Metal Detectors: What goes 'beep beep' all over the land and is typically British? The gentle army of treasure seekers hoping to find an Anglo-Saxon hoard!

Update: 2025-12-05

Description

In which Suzanne unearths the story of a major British hobby and its relationship with landscape and the romance of the past. Why are the British obsessed with metal detecting? What is their Arthurian code of practice? What are portable antiquities? Who are the night hawkers? What does all this reveal about British attitudes to liberty, in stark contrast to France? Includes helpful pointers about buying the best metal detector, and Alexander Graham Bell as an unexpected star of the show!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comments

In Channel

The Guinness Book of Records: Superlative feats! Nature's wonders! Fun for dictators!

2026-02-0658:32

The French Wild West: Brittany! Celtic identity, pancakes, memories of Dukes and power!

2026-01-3053:00

Back of the Net! It's leather, it's round, it's Britain's gift to the world!

2026-01-2351:33

French Brothels of the Golden Age: Sex, theatricality, escapism!

2026-01-1601:04:51

A Study in Silver: The cryptic British world of precious metals, their hallmarks, assays, and guilds

2026-01-0946:57

La dictée: How did a school spelling test become a French obsession and symbol of Frenchness?

2026-01-0256:33

The Christmas Tale Face-Off: A Christmas Carol or Les Misérables?

2025-12-2535:43

The Christmas Drink Face-Off: Indulgent Irish Cream or astringent coupe de champagne?

2025-12-2441:37

The Christmas Telly Face-Off: Reithian British Monument or Gallic social satire?

2025-12-2351:11

The Christmas Carol Face-Off: Pre-Raphaelite Poetry or Socialist Manifesto?

2025-12-1927:48

The Christmas Treat Face-Off: Quality Street or marrons glacés?

2025-12-1742:45

The Christmas Chart-Topper Face-Off: Beguiling Pop or Kitsch Cosiness?

2025-12-1241:26

Metal Detectors: What goes 'beep beep' all over the land and is typically British? The gentle army of treasure seekers hoping to find an Anglo-Saxon hoard!

2025-12-0501:02:43

French Politicians and Clairvoyants: The French worship Reason and critical thinking, don't they? So why do Presidents (and mayors), who serve the French Republic, love the occult so much?

2025-11-2853:26

The British Tax Year: The French tax year is aligned on the calendar year, but not the British. Why not? Popes, Catholicism, the Reformation!

2025-11-2157:01

Greatest Play Ever! Britain vs France, part 2. The Bald Prima Donna - Zany Avant-Garde on the Paris Left Bank

2025-11-1451:44

Greatest Play Ever! Britain vs France, part 1. The Mousetrap - Agatha Christie's Not So Cosy West End Whodunnit

2025-11-0753:23

The Paris Catacombs: palace of death, gigantic memento mori and a way of solving the problem of excess bones

2025-10-3101:02:21

The Real Making of Britain and France: A myth-busting, panoramic trip through time and space with our guest, the historian Graham Robb!

2025-10-2458:22

Rhyming Slang: A distinctly British and creative code that's definitely not 'brown bread'

2025-10-1757:51

00:00

Metal Detectors: What goes 'beep beep' all over the land and is typically British? The gentle army of treasure seekers hoping to find an Anglo-Saxon hoard!

#box-pro-ellipsis-177047150674394{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Metal Detectors: What goes 'beep beep' all over the land and is typically British? The gentle army of treasure seekers hoping to find an Anglo-Saxon hoard!

Metal Detectors: What goes 'beep beep' all over the land and is typically British? The gentle army of treasure seekers hoping to find an Anglo-Saxon hoard!

Metal Detectors: What goes 'beep beep' all over the land and is typically British? The gentle army of treasure seekers hoping to find an Anglo-Saxon hoard!