Members' Display: UK fossils.

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Opal.

Opal.

October

Tuesday 15th October 2024

Evening Meeting - SMFS Chairman, Ian Dunne presenting "Volcanoes, plate tectonics and how we got where we are." From the early earth and the first formation of the continents to the effect that the moving continents have had on the history of life, with a smattering of the history of this fascinating subject including volcanoes.

Members' Display: Volcanic rocks and minerals.

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Topaz.

Topaz.

November

Saturday 2nd November 2024

Geologists' Association Festival of Geology. The Geologists' Association, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. W1J 0DU. 10:30 to 16:30 Further information from: Geologists' Association

Saturday 16th November 2024

Sussex Mineral & Fossil Show. Haywards Heath College, Harlands Road, Haywards Heath, Sussex. RH16 1LT. Further information: www.smls.online/show

Tuesday 19th November 2024

Evening Meeting - A presentation by Joerg Wiedenmann, Professor of Biological Oceanography at the University of Southampton, titled "Jurassic Coral Park: What can fossils tell us about the capacity of reef corals to survive climate change?"

Members' Display: Corals, both extinct and recent.

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Turquoise.

Turquoise.

December

Tuesday 17th December 2024

Evening meeting - Ultra-Violet Fluorescence and fluorescent specimens.

Members' Display: Fluorescent minerals and fossils.

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