The first time that I went to Jim Ede’s beautiful gallery house in Cambridge, I was struck by the familiarity of the found objects that sat so comfortably among the 20th Century art in Kettle’s Yard.

These stones could have come from a North Pembrokeshire beach, where the strength of the waves has smoothed and rounded the pebbles that lie on the high tide line.

Look on Flikr for Lou Murphy’s photos; she uses the quartz-striped stones from Pembrokeshire beaches in a lovely demonstration of the creative potential of these surprises of nature.

Dinas’ Aberfforest and Aberbach have banks of stones at the top of the beach but the best stones in the area are to the south of Fishguard on the lonely beaches of Aberbach and Abermawr. I remember that smugglers were found there not so long ago, but you’ll also find shapes, patterns and colours to treasure amongst the stones.