Fake 197

One of the minor grumbles at the Wisley Gardens, which we were visiting yesterday, is the way that you are routed through a very large shop on the way out, a shop which must be starting to compete with the one at Chessington Garden Centre - but at least these last have the excuse that they are a business rather than a botanical garden. Although, in the distant past, they did try to interest the local authority in the educational side of their fish department: I had thought that there might be something in it, but the local authority, I never knew why, did not bite.

At the Wisley shop we came across the fake ammonite snapped above, nestling in a small display of succulents.

Not altogether sure that it was a fake, but I do now know that there is a large ammonite industry out there, both real and fake. While at reference 3, I learned that some real ammonites are heavily touched up in the process of cleaning them. All very complicated. But at least the toy above served to remind one what the live animal might have looked like.

PS: the Falkland Islands are in the news again. Sadly, the chances of our government doing the sensible thing and cutting some deal with Argentina about them getting them back in the not too distant future.are close to zero Even though I dare say they would even help with buying out the rights of the small number of Brits who actually (for some reason) want to live in the place, thousands of miles from the nearest English speaking hospital - or even decent school. Never mind warm beer. I should be annoyed if we end up spending serious amounts of money (again) to hold up the flag over a bunch of small islands in which we no longer have any real interest.

Throw in South Sandwich and South Georgia while we are at it?

Failing that, make a joke of it by making Peter Mandelson or Nigel Farage Governor General (without the option), complete with full panoply of cocked hat and ostrich feathers.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/03/fake-196.html.

Reference 2: https://www.chessingtongardencentre.co.uk/. I expect they share at least some wholesalers with Wisley, both on the plant and the accessory fronts.

Reference 3: https://www.thefossilforum.com/topic/63811-how-to-distingquish-fake-from-real-ammonites/.

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