Villagers in Ancaster, Lincs are worried a metal detecting rally brings a health risk. It’s legal under COVID regulations (“social interaction limited to groups of six or less which do not mingle”) but the locals know that’s unsafe. As the Parish Council chairman points out:
“They say they’re Covid safe” but “they’re saying they’ve got stalls and they’ve got a bar and they’re all stopping overnight. All of a sudden you’ve got 230 people from all parts of the country all heading into Ancaster. Presumably, they’ll be going to the local shops and things like that and all I’m worried about is, is it covid safe for us?”
Of course it’s not, either for participants or locals. Add to that the fact rallies damage everyone’s heritage and it’s inarguable that the holding of such events, especially just now, is plain wrong.
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Ancaster – what did it do to deserve a metal detecting rally nearby?
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Update 3 October: Paul Barford has just reported that “As the locals feared, the number of Covid-19 cases has increased in Lincolnshire in recent days since a group of metal detectorists proposed “charitably” holding their rally in South Kesteven and mingling with the villagers in local shops etc. It is now 21.1 per 100,000 up from 16.1 (BBC Covid cases on the rise across most parts of Lincolnshire 2nd October). While this is not necessarily due to the tekkies, that’s an awful lot of unnecessary tracking and tracing to be done.”
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5 comments
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26/09/2020 at 08:22
Paul Barford (@PortantIssues)
If a hoard comes up, will the organisers ensure that only six people will come within ten metres of the finders throughout the whole event? How? And recording, if most of the FLOs are not yet in their offices, how is that going to be dealt with?
27/09/2020 at 12:49
Hywel Smith
I’m guessing ur leaving out the measure they have put in place and have told people from lockdown areas not to attend. The fact they have risk assessments that are sent to the local authorities. The fact that registered business can hold more that the 6 people. The fact that if they are going to the local shops etc they are bringing in much needed money.
Rather than promote a load of fear and non facts (but as ur obviously anti metal detectorist) why not try to work with them?
27/09/2020 at 17:03
A Conservationist
“The fact they have risk assessments that are sent to the local authorities.”
Their last event was cancelled within minutes of starting by the police because the risk assessment was inadequate.
27/09/2020 at 22:38
Hywel Smith
A Conservationist
Yes they submitted and ACCEPTED before the new rules were introduced so shouldn’t the powers that be informed them?🤔
03/10/2020 at 06:08
Paul Barford (@PortantIssues)
“why not try to work with them?” Basically the problem is that these people are out for what they can selfishly take, and going through the paperwork and following regulations (and the Code of Best Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales) are too frequently just seen by them as an infringement on their “freedoms” (see the debacle over the Pink Wellies rally at Reed 4th October 2020). There is no understanding visible that they know what these things are for or about. “Work with them?”, tell us the last time the National Council for Metal Detecting co-operated fully, all the way to the end, with any initiative of any archaeological body. Then tell us about the ones they blocked.
Also do you think all the locals that ALSO use those shops are enormously happy that 230 people from all over the country mingling in tents in a field are going to be touching and breathing all over the contents of those shops? No doubt some wearing masks incorrectly if they follow the national pattern. They have to live there when the strangers go away, carrying along with them whatever microbes that they’ve been spreading among themselves.
Responsible metal detecting is NOT just “filling in the holes and closing the gates”, detectorists are ambassadors of the hobby, and this lot let the side down by organising an event that raises public concerns. Didn’t they? Say it.