Poll on what is the biggest threat to our Hobby ?

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Further to the BBC Documentary on nighthawking Please vote on the poll above. Feel free to comment on your choice or other threat you think there may be.

I suppose we could say that the first four are all interlinked, but I think it would be interesting to know what each other of us perceive as the biggest threat to our hobby. That way we may be able confront the problem before it confronts us.

[bymatt666 (byron)]

in my opinion it's the nighthawkers that will bring about the future goverment legislation..byron

[cronge (richard)]

i agree with byron

[coleggwent(phil)]

i think a bit of most of them taff (but the goverment and do gooders are the biggist threat 

[Neil]

I think you will find ladies and gents that within the next 10 years or so this will all become academic as it will already have happened. Theres been a not so hidden agenda for a number of years now, and I fear it will soon come to a head. Unfortunately the recent great hoard finds that have sparked a lot of media interest, will also sit in the favour of the archies and the how many haven't been declared brigade!

I dont mean to be the prophet of doom, but I do fear our days are numbered.

All that will happen then though is that it will be driven underground. We'll all probably still detect, just I guess it will be outside the law - same as a friend does in Italy and people do in Spain, Ireland, France etc.

Be a real shame
Neil

[Terry]

Cheers Neil,   e-bay here we come

[hedgehog]

Maybe I am looking at it differently but I don't see the finding of the Staffordshire hoard as a negative, it is a definite plus for the hobby. Look at the interest that find has received, this country and others all became involved and interested and brought the hobby to the fore in a positive way.
How many times did you hear that the Staffordshire find changed the way that archaeologists thought of the history of that period?
The hoard has brought visitors into this country , how many people have employment through the finding of the hoard?
What a great find for metal detecting, archaeology and Great Britain!

Metal detecting has created employment, there are a number of FLO'S who rely on it for their livelihood so I feel sure that they for one would not wish to see the demise of responsible metal detecting.
I did say in a previous post that I think metal detecting and archaeology are inextricably linked and maybe if the archaeologists wanted a ban then they would be cutting their noses off to spite their faces.

I don't see how a metal detecting ban can benefit anyone now. There are so many votes that the MP's will lose if the go down that road.Hunting can't be policed and may be reinstated,can you imagine the resources it would take to police a metal detecting ban?

[PHIL YNYSBOETH]

Im with Neil on this

I was for many years involved to with The Acu (Auto cycle union) South wales Centre.
The governing body for motor sport in wales and legislation has killed Motorcross and Enduro raceing  so ive no doubt that Detecting will go the same way in time so its a case of enjoy the good times Fella,s before its to late

Maybe we are going to be casualty of our own success
if the papers and the telly didnt make us all out to be millionaires we wouldnt be in this mess.
As it is the general public think we are all robbers and grave diggers and they only think that because we report our finds.
A non detecting friend of mine said once ...you must be able to make a living out of your detector Mate !

How wrong peoples perseptions about detecting must be !

regards
Phil Jones
FIGHT THE POWER !


 

[kane52]

Nighthawkers are Not metal detectorists, they are simply Thieves who buy a metal detector just to steal from other people. simple as that.

[hedgehog]

I don't understand the doom and gloom part without a clearer explanation  What is the benefit to archaeologists, FLO's , museums etc; if they want to ban responsible metal detecting?

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Its good to see what detectorists percieve as a possible threat to our hobby, and I think we're at a tipping point. Yes we have got the anti detecting group out there and obviously the pro- detecting buch   ...namely us lot. But I do see there being the moderate in-betweeners and I personally think there in lie our allies. Its up to detectorists not ally ourselves with these people. Speak out against Nighthawkers (DW against Nighthawking springs to mind) work with the Achaeologist via the F.L.O's and P.A.S. At the end of the day If we give them no reason to complain how can they.

That said, I've only been doing this hobby for under a year and am still learning, but I dont think you need to be a hugely experienced detectorist to see what path we need to take. I think whatever box you tick above has the potential to turn out right. I would say its up to us to pro-actively protect our hobby.

[seeker]

personally at this moment i dont think our hobby is under any threat from being band (i may be wrong and time will tell ).
i fist started detecting 30 years ago but seriously for the last 20 and in that time have seen and heard a lot about the threat to the hobby , from the full on attack of the 70s with archaeology posting propaganda to every farm , then there was all the worry about the treasure bill and ppol thought that that would be the end of detecting , i think that where we are today with detecting is about as good as its ever been and i thing cooperating with f l o has a lot to do with that .
i just don't think public opinion would call for it to be band ether . i never come across negative opinion when ppol find out that I'm a detectorist only fascination and intrigue .
however i do think the future is in our hands and it how we conduct ourselves that will deside(particularly now it all happens on line for the world to see and use how ever they will ).
 

[beachboy (viv)]

i think theres a bits in all the comments made, one about the hoards and the one night hawkers,but people like tony robison and some archeoligist who have the finances(from govermont) and plenty of access to the media could be the worst,now that you need a permit for the beach they now have you on file,lets hope the majority of archeoligist  will support us because, without our finds they won't know where to look and they won't have a job.(viv)

[DIG IT! (ADIE)]

I hope it doesnt get banned and i think archeologists and museums would lose a lot of information from us detectorists.After all if we were banned all the stuff in the ground would just rot and a lot of our history would be lost forever which would be a great shame.Also i would like to give a message to all those NIGHTHAWKERS out there who venture on to these scheduled sites you are nothing but a load of low lifes with no morals whatsoever so from all of us P*SS O** and leave the detecting to real detectorists that can find things without going on a scheduled site WALLYS

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

bump