Monday, 17 April 2023

"Watching The Detectorists".

 To paraphrase an Elvis Costello song - "Watching The Detectives".   

Incidentally  I once saw him at Glastonbury music festival in 1989.  

We  have watched the three series over again.  Talk about TV Heaven.  I would say it's probably one of the finest and gentlest comedy programmes ever made on British television.  It's almost spiritual It's so mystical and meaningful.

The music in the programme is wonderful especial the theme tune and Magpie by The Unthanks who I once wrote about on here when we saw them play the INEC in Killarney.

I fell in love with the scenery and the characters and I would love to visit Suffolk one day and visit the filming locations.

Apparently the dream Hobbit like lodge house they bought at auction burnt down in real life and the village hall were the detectorists held the meetings was demolished and they had to make a mock up one for the final series.

Like all good things it had to come to an end.  I thought it was marvellous!

Metal Detectors are not allowed in Ireland.  I would like  to comb the beaches with one.  Apparently the powers that be believe that ancient treasure should be left where it is.  What do you think?

Years ago I had a TR200 C scope metal detector.  I never found any thing of any intrinsic valuable but I did find lots of ring pulls, modern coins and the  foil paper from Benson and Hedges cigarette  packets and a few pounds of lead water pipe in derelict house sites.

I suppose detectoring is live fishing, you are always dreaming of hooking that Leviathan but you know deep down you never will?

If you have never seen Detectorists, please watch it   You're in for a treat!

Here's a video of the theme tune from the series:


Here's The Unthanks singing Magpie:


I would love to see them again here in Ireland.   Their clog dancing is sublime.  Proper lasses.


18 comments:

  1. I loved the Detectorists . Gentle and funny with characters we could all recognise from our own lives.

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  2. Really MUST get round to watching the series especially after they filmed a bit of the Christmas Special in this village

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  3. Totally agree JayCee. I so wish they would make more series.

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  4. Gosh. Suffolk looks a beautiful place Sue.

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  5. I agree with you, just beautifully made, spiritual and witty. Mackenzie Crook is a genius, it really is one of the best programs ever made. I’m in Dorset where we have more Iron Age Forts than you can throw a stick at, I wonder what the ancients left behind. Sandra.

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  6. I agree with you Sandra. It's spiritual and time traveling. Mackenzie must be one incredibly sensitive and deep person. I visited Dorset in 2018 (put DORSET IN blog search) and I fell head over heels with the Hardy novel and film locations. Especially Tess Cottage and Shaftesbury forJude the Obscure .. There's 10000 ring forts and stone circles here in Ireland.

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  7. I've never seen the detectorists, or even heard of it, but it sounds like a wonderful watch. That's an interesting little fact that metal detectors are illegal in your country. What's the harm in digging up a bit of history? We've got one. We haven't much used it though.

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  8. It is wonderful Debby. Similar scenery like The Dig. I think they would rather let treasures rot rather than be found by detectorists. I feel uneasywhen I watch archeology programmes and they excavate cemeteries. I believe people dowse on American battlefield sites?

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    1. My grandfather was a dowser. That is a person who can 'witch' water wells. That is to say that you have someone who can take a forked stick and go around your property looking specifically for water. The stick 'jerks' when water is detected. I'd seen him do it when we had our well drilled, and I was much interested. I don't believe that should be legal, digging in a cemetery. Eek. Here, people use their detectors on the beaches or on public land (or private with permission). I think Tim will be more interested in it, when he has more time to do it.

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    2. Exactly how you describe dowsing Debby. I can also dowse and found our new well. It's purely scientific. Water has a magnetic pull. Willow wands find it so easily. Yes let the dead rest in peace. Totally agree. I think I would have more patience to detectoring now I'm nearly 60. Hope you and Tim find some treasure.👍

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  9. Well now I have to find clog dancing at youtube. It sounds interesting.

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  10. Just put The Unthanks Clog Dancing at the Ritz, Manchester in You Tube River.

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  11. I loved Detectorists for all the reasons you did.

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  12. A TV masterpiece Tom. The best comedy series I have seen for years.

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  13. I'll watch most things with Toby Jones. He's excellent, as was his dad. How many Euros in your piggy-bank Dave? The yellow TR7 is coming up for auction - bids already open. Easy to find online.

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  14. I love Lucy Benjamin the veg artist along with all the other actors and actresses. If I had one wish of tv heaven. It would be they made another series or ten.

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  15. Seems to be a heavier version of tap dancing.

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  16. Industrial workers use to wear Sycamore clogs for work in Welsh slate quarries and Mills in Northern England and clog dancing competitions have been held there ever since their Invention River.

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