The Fightback begins - Committee for the Defence of Metal Detecting

[silverhand]

whats the name of the guy that bought out the detector for c scope  get him to help at lest then we have a celb on board  like they do on time team

[proconsul]

Thaks for all your support, chaps. The Time Team investigation is our first project. If you know anyone who can supply us with information please get them either to PM me or contact me at geoff@detectingwales.com.

We need to start spreading a positive image of metal detecting. People know we remove interesting stuff from the soil but do they know about all the rubbish we remove as well? As you all know one of the most common metals we find is lead. Do people know the countryside is strewn with lead? It is a concern amongst doctors nowadays that increasing levels of lead are being found in our bodies and it's just not good for us. A lot of it comes from traffic pollution and similar sources but some of it undoubtedly comes from agricultural crops whose roots are sucking up nutrients from soil which is contaminated with lead.

We need to make the point that a farm that has been detected on has far lower levels of lead in its soil that one that hasn't.

How about getting all the members of your club to bring in the scrap lead they've found, pile it up in a big heap and take a photograph with the members and their detectors around it? We can supply a press release to go with the picture - send both to your local paper and we start to have a much more positive portrayal of metal detectorists.

[detectordave]

silverhand the guy who brouht out the c-scope detector is Bill Whyman from the rolling stones pop group

[detectordave]

How many detectorists who use this site know that apart from English Heratige Time Team get the largest funding.This will not be an easy fight.What would happen if the main stream television  companies were approached before a large rally and were invited to film then members of the public would get to see the hobby in a better light ie £10,000 raised for this cause as a direct result of the rally?It was not that long ago that detecting was shown on the One Show in a positive light i bet they would do it again.

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

not only that Geoff if people all bring lead in the recycle value could go towards costs.

[Charles Cater]

Has any member of the rulers of this country know how much cash , gold, silver, anceint bronze etc; has been brought back in to circulation. The percentage in spendable coins may be low but other precious metal aren't

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Who are the overall ruling body, that governs the usage of meatal detecting in this country. i.e what government department? Just wondering if we could write an open letter to this department , asking them if we have their continued support. Any positive response off them (and they would have to give a positive response) would be a nice letter to have in our CDMD portfoilo.

[altinkum]

why bother fighting something that's never going to happen. the power's that be will not put a blanket ban on detecting because they know they will be the loser's people will still go detecting but not record item's found which in term mean's flo's will lose their job's and so on. imagine a complete ban all it would take is every club in the country to organise a dig on the same day and it will be chaos for the police. the police dont turn up for at least a week after you report something so how are they going to arrest 30,000 detectorist's all on the same day all over the country. this goverment has more to lose than gain by banning detecting and all because a bunch of old fart's think detecting is wrong.  mike