How I agree with Princesspamma. My Geology group spent yesterday at Kimmeridge in Dorset and were shown round the recently opened Etches Fossil Collection by Steve Etches. It was brilliant and I thoroughlt recommend a visit for anyone who loves dinosaurs & fossils, and dor those who don’t yet. (There’s also a great restaurant/cafe opposite if you can’t bring yourself to go in.) Steve is one of the many amateur fosail hunters who have, by their regular searching and recording contributed so much and also find new species. They help a wide range of scientists - evolutionary biologists, climate change scientists, ecologists etc. One crocodile fossil had been renoved for a study on hearing. The display included ammonite eggs (similar to present day cuttlefish eggs) and Darwin’s missing link barnacle.
Then today we viaited Old Forge Fossils in Charmouth and talked to the guy on David Attenburgh’s recent programme who discovered a large part of a new species of ichthyosaurus, before seeing the actual fossil in the Charmouth Heritage Centre (free entry) by the beach. My only disappointment was there were no Dippy on Tour tickets left at Dorchester Museum.