The Munich Mineral Fair

Sunday 5 November

I have to confess to a sneaking feeling of regret at missing the celebrations at home on 5 November. However the sheer impressiveness of the mineral show went some way to making up for it.

The fair filled three large halls in the new Munich exhibition complex on the site of the old airport at Riem, easily reached by Munich’s superb public transport system.

The first sight to greet us at the entrance was a display of dinosaur skeletons from the Saurier Museum in Aathal, Switzerland (web site http:// www.sauriermuseum.ch/). Museum founder Dr Hans-Jakob (Kirby) Sibel gave us a short talk about the collections, which contain some 300- 400 objects, self-collected from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation near Howe Ranch in the Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming, USA, where he has been excavating now for 15 years. This is thought to have been an oxbow lake or blocked river, into which large numbers of dinosaurs were washed down. These include the most complete Allosaurus ever found, with 95% of its skeleton, and baby sauropods, one of which is the only one of its age group ever found. The museum attracts 80,000 visitors a year, which over time has added up to over a million visitors, and one new exhibit is added annually.

We then made for the special exhibition of masterpieces, which contained some of the most magnificent mineral specimens from several collections. It was decided that anyone who wished to meet should come back to this stand on the hour at 12 noon, 2 pm, 4pm and 5pm.

We then moved on to the stand of the Bayerisches Geologisches (Bavarian State Geological Service - web site http:// www.geologie.bayern.de/index.html ), where Dr Stephan Wambler and Dr Georg Buettner told us about the history and activities of the Service since its foundation 150 years ago by Karl Guembal. The Service has been incorporated in the state environmental service, which is unsettling for the geologists as it is now just one of 11 departments instead of an independent organisation. There are several divisions, including mapping, hydrogeology, raw materials, soil protection and hazard prevention. It was one of the first geological services to produce its information on CDROM, and it stocks an impressive range of free leaflets and books and maps at prices which, compared to those charged by BGS, are excellent value.

Turned loose, we all separated and roamed the halls. The sheer quantity of goods on display was almost intimidating, as was the knowledge that at least some of the exhibitors were suspected of having counterfeit specimens for sale. There was even a stand devoted to advising how to tell the difference between real and fake fossils. Literally hundreds of stands were selling mineral specimens and amber jewellery, and a more select band had tools and equipment, books and mineral artefacts.

Most of the group left the exhibition at 4 pm. The diehards stuck it out until 5.30 pm and promptly got on to a train going in the wrong direction, the theory being that as it was only going one more stop, then coming back again, we would be assured of a seat.

Dinner had been booked in the Weisses Brauhaus, where some of us ate well and some less well. Afterwards a group headed for the famous Hofbraeuhaus for a drink and some oompah music and jollity. Yes, I know it’s a tourist trap, but I enjoyed it in spite of that. On the way home some of us, warmed by the wine and beer, discovered just how cold and uncomfortable are the backs of the 500 or so lion statues decorating the city!

I asked participants what their main impression was of the day, and these are some of the replies:

Alan: The most interesting thing was the fossils, but I was a bit disappointed by the Swiss dinosaurs.

Andrea: My stromatolite, the Bundenbach fossils and the food!

Ann: Getting back through the barrier without a pass! So many people - and lots of children.

Anne: Sensory overload. - loved the rhodocrosite. Also the stand where you bought a geode and then the guys split it open in front of you.

Brigitte: The new discovery of emeralds in China, and the finder being on the stand - even though they’re not as good as the Colmbian ones.

Christine: The amount of amber on sale - it was very hard to decide, but I bought quite a lot!

Dave: Nervousness, then relief when everyone took to it like a duck to water.

Dee: Managing to walk away from a Moroccan dealer without him chasing me.

Eileen: Watching the geodes being cut open, and the children getting interested in cleaning the fossils. Also the wide range of things on sale - from €1 to €6000

Heather: Getting a menu in English!

Helen: the trip leaders’ knowledge and the diversity of the exhibitors. Also the masterpieces and watercolours. All a bit mindblowing

John: I like the food!

Mike: Haggling unsuccessfully for a trilobite this big - started at €120 and got down to €80, but I only wanted to pay € so I walked away.

Neil: Sore feet! The masterpieces were incredible.

Ole: Great books on the geology of Bavaria

Steve: The sheer size of the exhibition was really good.

Quote of the day, overheard in the Hofbraeuhaus: "A coffee?! You’ll get lynched if you ask for a coffee in here!"

Ann Burgess