RIP Lord Avebury.

The death was announced this morning (14.2.2016) of Eric Reginald Lubbock, Lord Avebury, peacefully, at his home in Camberwell, south London, at the age of 87.  He was attended by his wife, Lindsay, and other family members.

See the text published as an aide-memoire for tribute writers who would like to remember Eric as a man of many parts.

Link

Farmer Brown: a VERY unusual metal detecting club!

Friends,

As club names go, The Making Derbyshire Safer Metal Detecting Association takes the biscuit. So does their message to farmers (which seems to assume we are rural simpletons): “We are a small collection of individual metal detectorists,who make Derbyshire safer for people and animals by removing hypodermics,sharp objects and rubbish from the ground, plus we manage to save the occasional old coin and relic too from damaging modern environmental corrosion”. (Oooh arrr, so that be the reason they gents comes here a-metal detecting be it? (Not!) I showed their claim to my friends down the Galloping Tup and one of them said “they’m spinning so hard they could excavate their own holes”. Tickled me, that did!)

Mind you, they DO try to do right as they see it. They have a list of virtuous behaviour as long as your arm and this bit stands out: “we have all agreed that we do not endorse rallies, and that as individuals we will not attend, organise or promote any rallies”. Bravo! Rallies are awful, damaging events, as nearly everyone without a vested interest knows, and this is the only detecting club to ever admit it and to act accordingly. Genuine, clear-thinking heroes I say.

However, …. they spoil it all with one huge omission: they don’t insist their members report their non-Treasure finds to PAS. Without that, they’re no better than the rest. Until they sort that out maybe they should change their name. “The Curate’s Egg Metal Detecting Club” – good in parts but rotten in others?

Best wishes

Silas Brown,
Grunters Hollow
Worfield
Salop

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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting

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