Credit Where Credit's Due

I don't like to criticise. My son and my daughter in law have worked in television for some time and I know how damaging to morale criticism can be (especially when it is not justified). But if you read this blog you'll know that I did have a bit of a go at the BBC's Sherlock Holmes last week after the terrible Hound Of The Baskervilles episode. I ended my criticism by saying that I hoped that the next week's show would be better and I have to say that it most certainly was. A devilish battle of wits between the genius criminal mastermind Moriarty and the genius sleuth Holmes was great entertainment and so much more in the spirit of Conan Doyle. There were two great performances; Cumberbatch was, as ever, perfect in the role of the flawed genius detective and Andrew Scott was almost Shakespearean in his depiction of the villainous Moriarty. So well done to all involved - it was good to see the programme back on track after the previous week's disappointment and the BBC must be delighted with the amazing publicity that the fate of Sherlock has brought - there was even a discussion on PM on Radio 4 this afternoon.

Andrew Scott - A Perfect Moriarty

Remember this? It's my Roman gold bracelet clasp and two bracelet links that I found with my metal detector last summer. It's now in line for "Find Of The Year" on the UK Detector Net website and I could find myself the proud owner of a year's subscription to Treasure Hunting magazine. Voting closes on Friday so if you haven't voted yet you can vote here. I didn't vote for my find but quite a lot have done and, it was ahead last time I looked.


I haven't been detecting for over a month now but I got an email last week from a man in East Lancashire who said that his wife had lost her wedding and engagement rings in the garden and asked if I could help her to try and find them. I set out the following day. When I arrived at the house the young woman said that she had lost "a ring"(her husband had said two). When I asked if it was two she said it was but she was extremely vague. Our conversation went something like this.


'So when did you lose the ring(s)?'


'I don't know but it can't have been long ago as we only got married in December'


'So you didn't suddenly realise that you weren't wearing them.'


'No. I could have lost them anytime. I noticed last week.'


'So you don't know that you lost them in the garden?'


'No but I've looked everywhere else and can't find them'


As you might imagine, I didn't have a great deal to go on but I spent an hour plodding up and down the small patch of back garden. There were at least three enormous iron manhole covers plus a big metal trampoline in the garden so the detector could not perform easily near them. It also seemed that there was a big pipe or cable running near the garage so that was out of bounds too. This left an area the size of a couple of decent rooms. I found plenty of bits of foil, nails and builders waste (it was a newish house) but no sign of any elusive rings. The woman was very pleasant but I just wasn't convinced that the ring or rings were lost in her garden and felt that there was another explanation to their disappearance. Oh well. At least I tried. Last time this happened many years ago the vicar of a parish where I sometimes go detecting asked for help with his lost wedding ring and I was delighted when it turned up on the vicarage lawn.  

Before we head up to Scotland we've got another cinema visit tomorrow. Our favourite cinema FACT in Liverpool has invited me and Marion to a preview of Leonardo Dicaprio's latest film J. Edgar. We're always delighted to go to FACT and, it's great to get the chance to see a big movie like this before it goes on general release as we can see it with no preconceived opinions formed by the reviews. And, as we were so impressed last week, we can go and have a snack at Leaf before the film.