Meeting with Sir Bob Russell

NCMD Newsletter No 11_v1 27/11/12 10:07 Page 1 All the latest news from the National Council for Metal Detecting ISSUE 11 NEWS CONTENTS P1-12 NCMD News P13 How is it decided Meeting with which museum acquires treasure finds? Sir Bob Russell P14-15 What to do when you find Treasure Myself President John Wells and opportunity to discuss matters Part 3 Vice Chairman Byron Tosh met further with delegates from the with Sir Bob Russell, Liberal Council with a view to seeking an Sir Bob Russell P16-23 Regional News Democrat MP for Colchester, in adjournment debate in the House the Houses of Parliament on 25 of Commons. the House. We agreed that we October to discuss a letter sent by would furnish him with any more Sir Bob Russell to the Council on The NCMD briefed Sir Bob on information as it came to us and 30 July giving details in which what the Council had done so far we would urge our members in seeking allies and making other one his Colchester constituents Mr nationally to supply news and 3 issues for £8.75 Stuart Elton had drawn his countryside users aware of the information from their areas as it attention to the serious matter of consequences of this insidious became available. only by Direct Debit practice continuing. Green Waste getting into the We also made him aware of the Green Waste stream, which he felt We furnished him with copies of BBC’s interest in doing a had ramifications not only to the the President’s Green Waste programme on Green Waste and hobby in particular but to the article, Digging Deep and how efforts to persuade wellbeing of the country side and correspondence from other disgruntled farmers in the the spread of pollution in general. organisations such as Midlands area had led to their Sir Bob went on to say in his letter Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, non-involvement when mention of that he was keen to pursue DEFRA etc. in order that he may the BBC was made. It was matters at a Parliamentary level have at least 15 minutes of suggested that the reasons for this Call 01778 392036 and would welcome the material to debate on the floor of reluctance was probably two-fold Email: subscriptions@ in that farmers who had warnersgroup.co.uk unknowingly been duped into agreeing to have this rubbish on their land were now too embarrassed to admit it and were possibly afraid that their customers would shy away from taking their produce were it to become widely known. Secondly, and more ominously, it was that farmers and landowners had been paid to spread this on their land and that they too may fall foul of their customers should the facts become known. Sir Bob was also made aware that McCain’s, the potato product people’s company policy was that they would not accept any produce from fields that they knew to be NCMD Newsletter Manager: Trevor Austin Publisher: Editor, Design & Layout: contaminated with Green Waste. I Harry Bain, Searcher Publications Ltd gave Sir Bob copies of subsequent Typesetting, Production and Repro: Tradeset Ltd correspondence with McCain’s in Printed and Distributed by: which I asked for an explanation of Warners Midlands PLC, West Street, their company’s policy on Green Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9PH. The NCMD officers wish all our members A Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year 1 NCMD Newsletter No 11_v1 27/11/12 10:08 Page 2 Waste. The latest correspondence The National Council applauds long time. It was further suggested opportunity go unanswered and from them reads “Whilst we McCain’s policy on Green Waste that it may be possible for the to let the NCMD be made aware support the principle of recycling and its possible effects on the BBC’s Inside Out team in his area of issues in your regions and to we also share your concerns on environment. being made aware of our and Sir make other members and other the risk associated with some Bob’s concerns. hobbyists aware that this green wastes; McCain sets At the close of the meeting with Sir practice can be reversed if we The NCMD requested that it be rigorous standards which all our Bob the NCMD was asked to write are all committed to its defeat. If kept informed of any crop growers must adhere to and to Stuart Elton to obtain from him you haven’t already done so developments going forward. these forbid the application of bio and his other club members their please sign the E-petition at products not deemed to be normal latest concerns and to glean from At the time of Digging Deep going http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/se farmyard manure, including food them any further information that to press the adjournment debate arch?q=green+waste wastes, process effluents and they may come across that may be ballot had not yet been drawn in Please urge your family, friends composted materials. Any relevant in making the proposed Sir Bob’s favour and this gives the and relatives to sign up to this E- proposed use of other bio wastes adjournment debate more NCMD and its membership a little petition and support your Council would require written consent from pertinent. A request was made to more time and greater opportunity in this important fight to protect the Company and this would only Stuart and his other colleagues to to gather more evidence to the hobby for the future. be granted following satisfactory furnish Sir Bob with anything that reinforce the case to be put before prior assessment of the material strengthens the fight against the Parliament. I therefore urge all of John Wells on a case-by-case basis.” biggest threat to our hobby for a you reading this not to let this President NCMD The War on Contaminated Green Waste A report by Byron Tosh – Chair NCMD Sub Committee on Contaminated Green Waste. A report on the attendance of the could likely affect the general spread in their areas even though our campaign and introducing the Seminar on Implementing the countryside user and how projects this waste may well have been. Green Waste issue to people who Natural Environment White Paper, bid for by local authority advisers Our effort to inform them of what are involved in feeding local held on 17 October 2012 at vie for government and local is actually being ploughed into our authorities information in support Broadway House in London. government funding from ever food cultivating areas met with of required eco infrastructure To further the NCMD campaign to reducing budgets. Our input time surprise and from our networking improvements. Campaigners of inform the public about was taken up explaining about the time with a number of the other successful projects and Contaminated Green Waste campaign and how we were delegates garnered real interest. government advisers who are in (CGW), John Wells NCMD looking for support. This group Peter Moss OBE of the Shropshire the positions that influence policy President and I requested to attend now has details of what NCMD is, Wildlife Trust was interested to at all levels, now have heard about the above meeting following the who we are, and why we are hear about our campaign and ours. This was just another way to presentation and discussion of the concerned with the subject of agreed to consult with his reach influential people with a Government White Paper at earlier CGW. Partnership members to enquire if vested interest in promoting a NCMD council meetings. The main points of the meeting as this had been reported in their sustainable environment and The paper deals with the set out by the Chair and the four area. Delegates were asked to do therefore relevant. Government’s problem of building speakers was to advise the the same in their spheres of DEFRA a Sustainable Natural Environ- delegates in how to engage with influence. In an earlier letter received from ment over the next 50 years, and lobbyists and fund managers, as Euan Hall, (C. E. The Land Trust), Tim Yeo MP glossed over the proposals to implement this, duly most were in the business of stated that there was a trend in problems and is a standard affecting all of us as countryside bidding for funding for projects cutback in funding the Natural government reply. It offered no users. Also attending were 14 and uptake by local authorities Environment (that’s not earth delegates from Civil Service, local such as for: detailed solution to the problem shattering news!). But following government and consultative and no real hope that Defra will a) Forestation-Woodland Trust on with the interesting remark organisations led by Chair, Huw enforce assured regular stringent Lloyd, former adviser to DEFRA, b) Wetland Conservation-Meres “Eco-Systems if properly managed checks on unscrupulous supported by four speakers, these and Mosses Landscape could add an extra £30 billion individuals, within local councils people having influence in their Partnership Scheme, – value to the economy yearly” was and contracting companies, posts as successful project Shropshire Wildlife Trust. mind boggling! hence our campaign on CGW and leaders. They explained their None of the other delegates In conclusion, our visit was to influence changes where and individual projects, how policies present were aware of CGW being worthwhile in respect of furthering when ever we can. MEETING DATES GET IN TOUCH The Next NCMD Executive meeting will be on the For membership enquiries For all other enquiries please 17 February 2013 contact the Membership contact the General Secretary: Secretary: John Rigby Trevor Austin The Next Treasure Valuation Meeting will be on the 6 Arkholme Avenue 51 Hilltop Gardens 23 January 2013 Blackpool, Lancs, FY1 6QJ Denaby, Doncaster, DN12 4SA The Next Portable Antiquities Advisory Board Tel: 01253 692313 Tel: 01709 868521 meeting 19 June 2013 [email protected] [email protected] 2 www.ncmd.co.uk NCMD Newsletter No 11_v1 27/11/12 10:09 Page 3 The Robin & Karolyn Hatt Memorial Trophy Competition This year’s competition certainly had the ‘wow’ factor, with three hoards, five coins and seven artefacts.

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