BBc breakfast news, on nighthawking

[Puffin]

The media has a lot to answer for, most of it is just plan incorrect or misquoted. Poor cutting by uninformed editors distortes nearly every news item you see today. They rush to put the stuff out making big gaffs along the way.

Give this story a week or two and the public will not even remember it.

[warwick wolf]

well its time to screem and shout at me and coldstream it was us in the report

Well what a pair of tits you two showed up to be, in the process you played right into Baldric's hands doing us and the hobby no good at all. Why do you suppose they chose that episode to repeat at this time?

I hope that you do not mean that lord percy....a bit too personal that !

Both of you came across very well and I congratulate you. Do not worry your point will not be lost on Joe Public who understands majorities and minorities.

Havn't seen anything on the news yet hope to catch something on the six o'clock news but

got to agree with Hooverman well out of order Lord Percy no need for that

WW

[ridgeyman]

Hi I live near Stoke on Trent, & am a member of the North Staffs Historical & Search Society, this is a copy of the comment I have made on our web site.
Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:53 pm Post subject: Night Hawking

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If anyone is interested on BBC Radio Stoke today from 10.00-13.00 Night Hawking was being discussed by the Presenter Paula White & various others. English Heritage are again complaining about night hawkers pillaging historical sites & steeling items for profit. As always the topic was very one sided although a chap from English Heritage did come on & was quite positive about us, saying that not all detectorists are bad. I made a couple of comments by text " I said why is it that metal detecting is always shown in a bad light, nothing positive is ever (or very rarely) said about the hobby. Nothing is ever said about the Ancient Sites we uncover, that would not be found without us, no-one ever mentions the lost wedding rings & sentimental things we find for people, Tractor parts & lost manholes, conservation of all the things we find, report & save for the country's heritage, the money we raise for charities through rallies etc. I also mentioned the fact that the majority of detectors only penetrate the top soil, but nothing is said about the practice of Archaeologists removing the topsoil with a JCB, this doesn't destroy the history & sittue of the artifact does it? As per usual they picked the negative bits out of my comments and they were the bits broad-casted. It really does make me angry when all the so called (work together) brigade repeatedly have a go at us.
When do you ever hear of anyone say " if it wasn't for this RESPONSIBLE detectorist reporting this site, we would not know about it" & all this history would have been lost?
Anyway rant over, if anyone missed this programme & would like to listen again on their pc, go to BBC Radio Stoke Homepage, Listen Again, click on Mid Morning Show & Listen Again. I only listened till 12.00 so anything said after then I cannot comment on. I don't agree with night hawking in any way, shape, or form, but in all of our 147 members, how many night hawkers do you know?
Sorry for the rant but it really does bug me.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0 ... 6_02_2009/

[Corinne Mills]

Well what a pair of tits you two showed up to be, in the process you played right into Baldric's hands doing us and the hobby no good at all. Why do you suppose they chose that episode to repeat at this time?

totally out of order

[Mal Asterley]

Errr on a lighter note , I ordered a detector and full kit from Regton Birmingham on Friday and recieved it today great company great service , I am not writing this just to pat them on the back but because inside the parcel when I opened was a 2page leaflet "Code of practise for responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales " , this is printed with funding from the :Heritage Lottery Fund .

I am not totally new to Metal detecting but if I had of been I would have had that to read before I have even put the machine together !! Well done Regton and any other Dealers who do the same !! , this kind of thing can only help the cause !!! .

Mal .

[coldstream-02]

Hello everyone, well that report has certainly stirred some emotion up. The intention of myself and Stanleyman going live on the TV was to air our emotion and discontent at the lack of government interest in preserving our National Heritage and to try and highlight the damage being done by the thieves that are raping our history from beneath our feet. We in no way intended to make our hobby be seen in a bad light. We were trying to show the distinction between responsible Detectorists and Nighthawkers and we think we proved our point by our own actions in camping out for 3 nights when we discovered the Saxon cemetery. So if we are a couple of tits as Lord Percy puts it for standing up for what we believe is right then hey your entitled to your opinion but sticks and stones and all that. I am sorry if it upset you personally Lord Percy there was never any intention of upsetting fellow enthusiasts, we just wanted to try and stick up for our hobby. If that never came over and it appeared that we were erring on the side of the "non believers" then I will hang my head in shame, but whilst I am looking at the floor I will get my detector out and have a little sesion as I know that we never did anything wrong. Thanks to those of you with the kind words.

[anonymous]

Iv'e edited one post,and removed another!
No hair pulling,or name calling please,
seriously it won't be tolerated.
Kevmar.

[History Hunter]

here is a link to the video version on BBC showing responsible detectorists Click Here

[StuE]

well done you two - I have been interview for local radio and know how difficult it can be to get your point across as you want it in the few moments they give you.

[anonymous]

This is an interesting,and important topic
please let's get on with the discussion,
regards,
kev.

[lord-percy]

well done you two - I have been interview for local radio and know how difficult it can be to get your point across as you want it in the few moments they give you.
As for Lord Percy - at least his choice of name and avatar shows his awareness of his character flaws.

Mod edit: As Kev as said please no name calling and stick to the subject in hand.

[paul456]

My question is who is behind all of this,stirring up trouble for the detectorist haven't we been through enough,as I have said before if it wasn't for the detectorist enriching the museums with the artifacts they find, the knowledge of our history would be a lot poorer .Finds each year are being destroyed by plowing
and harrowing of the fields,Most metal detectors do not go down much deeper than the plow line anyway.Metal detectorists are rescuing our history not destroying it. The sooner English heritage and some archeologists realize this fact the better.

[markthemole]

we are no longer metal detectorists but "archaeological recovery and plough soil specialists" and are in no way connected with that unscrupulous lot that record their finds and freely display them on recognised forums for all to see if they can be bothered to look , those that get scare mongering lablels because of a few "have torch will hunt brigade" . whilst some of us may not be plough soil specialists and may only be pasture specialists ,let us go forth into the breach and face them head on and tell them to get st*ffed .....................................sorry but its been a long day !

[anonymous]

It's not as black and white as that mate,
there are a few in all organisations who see detecting
per se,no matter how you go about it,as wrong,
as i say ,it's only a few,
detecting as a hobby has not only grown in popularity,
it's grow into a responsible force to be reckoned with,
doing far more good,then we usually get credit for,
long gone are the hazy days of the 70's we are on far better
terms with most of the people that count,
some others are still on their 'ban the lot' soap box,
but no one is listening .............

[SWEATYSOCK]

listened to a report on the way into work on radio four's farming today. made me feel like a leper. they spoke to a farmer who had a severly nighthawked site on his land, he went on about the history and the nations legacy being stolen, then explained how he'd found out that some artefacts 'hawked from his land had been sold in america for a "seven figure sum" and how he'd taken out court proceedings to get it back. i understand how he would be annoyed with the tresspassers but i dont think he gave the "nation's heritage" a seconds thought once the pound signs had stopped rolling round his eyes.
as others on here have said, there are crooks in all walks of life.
there's a phrase in latin that i wont even attempt to have a go at but it says something along the lines of "if catapults are outlawed,only outlaws will have catapults" so banning us wont achieve a thing, just like gun crime!
I'm not saying the next suggestion is my personal belief, but more as a way of getting a debate going as i know there are lots of different views on selling finds, but for starters,why not have a rule that insists each article must have a PAS or UKDF find number before it can go on an auction site?