In the same way that lottery ticket buyers dream of winning the big one with each purchase, so metal detector users dream of finding the new Sutton Hoo, preferably in the first 15 minutes and without too much tiresome digging. It comes as a surprise that Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones holds this fantasy or needs the money to endorse this metal detector.
It certainly detects metal, as it should do. It lets off a high pitch whistle, think Sooty’s friend Sweep on helium, on the slightest contact. It is simple to use having an on button and only two settings, beach and land.
But where it falls down is not in the electronics but in the mechanics. The joint designed to hold the two pieces of the handle together is weak and falls apart almost immediately. The adjustable handle is similar to a hospital crutch and only adjusts about half an inch downwards. So for my little helpers aged six and nine it was difficult to handle and unwieldy.
Although we did not find a lost civilisation in our local wood, unless they drank from cans, we did have fun digging out what appears to be an old rusty bolt and screw.
Bill Wyman’s Signature Metal Detector costs £125 (inc P&P) and is available from the website, www.billwymandetector.com, where you can find out about metal detecting, recording your finds and how to use this particular detector.