Alan Titchmarsh a complete muppet says Cabinet minister
According to Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, Alan Titchmarsh is “a complete muppet” for criticising the Government’s policies towards the countryside as he has “missed completely everything we’re doing”. Or is it that Mr T. has done the reverse and has noticed the plan to build thousands of executive homes on the green belt in preference to brownfield sites. He wouldn’t be the only one. Presumably Mr Paterson would call The National Trust complete muppets as well.
Judge embarrasses archaeos
Speaking during the trial of some nighthawks in Northampton, Judge Richard Bray regretted they could only be prosecuted for Theft and said “I think there should be some form of cultural heritage act which could be used to protect sites of archaeological importance”. He has a huge point. If you steal something of cultural importance that happens to be worth only tuppence the only crime you’ve committed is the crime of stealing tuppence, whereas the harm you’ve caused can be immense.
So who can argue? There should be a specific offence of cultural theft. Trouble is, ALL metal detecting without reporting what you find would need to be included. We’ve been saying that should happen for years so it’s nice that an eminent judge is now saying it. What remains to be seen though is whether the Archaeological Establishment gets behind his call or whether it defends the right of metal detectorists to be free to choose whether they steal historical knowledge or not. If you jump on an illogical horse the dismount is bound to be tricky. And embarrassing. But that’s no reason to stay on it forever, is it?
Our customers too dumb to stay long imply Stonehenge tour operators!
Tour operators are complaining, at this late stage, that 2 hours will be too long for some of their customers to spend at Stonehenge so they may drop it from their itineraries. But we rather agree with David Andrews, Chief Executive of VisitWiltshire, that “Stonehenge is iconic enough that coach operators have to include it and they will have to change their programme.” Indeed, maybe Stonehenge can well afford to be without the sort of visitor that can’t devote two hours to it!
The Heritage Journal 
8 comments
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12/01/2013 at 14:00
Paul
Regarding the Northamptonshire metal detecting, there is more to this than meets the eye. There is a specific offense of using a metal detector on a scheduled site in Section 42 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. See below
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/46
So why were they only prosecuted for theft?
Also, these clowns for some reason, had dug what can be described as ‘archaeological trenchs’, all cleaned up and with spoil heaps. This is not the usual form of hole digging that metal detectorists do. Why would they dig neat and swept trenches?
Why did the CPS only go down the theft route?
Why were these individuals digging trenches rather than holes?
Why did the judge make what can be seen to be an ill informed comment as there IS legislation other than theft to protect Scheduled sites from Metal detecting?
What were Cox and West actually up to?
12/01/2013 at 14:35
calmgrove
Good points, well made. Cultural theft, hmm, that’s a tricky one, isn’t it? How the hell do you define this? It’s not just material artefacts in the ground, or even standing above ground (like those landowners who allow historic buildings to go to rack and ruin). What about the destruction of family papers, or the junking of diaries or records of defunct groups, aren’t these denying a cultural residue to future generations, with the loss of material for research? Where do you stop?
12/01/2013 at 14:49
heritageaction
I presume that they were prosecuted under the Ancient Monuments Act but that the Judge was wishing there was a wider offence that protected sites. But I agee, what he meant isn’t altogether clear.
And yes, it was said in Court these 2 had connections with the achaeological bodies but exactly how isn’t clear. Being a cynic I’d say the Establishment is leaning over backwards to say these were pure nighthawks and not “responsible detectorists that turned bad”. The existence of such people doesn’t fit with the story the public is being fed. To say so would be to reduce the propensity of landowners to give permission and that would never do!
12/01/2013 at 15:00
heritageaction
” What about the destruction of family papers, or the junking of diaries or records of defunct groups, aren’t these denying a cultural residue to future generations, with the loss of material for research? Where do you stop?”
Agreed, but better to ask where to start. Digging up artefacts and telling no-one is a good place because:
1. Other countries prohibit it
2. So do we, regarding Treasure items, so logic suggests we should do it with non-Treasure ones as well.
12/01/2013 at 15:26
calmgrove
Yes, agree we have to start somewhere. Just questioning ‘cultural theft’ as a definition, I suppose.
12/01/2013 at 17:58
Paul
I am now wondering whether the prosecution for theft is not to do with their activity at Chester farm.
‘They admitted damaging an ancient monument between January and July 2011, thefts of artefacts from Whitworth Holdings, which owns adjacent land, as well stealing as from a neighboring farm’
I could possibly be that the CPS could not actually forward a valid case for illegal metal detecting at Chester farm so instead got them for metal detecting without permission on the other land instead. The damage may well relate to the trenches they dug, but no matter which way you look at it, those trenches do appear to be archaeological excavation trenches. No one after artefacts using a metal detector would take the time nor have the patience, to open and excavate a trench with such detail. Apparently they also had links to an archaeological society?
“Daniel Chadwick, for West, said at a hearing earlier this month: “The Crown’s case is these men are not out-and-out treasure robbers. They clearly had some sort of relationship with the local finds officer at the county council and their local archeological society.”
So even the CPS admits these clowns were not your average night hawk ??
There is so much more to the story than just illegal metal detecting and I would love to know the detail, but will we ever find out?, I doubt it.
12/01/2013 at 18:09
heritageaction
“but will we ever find out?, I doubt it.”
Agreed. The fact that we won’t be told is significant in itself.
14/01/2013 at 07:49
Carl
Who would you believe – Mr T or a career politican?
I know who my money is on!