What makes this book different to any other in the field of metal detecting? Well, in my view it is one of the few books to reflect on more than fourteen years of detecting by a husband and wife team. This provides a broad view on many aspects of the hobby and these are reflected throughout the book.

From the moment I was asked to write this book I worried about how to start, having had little experience of writing. Should I open by thanking all those who helped me put it together through their experiences, photos and stories?

Yes, of course I must say a very big thank you to them all. I could not have done it without them.

Particular thanks must go to my friend Peter Hyams, who put my name forward to the publishers. Peter provided so much help with the accounts of his Roman hoard and Saxon warrior burial site located on the Downs in North Wiltshire. My thanks also go to all the members of the Wyvern Historical and Detector Society for their help and support, and to the many experts who gave their time and specialist knowledge so willingly.

It was Sue, my wife, however, who came up with the definitive opening line. It had been a dull and overcast spring day in the Murcia region of Spain. She had been detecting along the beaches on the Mediterranean side of a spit of land, while I had been working in the shallow water on the lagoon side. It was the kind of day when without our hobby we would have been stuck in our motor home reading or out spending money to keep ourselves entertained.

When we regrouped later in the afternoon and swapped stories of our finds we found that between us we had recovered: 54 Euros, four gold rings, seven silver rings and a 29 gram platinum ring. In just one day we had found items worth up to one thousand pounds.

Later, while relaxing with a cup of tea on a seafront seat, Sue captured the essence of this book perfectly when she said, ‘Oh, what a wonderful hobby!’