Roland (and his wife Audrey) have been active mineral collectors throughout the last 40 or 50 years.
Roland's first and foremost love is for fluorite, especially from the Weardale mines.
They actively collected in Weardale and other UK localities like Devon and Cornwall, and Roland talks affectionately about collecting trips with such luminaries as Richard Barstow.
When it was running Roland's fluorite specimens regularly appeared and won competitions at the Killhope Show. They also used to judge the dog show at the St John's Chapel Village Show every summer.
Roland & Audrey also sold and traded specimens, and were active dealers on the UK Mineral Show circuit, still appearing at Oxford and Haywards Heath Shows.
The collection of some 5000 specimens resided at their home in Bisley, Surrey, UK however now due to retirement from active collecting the collection has been largely dispersed privately by Roland.
Note on labels:
Through the years Roland used a number of labels, mostly different colours. There is no real significance to this, some labels were made smaller or cropped to fit under specimens in drawer compartments etc.
