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Post details: Not quite one million pebbles

Not quite one million pebbles

Through The Ranger's inbox this week came an appeal from a visitor to Southsea Beach, Hampshire. A gentleman was on the beach with his granddaughter when the young lady found a curious pebble.

[More:]

This intriguing object was the cause of much electronic debate up and down the Solent, as it was passed around the Solent Forum. A mystery to be sure - a seemingly normal pebble bearing a stamped number.

Eventually, some clever Solent Forumer unearthed a link to an arts project which started around about 1998 called One Million Pebbles. Artist Pete Codling undertook a city wide art project in Portsmouth, making clay pebbles with the public. They were personalised, number stamped and fired in a kiln. Then they were thrown into the sea at Southsea beach for others to find in the future... evidently that bit of it works. Pete Codling said on his website in 2005:

I have reached half a million so far.

It's not clear whether or not Pete is still making the pebbles (he is - see below), but what a nice idea, and an interesting puzzle for a child on the beach, her grandfather, and a host of bored local government officers.

Update: Pete Codling reads The Ranger's Blog -see his comments below.

19 comments so far, see them and add yours here!

Posted on 18th April 2008 at 10 00 pm
by The Virtual Ranger
2544 views

Categories: Musings

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Comment from: Mad Mart · http://maybeitmutters.blogspot.com/

Maybe more interesting than one million blooms....

Permalink 23/04/08 @ 23:00

Comment from: Jamie Akers

I've got one of these pebbles... number 442780. Jamie

Permalink 27/04/08 @ 19:47

Comment from: tester

wow.. he really likes rocks

Permalink 30/04/08 @ 08:39

Comment from: pete codling · http://www.petecodling.co.uk

hello all of you who have found a pebble or two on southsea beach. i am still firing some of the the clay pebbles and then throwing them in the sea. i reached half a million with hundred of thousands of people having taken part. There is no funding to complete so it has continues as a labour of love but it is a great boost when i hear they have been found and inspired people with alternative ideas and memories of portsmouth. if you find one, you can do with it as you wish or return it for others to find in the future. many have ended up around the world as people have transplanted them on holidays and travels.
always happy to discuss the project. rock on x

Permalink 03/05/08 @ 19:04

Comment from: Max Davis

My mum, dad and I found one today on Southsea beach by the pier. #364023. We live in Oxford and popped down for the day. We found it really curious and it really bugged dad. Then we decided to look it up on the internet! And here we are.

What a great project. Well done Pete.

Permalink 30/08/08 @ 22:02

Comment from: Max Davis

Oops forgot. Mum was born in Pompey!

Permalink 30/08/08 @ 22:12

Comment from: Megan Deakins

My sister found a pebble on Southsea Beach in July 2008, number 295113. It is great to know that someone has spent time making these stones for people to find, it took us a while to unravel the mystery. It was great finding one and now spend our time when we sit on the beach trying to find another one or two. Thankyou Pete.

Permalink 31/08/08 @ 19:28

Comment from: Geologyrocks · http://www.geologyrocks.co.uk

At last an answer! Someone posted about finding a pebble like this back in June. We had no idea what to make of it!
See http://www.geologyrocks.co.uk/forum/q_and_a/does_anyone_know_what_%3F%3F#comment-6049 for images/locations of the pebbles.

Permalink 30/09/08 @ 21:05

Comment from: victoria damerell

Hi i found one on saturday 194020.

Can you find out who made this stone anywhere.

ta vicky

The Ranger responds: Yes. The answer is in the article.

Permalink 01/06/09 @ 17:47

Comment from: samantha mclachlan

Hi all we found a numbered pebble on southsea beach near to Pyramids on August 14th 2009- numbered 449770 ! mystery for a weekend then we found this site and we are no aware of when and where it came from !!

Permalink 15/08/09 @ 20:58

Comment from: steve

found one of your pebbles today - well at least my wife did - says its from 21/08/99 so nearly 10 years ago and has the name vicky on it - serial number 266361

It was just by the lifeguards office along from the pier so not gone far!!

Permalink 19/08/09 @ 22:30

Comment from: Lynsey

Hey guys my son found a pebble on southsea beach today 23rd August I knew what it was as my sister found one about 2 months ago I never thought wed find one tho so Yay. Serial number is #183415.

Permalink 23/08/09 @ 20:50

Comment from: Hannah · http://www.rosiland.com

I found number 276428. this is the second one i have found, but lost the other! thankyou for solving my mystery =o)

Permalink 01/11/09 @ 23:59

Comment from: michael wingrove

hi found one 2007 number 378061

Permalink 03/01/10 @ 21:23

Comment from: Hazel

Hi,

My Husband and my 2 year old son found one of the pepples (numbered 319207)with a face on it at Stokes bay Gosport last weekend. We have now taken back to our home which is full of curiosities in North Hampshire!

Permalink 11/03/10 @ 18:01

Comment from: Phil Baker

Found #308454 yestersday (24th April 10) on southsea beach.

Permalink 25/04/10 @ 15:09

Comment from: andy hazel

hi i found one of you pebbles yesterday 01/7/2010 stamped 041427 and what looks like a pound coin impression on only took me 1 day of searching the net to find where it came from , cool project pete ROCK ON !!!!

Permalink 02/07/10 @ 17:23

Comment from: karen

Wow! I really, really like this idea. We found loads of these pebbles on the beach at Southsea after a stormy week; that was a couple of years ago. We've just visited again today and found another one. I've been pondering what on earth they could be for ages and ages, and after finding the first pebbles two years ago, I looked into it straigh away, but couldn't find a thing. Finding another one on the beach today reminded me again to search, and hence, my comment on here now. What an amazing project. Are you interested to know the numbers of the pebbles we found?

Permalink 15/08/10 @ 16:34

Comment from: kim

Hey!!!!!! Found 5 on the beach at Southsea. We had no idea what it was about but figured there was something about it on the net and here it is. We found 2 that are personalised but only one is readable with "REG 1999" engraved on. Others have finger marks on and another with a hole in it. This is a really cool thing you did keep it up. We will throw them into the sea next time we go so that others will have the chance. Hopefully they will be as intrigued as we were.
The serial numbers were, 242946, 267834, 234476, 244127 and 212059.

Permalink 20/08/10 @ 20:25

The thoughts and writings of The Virtual Ranger, since 1995 the host and mascot of Naturenet, the UK's most popular independent environmental website; along with interjections from his real-life alter ego, Matthew Chatfield, and others. Featuring not only Naturenet and countryside related stuff, but, as on Naturenet, plenty of other material - more or less at random - that takes The Ranger's fancy. But you can be confident that soon enough he'll be rather sarcastic.

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Post details: Not quite one million pebbles

Not quite one million pebbles

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