1 The joy of pebble spotting!

It’s free, fun and therapeutic. And, as an utterly enchanting newly re-released 1950s book reminds us, not just for children...

ShImmerIng sea glass. Fossil- bearing flints. smooth round stones that fit snugly in the palm of your hand — heavy and cold to the touch.

as a child, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of hunting for treasure on the shingle-studded beaches of Britain.

We all remember those lazy summer afternoons spent spotting and pocketing pebbles. not only could filling your bucket provide endless hours of entertainment while on holiday, but also a glow of secret satisfaction as you returned home with your haul — with your mother quietly bemused as to why your suitcase was suddenly so heavy.

If you thought you were too grown-up for such pastimes, think again: a classic Fifties book on pebble-collecting has just been re-published, in the hope of reigniting enthusiasm for this great British tradition.

The pebbles on The Beach: a spotter’s guide, was written by geologist clarence ellis in 1954, praising the simple pleasure of this ‘ healthgiving hobby’. ellis did not see it as a pastime that should be relegated to childhood, but something that people of all ages could enjoy.

Indeed, it astonished ellis how few people collected pebbles, in an age when many people collected something, be it stamps, butterflies, pressed flowers or china dogs. he was sure that those who spent their holidays on the beach looking at, handling and throwing pebbles, would like to know more about how they came to be there; how to name them and how to account for their differences in shape, texture, composition and colour.

Yet, at the time, there were no guides for amateur enthusiasts — only textbooks, crammed with scientific jargon. ellis aimed to change this with his handy tips on what to look for in the quest for semi-precious stones.

The book was a roaring success. as writer robert macfarlane remembers in his new foreword to the guide, it was soon to be found in car glove compartments, rucksacks and pockets of holiday-makers up and down the country.

It became the staple companion to the British seaside experience: a wonderfully therapeutic form of escapism and free fun, whatever the weather.

Today, ellis’s guide, with his thoughtful, almost poetic descriptions, is just as useful almost 65 years on — and, perhaps it has never been more necessary. In today’s frazzled world, we could all do with switching off, taking a trip to the seaside and losing ourselves in this gently nostalgic pursuit . . .

1. STONE: SERPENTINE

FOUND: Lizard Headland, Cornwall There are pebbles which disclose their identity to you when you feel them. The best-known example is serpentine, so called because its colouring suggests the appearance of a snakeskin. It is usually of a very pleasing green — but some of it is also a mottled, dark red. The pebbles are usually oval and possess a waxlike lustre, with a glossy surface that is silky to the touch. Weathered pebbles can appear dull, but after the removal of their ‘skin’ and a little polishing, will display their true colour. To touch them after this is to become aware of a sensation best described as caressing, but some unimaginative people have been content to call it soapy.

2. STONE: CARNELIAN

FOUND: Sandwich and Deal, Penzance, Isle of Wight ThIs beautiful stone is a translucent variety of quartz. It often has a flesh tint, due to the presence of carbon oxide. however, the colour can range from yellow, through brown to red. If you hold it up to a strong light, even though it is very beach-worn and coated, you will see a delightful, roseate glow within. In your search, you should select the strip of shingle from which the tide has very recently receded. Walk slowly along it, with the sun in front of you, keeping your eyes on the pebbles. If a carnelian is peeping out, its translucent quality will be just sufficient to draw your gaze towards it.

3. JASPER

FOUND: Nationwide Jasper is an opaque form of quartz and can be found on most British beaches. although almost valueless, it has a charm of its own for the pebble- collector. The colour is usually a dull red, but it is sometimes brown or yellowishgreen. If you break a pebble of jasper, the fresh fracture will reveal with a magnifying glass a multitude of tiny quartz grains mingled with clay — which makes it impure. The point of your knife will make a faint mark on the surface of the jasper pebble, but would make no impression upon it if it were pure quartz. You should not dismiss the jasper with contempt because of its impurity and opaqueness. The polished pebble will look good in your collection.

4. AMBER

FOUND: East coast beaches between Essex and Yorkshire sTrIcTlY speaking, amber is not a stone. It consists of fossil resin, formed long ago, when the liquid resin that bubbled out of pine trees dropped to the ground and solidified around numerous little insects — before being washed into the sea and slowly deposited along our coastlines. Do not expect to find pieces larger than a small nut. The colour varies from pale primrose to deep orange. It is very soft and can be scratched or burned in a flame — which will turn yellow and emit an aromatic odour. But the most convincing test is to tear paper into pieces, rub the amber on your sleeve, then hold it above and watch the scraps fly up to cling to it.

It was known to the ancient world as electron, from which we get our word ‘electricity’.

5. AGATE

FOUND: Scottish coast, Filey, Scarborough, Cromer, Aldeburgh, Felixstowe, Ramsgate and Deal, Cornish coast There are several kinds of agate, but one of the most striking is the banded variety. It has a succession of parallel, curved bands on its cut surface, each one differing in colour. Though not common, they reward a patient search. perhaps their highest frequency is on some parts of the scottish coast, where agates of alternating pink and white bands have long been known as ‘scotch pebbles’.

6. ONYX

FOUND: Nationwide ImagIne a banded agate in which the bands are straight, not curved: that is onyx. It is much rarer than banded agate and is consequently more valuable. You are more likely to discover a cloudy specimen, with its black shading off into white through gradations of grey. Be on your guard against the assumption that any pebble that contains straight bands must be an onyx. Innumerable pebbles of the commoner kinds, such as slate and schist, contain straight bands of quartz. If you are in any doubt, apply the simple knife blade test to the parts of the pebble that lie between the white bands. The blade will easily scratch the slate or schist pebble. It will make no impression upon any part of one that is onyx.

7. DOLERITE

FOUND: Torquay and Torbay in Devon, and Cornwall DolerITe is a dark, finely grained form of igneous (volcanic) rock. It can be distinguished by its marked degree of crystallization, resulting from the minerals that compose it; and its pronounced toughness and weight. When the rock formed, it forced its way, while in a molten state, between other rocks — in either vertical or horizontal shapes. as it cooled more rapidly than granite, its crystals are smaller, but still easily discernible by the naked eye. The white ones are feldspar. The other mineral in dolerite is augite, which gives the rock its dark colour, a deep brown that seems almost black — and sometimes has a greenish tinge.

8. SCHIST

FOUND: Cornwall and Devon (particularly Start Bay) schIsT is a form of metamorphic rock — which means its form has changed over time, as a result of great heat or pressure. Its name is derived from a greek word, schistos, meaning ‘easily split’. This is an accurate description, as it has lots of thin layers that can be split away. The blade will easily scratch a schist pebble. It is finely grained and can be distinguished by this extreme flakiness. schist pebbles vary in shape, between ovoids and flattened ovoids.

The shimmering lustre of schist in the sunlight is fascinating: a result of the two minerals, mica and quartz, of which the rock is usually composed. at the southern tip of Devon, you can find apple green schist and mica schist veined with quartz.