Whitby Revisited

2020 Oh Phylloceras! ‘Tis your name! Upon the ledge you sit so proud; From Whitby’s distant shores you came, Where darkest shales did you enshroud. My mind slips back - I now conclude - Fifty years - maybe more; As at my desk I sit and brood - On field trips to that distant shore. 1966 So brightly shone the sun that day, Upon the dark Jurassic shale; The pupils explored and chipped away, And did geologic truths unveil. Above the shore where waves now break, Is Whitby Abbey, so well known; ‘Twas here Saint Hilda banished the snakes - When up they coiled and turned to stone. In the rocks they hoped to find, St Hilda’s snakes of stone for real; With hammers and chisels now combined, Split the nodules and snakes reveal. “A nodule!” he yelled with untold bliss With chisel he split and now revealed; So perfect a coil – a spira mirabilis - Hildoceras bifrons once concealed. And then another shouts so clear! “In the shale, covered in weed!” “Look! Look! – Over here!” ‘Twas wonderful - and huge indeed! So large a fossil – such a shock! Phylloceras it was – it did astound; Now lifted carefully from the rock, Around we stood in awe profound. Monday morning, back at school, On display – enjoyed by all - Sitting there ’tis ‘Phyll’ so cool, Admiring crowd he does enthral! 2020 Now back I stretch and yawn and sigh As there he sits upon the ledge; ‘Twas long ago, I can’t deny, To Phyll my friendship I did pledge! This poem was written following contact being made with past pupils from the school where I taught after 50 plus years had passed. I owe special thanks to a professional geologist of some note (a pupil of mine at the time) who reminded me of the occasions when we visited Whitby and another (one-time) pupil who actually discovered the Phylloceras. As you would guess, Hildoceras bifrons is an ammonite named after St Hilda (God bless her!).