232
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
the Corporation of the County Borough of West Ham. It is hoped
that as the building of tall blocks, requiring deep test bores,
proceeds, more information will become available and make
possible the revision of the existing geological map.
Annual Report for 1963
The year has been one of continuing activity. Early in the
year, the Club took on an exceptional task in providing exhibi-
tions, film shows and an open field meeting as support for National
Nature Week (18th-25th May), organised by the Council for
Nature. Exhibitions were arranged in the museums at Chelmsford,
Stratford and Chingford and in the Chingford Public Library; all
of these were well attended. The main effort, at Chelmsford, pro-
vided live exhibits and gave much information on some of the
original work of the Club's Groups; film shows were given in the
Junior Library at Chelmsford and, for the public, at the Cathedral
Hall. It is hoped that this somewhat hectic operation will bear
some fruit in due course. The Council is grateful to members who
assisted in this work and to various authorities for facilities
granted.
An Ecological Course for Young People, sponsored by the
Council for Nature and held in April at Brantwood, Lancashire,
was attended by a Club member whose travelling expenses were
paid by the Club.
We are pleased to record that in April the deneholes at Grays
were scheduled as ancient monuments by the Ministry of Public
Building and Works. These deneholes were one of the Club's
earliest interests and our Deneholes Committee are still trying to
obtain effective protection for these sites.
During the year, a Special Memoir on "Clay Tobacco Pipes" by
Mr. L. S. Harley was published. There has been a steady demand
for this publication—a fascinating and well-illustrated com-
mentary on one of our national habits.
Another issue of "The Essex Naturalist" was published during
the Year and we record our grateful thanks to the Royal Society
for a grant of £55 towards the cost of publication.
The Club keeps up its meetings activities; no less than forty-
five meetings were arranged during the year. The interest in the
Ecological Survey Areas continues and it is hoped that further
papers in connection with these will be published in our journal.
Meetings of the Groups have continued as a feature of the Club's
progress.
Unfortunately, the membership has fallen slightly this year,
mainly due to resignations of members moving out of the county
and to non-payment of subscriptions. We regret to record the
deaths of three of our older members: