T-Rex ready to roar at Scarborough

FOSSIL fans are gearing up for the fantastic second annual Yorkshire Fossil Festival in Scarborough next week. The seaside town's Museums Trust, in partnership with The Palaeontological Association, is hosting the event in and around the town’s Rotunda Museum from Friday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20, with events ranging from public talks from leading scientists to fun for young children.

The T-Rex who proved such a hit outside the Rotunda during the Tour de Yorkshire in May makes a welcome return on the Saturday and Sunday, and dinosaur fans can also meet the co-presenter of the recent ITV programme, Dinosaur Britain, Dean Lomax.

And nearly 300 children from local primary and secondary schools will be learning about the past on the schools day on the opening day.

Events for children will include sand sculpting and workshops from Sand in your Eye (Saturday and Sunday afternoons), rockpooling trips (Saturday at 11am and Sunday at 1pm), and a dinosaur footprint walk (Sunday from noon to 4pm).

There will be two talks at Scarborough Library – on Friday evening at 7pm, David Bond, NERC Advanced Research Fellow at the University of Hull, will look at the environmental change during Earth’s greatest mass extinction events. On the Saturday at 4.30pm, Dr Alexander Dunhill, Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, will give a family-friendly talk about the dinosaurs that once roamed the Yorkshire Coast.

Tickets for the talks are free, but must be booked in advance – call the Rotunda Museum on 01723-353665.

The event is looking for volunteers, who should contact SMT’s Volunteer Manager Julie Baxter on 01723-3384506 or email julie.baxter@smtrust.uk.com

scarboroughmuseumstrust.org.uk

Viv Hardwick