So Where Do We Begin?

It's a very long story that harks way back about 30 years ago now, I was still at school, I wasn't a particularly sociable person, a trait that has stayed within me to this very day. Drumming came into my life at the age of 6 and the focus on both music and drums kept me occupied, the idea of hanging out with friends was a waste of time to me. I tend to find people that enjoy their own company have a habit of finding pursuits that give them the space they feel they need. Detecting came into my life because of my Dad, a unique man that always veered away from 'the normal', mentioned in passing the idea of how interesting metal detecting could be. This short and somewhat fleeting conversation sparked a distinct interest in the idea of the unknown and the "Otherworldly Possessions" that could be hidden under the very ground we walk on. The memory is hazy but it wasn't long before we purchased a detector from the store 'Radio Shack', the model was a Micronta 3001, I remember convincing myself that this specific detector was the best thing since sliced bread. 

Micronta 3001 Metal Detector

The anticipation to get this thing home and starting my treasure hunting quest was almost uncontrollable, my mind started racing with the possibilities of what could be hidden in my local woods and on the school playing fields. If I remember correctly the machine had a threshold hum with a few other knobs thrown in for good measure and a needle that moved up and down a number scale depending on the type of metal it picked up. On my first outing, that was rather uneventful to say the least, I remember the constant threshold tone was really off putting, the pitch was actually very similar to the tinnitus I now suffer from because of my drumming. Despite the machines inability to find the best part of nothing, I still got a huge amount of pleasure swinging this thing. It goes without saying that I found nothing with this machine other than a boatload of trash ..... but ..... hey! ..... this was not going to put me off and my interest in metal detecting only magnified as time went by. Thinking back, if it wasn't for this detector I might never have got into the hobby, it goes to show that everything has its time and place, I may not of found treasure with this detector, however I did find a an amazing pastime that would be with me for years to come. 

I hatched a plan pretty quickly to write a letter to all the major metal detecting brands around the world asking if they could send me their brochures. I remember the feeling of excitement when, one by one, large envelopes with my name on them came falling through the letter box, I can't remember exactly how many I received but it was a fair pile. I'd spend hours looking through them at all the different metal detectors, back then I'd never seen anything like it, I found the beach machines very intriguing, they looked like something out of Doctor Who and browsing through the gold prospecting machines got me thinking about real buried treasure. The brand that stood out to me the most was Fisher, I remember being attracted to, the now iconic, black and gold finish and their machines just looked really cool. How the hell was I going to be able to afford one? it was a real conundrum. If I was going to save my pocket money I calculated that I'd be middle age before I'd get anywhere near to being able to afford one. Once again I can't remember exactly how it came about but one weekend my dad took me to "Joan Allen Metal Detectors", a company that are synonymous with the metal detecting industry both here and abroad. 

On the journey down I was secretly hoping that I was going to come away with my 'dream machine', arriving at the shop I remember being mesmerised with all the different detectors hanging on the walls. All of a sudden all those machines I'd stared at for hours flicking through all the brochures were now here to pick up and touch. Out of all the companies, the Fisher detectors still came across as things of beauty.  Picking a few of the different models up and giving them a swing, they were a million miles away from the Micronta 3001 detector. These machines were perfectly balanced, light and due to the arm cuff, something that really fascinated me, I could see myself swinging one for hours on end. I remember my dad was asking lots of questions about the specific models and makes, again, this is where my memories get a little hazy. But after a few more questions and explanations given by the guy in the shop my dad abruptly said, "we'll take this one". Within a matter of seconds I was the now the proud owner of the Fisher 1265x metal detector. 

Fisher 1265x