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Gloucestershire Business News

Free fossil family fun with TV dinosaur detectives

TV dinosaur detectives will be on hand to help hunt for fossils at a half-term family fun day in Gloucestershire.

Fossil Fishing at the Farm features world-renowned palaeontologists including Sally and Neville Hollingworth - and there is no charge to take part.

Stroud District Council's Museum in the Park is hosting the event at the 183-million-year-old site where an incredible fossil collection was discovered at Court Farm in King's Stanley, in July.

The finds included rare 3D fish, ichthyosaur bones and more which visitors will be able to see on the day.

Sally and Neville Hollingworth, who discovered the site, will be there and people can try fossil-themed craft activities, meet the team from the Museum in the Park and view fossils from their collection, and bring their own fossils along to be identified.

The couple hit international headlines last year when their find of a mammoth graveyard in Wiltshire featured on BBC TV with Sir David Attenborough.

Cllr Chris Brine, Stroud District Council's chair of community services and licensing committee, said: "The discoveries made at Court Farm really captured the imagination of the public, so we're delighted to offer the opportunity for people to view the finds, including the star of the show - a beautifully preserved 3D tuna-like predator called Pachycormus."

The family fun day will be followed by an evening presentation by experts, explaining the story of the site, the finds, their significance and what will happen to them next.

Fossil Fishing at the Farm will take place on Saturday, October 22, at Court Farm, King's Stanley, GL10 3PN.

The family fun day will take place from noon until 4pm - there's no need to book.

The evening talk will take place from 6.30pm to 8pm at Boho Bakery, Kings Stanley and admission is £8. Speakers include Neville and Sally Hollingworth, Nigel Larkin, Dr Dean Lomax, David and Alison Ward and Alexia Clark. Tickets must be bought in advance from: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fossil-fishing-at-the-farm-tickets-430481681297 

Cllr Beki Aldam, vice chair of community services & licensing committee, said: "Enabling residents to engage more with the Museum in the Park and extending their fantastic work to new audiences in the community are some of the key projects in the council plan. Fossil Fishing at the Farm is a great way for the museum to stay central to our community."

To get advance notice of Museum in the Park events, why not sign up to its free-to-join membership? Joining will help you keep up to date with events and exhibitions, discover more about the museum and its collections, get access to exclusive and behind-the-scenes content and events, and allow you to get involved and contribute to its work. Sign up on the Museum in the Park website.

Fossil Fishing at the Farm is supported by Arts Council England, The Curry Fund of the Geologists Association, Gloucestershire Naturalists Society, Boho Bakery, Museum in the Park, The Cowle Trust and Court Farm.

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