Finders Weepers
Bus driver Jimmy Hyland thought he’d struck lucky last week after he unearthed a massive DIAMOND whilst digging on the beach near his home at cromer, Norfolk. unable to believe his luck, Hyland pocketed the glittering 7-inchlong gem and took it to get it valued at his local museum.
However, his dreams of taking early retirement and going on a luxury world cruise with the £10million proceeds of his find took a blow when curators told him his “diamond” was actually a worthless Coca-Cola bottle!
“Icouldn’tbelieveit,” Jimmytoldhis local paper the Cromer & Sheringham Inquisitor. “I was certain what I’d found was a giant diamond - at least
Jimmy’s £10million jewel find turns sour
500 carats. I thought the museum staff were trying to pull the wool over my eyes so I’d give it to them for their collection.” Determined to get a second opinion on his find, he took the priceless jewel to London and showed it to one of the biggest diamond experts in Hatton Garden, the capital’s famous gem district.
hole
Sadly, the dealer only confirmed what Hyland had already been told. “He pointed out that my diamond had a flat bottom and a sort of neck with a hole in it at the top,” he said. “And it also had the words ‘CocaCola written up the side.”
“He said it wasn’t worth a ha’penny, never mind ten million pounds.”
This isn’t the first time that Jimmy - nicknamed “Tr e a s u r e Hyland” by fellow bus drivers - has been disappointed after happening upon hoards of valuables in the Cromer area.
In 2005 Jimmy made the local paper after finding a “9th Century Saxon brooch” on the pavement outside Peter’s Bakery in the town centre, which later turned out to be a flattened foil dish from a custard tart.
In 1999 he appeared on BBC local news show Look East after discovering a “Sutton Hoo Viking helmet” stuck down the back seat of his bus. This was later identified by a viewer as a Milletts beartrapper-style hat.
In 1994 archaeologists from the British Museum identified fourteen “12th Century handcarved walrus ivory chess-pieces” that Hyland found whilst excavating foundations for his shed as some white dog shits.
cloth tit
But even though his dreams of a £10million windfall have been cruelly dashed for now, the 61-year-old father of two hasn’t given up hope. “When I’m out in the bus, I’m ready to pull over at a moment’s notice if I spot a bit of treasure lying about on my route,” he told the paper.
“You never know when you might strike lucky with a pirate’s treasure chest loaded with pieces of eight and Spanish doubloons, some crown jewels or a Tutunkhamen death mask,” he added.