Armed with metal detectors and a passion for history, a growing number of North East enthusiasts are not only uncovering incredible artifacts—but also finding connection, purpose, and peace of mind along the way.
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00:00Today I've been to visit Shane Phillips, a tattoo artist from Ashington, so he could show me his collection of amazing artefacts he's collected through metal detecting.
00:09Detecting is a growing hobby in the UK, with people of all ages taking part in group digs across the country. Shane was able to show me why.
00:17Watching one of my friends on Facebook doing the detecting. I've always watched programmes about history and digging.
00:25So I asked him a good Detecter which one he gets, so I bought my first one.
00:30So one of my other customers said he knew somebody that doesn't drive. Good lad, he's got lad, he's a teacher.
00:36And Dean Finnell came knocking at me door and we've been best mates ever since.
00:41We go all over the country detecting together, he showed us exactly how to use Detecter.
00:46Best find that I've gotten so far that I love is the Bronze Age axe head.
00:52Like I said, it's 4,000 year old. It's been to the museum, it's been logged on the National Database, which is from the History Museum.
01:02Next one I would say is this one, which is a Roman brooch. It's a disc brooch. And you can still see all the colours in it.
01:10And this is my favourite coin. It's Lizzie. There's Queen Elizabeth. Yeah, there's Queen Elizabeth. Half-grove. Yeah.
01:2315, 1563 I think it is. Oh my god. Yeah. But that one's my favourite. I've got ones a lot older than that.
01:32But that one, I love it. So why do you love it? Like what? I don't know, because it's rare to find her with her full face on.
01:39Because she was an ugly coin. Then used to rub her face off it. Really? Yeah.
01:45So then used to rub her face off. So to find her with her nose in her face is something special.
01:51Yeah. But the rest of them, they're all different hammered coins, dating back from the 1200s right up until basically to the 15 one.
02:05It can be competitive. It really can be. Detecting is, it's funny because when you find something, there's a lot of people that are going,
02:14oh no, what you're doing, you're so and so. That's not fair and all this stuff. You jam your sod. So there's a lot of jealousy and stuff like that.
02:23But to tell you the truth, the group of lads that I go with, they're absolutely outstanding. And when we go to big digs,
02:30we meet up with the rest of the friends that we made friends with. Yeah.
02:33We've got friends all over the country. We get invited to digs. I get invited all over the place.
02:38Yes. It's the best thing I've done. Mental health wise, brilliant. I've got PTSD as well, but not from the war mines from surgeries.
02:47And bad mental health. So when I go out, I put the headphones on and I'm just aware. I forget everything.
02:55So it's really, really nice, chilled environment.
02:59I'm expecting that.
03:00Yeah.
03:01I can do that anymore.
03:02So.
03:03How do they feel the equipment?
03:04Yeah.
03:05I can do that same thing.
03:06Yeah.
03:07So again, I have a checkbox thinking.
03:08Yeah.
03:09Yep.
03:10But another I don't think this yeah.
03:11Dani.
03:12Well, I don't think you've seen an actual element.