Programme of Events

The Black Country Geological Society’s indoor meetings are now held at The Lamp Tavern. The room is on the top floor and there is a lift. The address of The Lamp Tavern is 16 High Street, Dudley, DY1 1QT.

Unless otherwise stated, the indoor and Zoom meetings will normally open at 7.30 and lectures commence at 8.00.

Those wishing to attend field or geoconservation meetings please contact our Field Secretary (email address on the Contacts page).

Any non-members wishing to attend our virtual meetings should contact our Meetings Secretary for instructions (email address on the Contacts page).

Other contact details are also available on our Contact us page.

Updated 6 February 2025.

Members please check your email for any last minute changes.

Recordings of some of our virtual talks can be found on our YouTube channel.

Events in April–May 2025

  • 5 April (1 event)
    The Arden Sandstone in the context of Warwickshire Culture and History

    The Arden Sandstone in the context of Warwickshire Culture and History   10.00 - 4.00

    Saturday 5 April (Field Meeting): 'The Arden Sandstone in the context of Warwickshire Culture and History'. Led by Prof Stuart Burley (Keele University & Chair of WCGC). Meet at 10.00 for a 10.15 start at the car park for St Laurence Church, Rowington (Grid ref: 420321,269307). It lies off the Old Warwick Road (B4439), opposite and a little to the NW of the church. This trip in the former Forest of Arden will explore geological details of the Arden Sandstone, including on-going geoconservation work by WGCG and the historical fossil finds of the Rev. P. Brodie, along with associated culture-history in west-central Warwickshire. The visit will involve 3 stops and require driving short distances between localities with short walks at each location. Stop 1: St Laurence Church, to see the BGS reference section of the Arden Sandstone on the Grand Union Canal. Stop 2: Shrewley, to examine exposures of the Arden Sandstone at both ends of Shrewley Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal (a geological SSSI). Stop 3: Henley-in-Arden to climb the ‘Mount’ for the distant views, take in the Norman church of St Nicholas and its building stones, plus walk to recently cleared exposure on Blackford Hill. Optional Stop 4 at Mows Hill Dingle or Inkberrow. Lunch at the canal-side Fleur-de-Lys pub, Lowsonford. Either bring a packed lunch or a light lunch can be purchased from the pub. Some difficult terrain. Bring walking boots or strong walking shoes and clothing appropriate for the time of year and weather conditions.  Aim to finish around 4.00.

    Click here for a Google map of the location. New tab



    iCal
  • 14 April (1 event)
    'Diamonds'. Speaker: Chris Duffin

    'Diamonds'. Speaker: Chris Duffin   7.30 -

    Monday 14 April (Indoor Meeting): 'Diamonds'. Speaker: Chris Duffin (Teacher, author, currently Scientific Associate at the NHM London, also part of the Palaeobiology Research Group with Prof. Mike Benton at the University of Bristol. More biographical details on our website).

    In addition to being a girl’s best friend, diamonds possess great cultural significance. This lecture explores the geological occurrence of this celebrated gemstone, its properties, variety and use as a jewel, including an overview of the different cuts produced by jewelers through history. Some celebrated diamond gemstones and classic diamond sites, together with the stories behind their discovery, are considered, together with the position of the diamond in folklore and legend.

    Retired from school teaching, Chris Duffin was formerly Senior Master, Director of Sixth Form, Head of Biology and Head of Critical Thinking at Streatham and Clapham High School in south London. Following a Geology degree, he obtained a Ph.D. in Vertebrate Palaeontology at University College London. He has published extensively (over 320 papers) on a wide range of fossil groups but is particularly concerned with sharks and their allies. He co-authored the Handbook of Paleoichthyology Volume 3D . Chondrichthyes. Paleozoic Elasmobranchii : Teeth (2010, Friedrich Pfeil Verlag). The history of Geology is a more recent interest and has borne fruit in Special Publication 375 of the Geological Society – “A History of geology and Medicine” (Duffin, Moody & Gardner-Thorpe 2013) and “Geology and Medicine: Historical Connections” (2017). More recently, he has edited books on Amber in the History of Medicine (2017), Collection in the Space of Culture (2019), The Medical Legacy of Mafra (2020) and Insights into Portuguese Medical History (2022). Chris received the Palaeontological Association’s Mary Anning Award for outstanding contributions to palaeontology in 2011, and the Marsh Award for Palaeontology in 2018. He also holds a second PhD, this time in the history of medicine from Kingston University. Chris continues research as a Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum in London and the Lauer Foundation for Paleontology in Chicago, and as part of the Palaeobiology Research Group with Prof. Mike Benton at the University of Bristol.

    Click here for a Google map of the location. New tab



    iCal