TRILOBITE-HOUSE

In 2011, two years after my first official fossil hunt at the Carriere du Lion in Frasnes (near Couvin, Belgian Ardennes), I bought my first trilobites at the September fossil at Auto World (Brussels). I spent less than 150 euros, but I was so pleased with what I had found…and I still am (in spite of the fact that 2 trilobites were utter abominations, as far as the prepping quality went), because those purchases started in me the desire for more.

 

In November 2012, the Leuven based club I had adhered to at the very start (when I was still preparing to go out on that first official dig in 2008 – I wanted to do that “by the book”, going through the proper channels…making it all legal, you know?) organized its own fossil-only fair, and I volunteered to welcome the stand holders. I actually did more that that, because as it was important for the stand holders to clear the entrance as quickly as possible, I helped ‘em to enter their stuff, so as that they could move their cars to the parking spot, and leave the entrance free for those to come (much later, I would meet up with some of the people I had helped out that day, whom told me that they had been pleasantly surprised indeed).

 

Very last to arrive was Didier Walhain of Paleoland, whom also happened to be the only one present to have several trilobites for sale. Sure, after a severe search I also found one trilobite each with two other stand holders, both members of the club (HoNa, by the way)…and one other stand holder (also a HoNa member) would give me a cephalon at the end of the day (TH21 in my collection). But Didier had several trilobites and, not having expected the possibility of purchase, I found myself searching the neighborhood of the fossil fair for an ATM machine in order to retrieve enough cash to pay for the beauties I’d seen at his stand. Didier only had trilobites at small prices that day and so I bought only for about 400 euros from him in total. From that very first raport with him, I felt a great connection, and after the purchase frenzy I went to join him behind the stand, treating him to a special beer…and where he continued to show me some of the nice things he had on display. I can honestly say we became friend on the spot. In the years to come, Didier would become the provider of most of the Moroccan trilobites in my collection. 

 

One year further, and we’re at the second edition of Hona’s Fossil Fair. Earlier that year (February), I’d visited the Nautilus Fair in Ghent, and I had again visited the September minerals-and-fossils fair at Auto World in Brussels (where I encountered for the first time the later to befriend Glenn De Caluwe), enlarging my collection with a total of no less than 15 new species. But, back to the Hona Fair…where I found Didier had gotten into contact with some interesting French people (Patrick Catto and Frederic Antoine, whom were at that time working together), who’d given him a bunch of truly nice trilobites for sale. No need to mention that I kinda went beserk, buying no less than 15 new species from him alone (other purchases on that day would bring another 10 species…2 of which being prep pieces). After the purchase frenzy (I would spend 2600 euros on that day) I went to the bar, got a pair of nice special beers, and went back to my friend’s stand, where I sat down uttering the words, “You know Didier, I have a dream…to win the Euromillions Lottery and start, here in Belgium, the first European trilobite-only museum!”. His immediate and somewhay pleasantly shocked reaction was, “Tony, if that happens, my collection will be donated.” We went on to talk about the subject, as I already had a place in mind (a certain village in the Ardennes which I will not mention, just in case I DO happen to win the lottery one day – wouldn’t want someone to steal my idea, see?).

 

This entire intro to come to a certain point. By 2014, I had already befriended several people at the place where I worked as a security guard, inviting ‘em to come along on the fossil hunts at the Lion Quarry. For my anniversary in late November, I had invited that group for dinner at a restaurant in Leuven, and friend Hari (Sivaramakrishnan) would give me the present of a nice Cyphaspis trilobite (TH110 in the collection). Somewhere during the next year, Hari would bring me 2 more presents when coming back from a symposium in Lausanne. First, there was a fossil (a polished ammonite, probably from Madagascar – he’d forgotten to ask details)…but more importantly he brought me a cap, with my initials “TH” on it. 

 

It was like lightning struck me (hahah, in a pleasant way), because I had been mulling over again and again about the name I could give “my” museum…and there it was, in initials : TRILOBITE HOUSE!