It is with great sadness that we have to report the passing of Alan Dawn, President of the Stamford and District Geological Society. Alan was born into a farming family near Sheffield in 1923. He was educated at the local school and gained a place at Sheffield University to read geography.The second world war, and a call up to the Royal Navy, interrupted his degree, which he gained once peace returned. Alan went into teaching, a career which brought him to Stamford in 1961. His first post was in Stamford and he then moved to Bourne. A chance meeting in Stamford aroused his interest in geology and he joined W E A classes. His quick grasp of the subject and enthusiasm led to him being asked to take classes himself. Out of this grew the idea of forming a local Geological Society which he and his wife, Pauline, did in 1982. On retiring Alan became involved with Peterborough Museum recovering and conserving fossil remains from the area. Many of these are now on display at the museum at least three of which have been named after him. His work has been recognised nationally. In 1990 he became the first recipient of The Palaeontological Association’s Award For Amateur Palaeontologists and in 1994 he was awarded the Foulton Medal from the Geological Association. Alan never forgot that he was a teacher and could always be approached to identify and explain people’s fossil finds, especially children’s.He was regularly asked to give talks to other organisations. Alan will be greatly missed by all who knew him.