After commencing his geological career as a palaeontologist, and following a period as Consultant Geologist in Cambridge, Dr Andy King was employed as a Senior Geologist with English Nature/Natural England and led a team of specialists involved in the identification and conservation of geological and geomorphological sites across England. Since 2007, Andy has been a Director and Principal Geologist with the independent consultancy Geckoella Ltd and now specialises in the identification and sourcing of building stones. Since 2011, Geckoella has worked very closely with Historic England and the British Geological Survey in the compilation of numerous county guides and datasets for the ‘Building Stone Database for England (formerly the ‘Strategic Stone Study’). Andy has a strong interest in safeguarding future supplies of building stones via the mineral planning system, including the adoption of practical, robust policies and the promotion of new approaches such as the pragmatic use of properly defined ‘Heritage Quarries’.