.
I suspect UK metal detectorists are getting a bit desperate which might explain a lot of the recent aggro.
It must have crossed their minds more than once that the main thing that currently legitimises their exploitive hobby is the continued pro-collecting and pro-Treasure flubber from the PAS. If that stops, or people stop believing in it, they are in for a rough ride.
They will be aware that in England the Scheme is now working flat out with reduced resources to achieve what now transpires to be minimal effect with regard the actual needs. They are coming more and more to rely on 'self-recording', somewhat undermining the need to have dozens of FLOs (as opposed to Finds Advisors). It is getting increasingly difficult for the PAS to show how 'useful' their database actually is, commensurate with its ever-rising costs.
It cannot have escaped the notice of the detectorists (the ones that think among them), that the way things are going, the PAS in England could be due for the chop in the next few years. The Welsh one will I am pretty sure be going to the wall very soon, showing the way to a PAS-less system (though hopefully legislative change to cope with that). The government may well decide to cut its losses by winding the whole PAS up. It is not protected by any kind of legislation, and costs too much.
The government could save millions and salve their consciences by simply doing again what they did to EH, giving a one-off payment for a People's Database (a sort of beefed-up UKDFD) and demand that it become self-financing, together with the Treasure process [which is costing the nation a fortune].
As that system too founders, then public opinion will be roused against this manner of treating the archaeological record (by which time will have been well-and-truly knackered by them). Again, legislative change must be the consequence. What, for England's detectorists then?
It is no longer, I think a question of whether the end is nigh in the UK, but when will it happen? And what then?
Vignette: The end could be nigh pretty soon. Next spending cut?
I suspect UK metal detectorists are getting a bit desperate which might explain a lot of the recent aggro.It must have crossed their minds more than once that the main thing that currently legitimises their exploitive hobby is the continued pro-collecting and pro-Treasure flubber from the PAS. If that stops, or people stop believing in it, they are in for a rough ride.
They will be aware that in England the Scheme is now working flat out with reduced resources to achieve what now transpires to be minimal effect with regard the actual needs. They are coming more and more to rely on 'self-recording', somewhat undermining the need to have dozens of FLOs (as opposed to Finds Advisors). It is getting increasingly difficult for the PAS to show how 'useful' their database actually is, commensurate with its ever-rising costs.
It cannot have escaped the notice of the detectorists (the ones that think among them), that the way things are going, the PAS in England could be due for the chop in the next few years. The Welsh one will I am pretty sure be going to the wall very soon, showing the way to a PAS-less system (though hopefully legislative change to cope with that). The government may well decide to cut its losses by winding the whole PAS up. It is not protected by any kind of legislation, and costs too much.
The government could save millions and salve their consciences by simply doing again what they did to EH, giving a one-off payment for a People's Database (a sort of beefed-up UKDFD) and demand that it become self-financing, together with the Treasure process [which is costing the nation a fortune].
As that system too founders, then public opinion will be roused against this manner of treating the archaeological record (by which time will have been well-and-truly knackered by them). Again, legislative change must be the consequence. What, for England's detectorists then?
It is no longer, I think a question of whether the end is nigh in the UK, but when will it happen? And what then?
[Nigel Swift contributed some ideas to this]
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