Detectorist finds much-loved gift
Thames Valley: Appeal for help turns up missing ring
A young man from
Burnham has expressed his thanks to a keen metal detectorist who went out of her way to find a sentimental ring.
Sam Street, 21, was in the pool at his friend’s home in Hurst in July when he noticed his white gold signet ring, which he wears every day and was given as an 18th birthday present, was no longer on his finger.
After searching the pool, a social media appeal and using a borrowed metal detector to search the surrounding area, Sam was unable to locate the ring.
However, Maidenhead resident Vicky Marsh came to the rescue, bringing her metal detector to Hurst, and finding the ring in about 30 minutes.
Vicky, 63, is currently undergoing treatment for prostate cancer and has been metal detecting since October 2021 as a way of taking her mind off things since losing her job.
She said: “[It is] a real good way of taking my mind off of things and still getting a little bit of exercise.
“The detector’s like my escape route. I can just switch off by just listening.”
Vicky added: “I’ve got so many friends within the metal detecting groups now, [they] know my story, they know about my gender, they help me, they advise me,
they’re absolutely a fantastic group of people.”
In November last year, Vicky extended her metal detecting skills by offering to lend a hand to the public in finding their lost items, free of charge.
On Sam’s reaction, Vicky said: “His face was an absolute picture. I’ll never forget his face.”
Reflecting on the loss of the ring, Sam said: “I was just gutted. Mum and dad were gutted for me as well because I’ve had it since my 18th birthday, but I was so happy when Vicky found it.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I was like there’s no way you’ve just found that so quickly.
“I was shocked but obviously very, very happy.”
He added: “[I want to say] a massive thank you. It was really kind of her that she actually just did it because she wanted to. She said that my reaction was just worth her doing it so [a] massive thank you to Vicky.
“If anyone does need to find anything then definitely give her a call because she was very helpful with me.”
Sam’s mum Louise Street said: “I just wanted to thank her so much for giving up her time to go over there for somebody she’s never met and what a selfless and kind person she is to do that, to go and help somebody.
“We just felt really relieved to have found it and thankful to her for wanting to help a family who she had never met and all she wanted in return was to say ‘can you put a message on Facebook because maybe I’ll get some more detecting out of it’.”
She added: “It actually brought a little tear to your eye because you think when it means so much to somebody to want to help, it says a lot about her as a person and her situation.
“We were absolutely over the moon because it was sentimental.”
Vicky is part of the National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) and goes on detecting rallies with groups including the Midweek Searchers, covering places such as Hampshire and Wiltshire and The Metal Detectives Group, which covers areas including Oxfordshire and Bucks.
But she added that it has been difficult to find places in the local area to detect.
To contact Vicky about places to detect locally, or to enquire about finding a lost item, call her on 07725 833747 or email victoriamarsh detecting@gmail.com