All Cannings Rally Cancelled?

The group that was launching a commercial artefact grabfest on a nationally-important archaeological site at All Cannings SouthwestDetectorists UK have blocked me from their 'members only' Facebook page where responsible detectorists discuss what they are doing to the archaeological heritage of us all. Whicjh makes you wionder why a responsible metal detecting group cannot have a transparent public web -presence. I cannot keep readers up to date on that, maybe another archaeologist would like keep us informed by joining (there are questions to answer first like "how long have you been uninterested in preventing avoidable damage to the archaeological heritage?")*

Anyhow, Wiltshire Museum 11 godz. have posted this on facebook:

IMPORTANT UPDATE: We have just heard that the rally has been cancelled. Thanks to all those involved.

Apparently, the British Museum press office had been involved and probably the prospect of a media circus looking for a good story (another opportunity to use an Andy-and-Lance still from the TV show detectorists) at a commercial rally on a sensitive site made the organisers a bit leery. Having their photos all over the newspapers would not have made good press for the hobby. And the way we are going to curb this destruction is by mobilising public opinion against the evidence-trashers and artefact-pocketers and calling out what they do for what it is.

For future reference, it would be good to know how and why the rally was called off 

- was it the landowner who withdrew permission,- or were the commercial rally organisers swayed by archaeological arguments,- or were they more worried about what would happen if the press started to take an interest in informing public opinion about what they were doing?

It would be good if there was an article in the local press about the rally being cancelled, and why.



* I jest, such a question would most likely just prompt an uncomprehending "eh?" from potential members.