Tuesday, 10 November 2020

“Remove the lockdown BAN on Metal Detecting private land in England”


"Boris listin t'us, plese"
Calling orl English metaldetectrists:
Today: Dawn is counting on you Dawn Chipchase needs your help with “Remove the lockdown BAN on Metal Detecting private land in England”. Join Dawn and 1,334 supporters today.  Updates Dawn Chipchase started this petition 3 days ago, 2 days ago 1,000 supporters. Let’s get to 1,500!
But read the Act (together with the schedule) first and think about what you are signing and why and what your support of the content of this petition and the way it is written says about 1,500 (or however-many) detectorists in England. And what about routine recording, how is that to be done with most of the FLOs locked out of their offices? Why is that not mentioned in this text as a matter of course? What message is this sending to policy-makers about "responsible artefact hunting"? And some "reasons for signing":
Jo Barnes·3 days ago
I actually believe this is a mistake from the person who constructed the guideline . The line should have read .... "You cannot detect on private land 'unless' you have permission from the owner."
No, ms Barnes. What you "actually believe" is neither here nor there, it's what the Act says. Read it. Use a dictionary if some of the words are too big.
David Myers·2 days ago
The advice given is illogical and detrimental to the mental health and well-being of thousands of people who love to do metal detecting with land owners permission on there [sic] private land.
Mr Myers, perhaps you should realise that the guidelines (not "advice") are an interpretation of the law for thickoes [such as those that don't know the difference between "there" and "their" and might find the document difficult to navigate because "too many words"]. To be honest in the midst of a global pandemic, economic crisis on top of a shambolic Brexit, the alleged "mental health" of a few thousand people that want to "metal detect" is possibly not the most urgent priority of the British Parliament.

Whitehall, TAKE A GOOD LOOK at this behaviour, for these are precisely the sort of people the PAS wants to grab more and more millions of public quid to make into the "partners" of the British Museum, archaeological heritage professionals and to whom they want us all to entrust the exploitation of the archaeological record. Take a good look and decide what you think about that as a "policy".  


1 comment:

  1. Of course, there's not really such a thing as "routine recording" when "routine not reporting" is the reality. No wonder it wasn't mentioned.

    Of course, also missing is a reference to what happens in the event of non-routine, treasure finds when FLOs are unavailable. Official PAS advice is to cover them up if secure which is admirable only insofar as it displays an endearing childlike innocence about their partners but is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

    But never mind my cynicism - I'm not yet on "the road to Liaisonville" as PAS used to put it. Let PAS examine, and publish, the number of times pre-Covid when treasure has been covered over because an archaeologist couldn't get there straight away. I don't think they need to consult the database for that, the fingers of one hand would suffice.

    about the realities quite the opposite, and then usually

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