Enthusiasts' five decades of exploring past. From: Yorkshire Post (Leeds, England) | Date: November 3, 2007 | COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnston Publishing Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

STUMBLING across a half-hidden medieval skull, schoolboy Eric Houlder was not to know that old bones would feature heavily in his life for the next 60 years.

Memories of that chance discovery in about 1950 have remained after five decades unearthing weird and wonderful finds with the Pontefract and District Archaeological Society.

Mr Houlder, who has written an illustrated history to mark the society's 50th year, discovered the skull in a cliff face when he was still at primary school in Pontefract.

"I still vividly remember finding a skeleton weathering out of the ...