Herne Bay, 2nd March 2002

When we arrived at the car park at Beltinge it was half full and coming up for 7 a.m. Within a few minutes the 'Clans' began to gather, the talk drowning out the noise of the gulls circling above. It was a cold bright morning with an ominous looking cloud bank on the eastern horizon marking the edge of a weather front. The wind was blowing onshore from the northeast and fortunately those clouds were not coming our way.

There were an array of fossil collectors including a group from Denmark, one or two Germans, another from Russia (I think someone said?) and a mixture of members from the Tertiary Research Group and naturally, our club.

On descending to the foreshore my thoughts were how far the tide would recede with this onshore breeze? The Sun was just poking its head above the horizon and in the distance there were about half a dozen collectors following the edge of the receding tide.

Les Lanham, our field trip leader, delayed his departure to the beach preferring to waiting for the late comers, especially members who may not have been familiar with this location.

 

The foreshore suddenly became crowded as enthusiasts rushed to pick there favourite spot. Those in the know gathered here because this is the junction where the 'pebble bed,' containing the fossil Sharks' teeth, disappears beneath the clay. The beds dip some 5 degrees east to west.

Looking to the shore and towards Reculver one could just discern the thin line of this pebble bed rising gently eastwards in the shadows of the cliff section .