Metal detecting is often associated with unearthing ancient treasures, but a growing community of detectorists in the UK is dedicated to finding lost belongings of living people. Morley Howard, 52, from Burnham-on-Sea, launched the National Ring Recovery Service in 2013 after a chance encounter on a beach. A newlywed man had lost his wedding band, and Howard found it within half an hour. The emotional reunion inspired him to expand his efforts.
Howard first bought a metal detector at a car boot sale 15 years ago, selling it for a profit and upgrading to a modern version. He quickly became hooked, spending hours on the beach. In 2012, a panicked man approached him after losing his wedding ring. Howard located it in 30 minutes, and the experience moved him to tears, recalling his own loss of his father's wedding ring months earlier.
Howard's Facebook group, Detecting Somerset, grew into a national network of volunteers. They search for items like car keys, hearing aids, and sentimental jewellery. One search took five days to find gold teeth lost when a man fell into a slurry pit; they were eventually found tangled in ivy. Howard, a full-time carer for his son with cystic fibrosis, cannot travel far, so he relies on volunteers across the country.
The service is free and altruistic. According to a 2019 study, Brits lose around 7.9 billion items annually, spending 110 days of their lifetime searching. Howard's team helps alleviate that stress. “It’s the pressure, the relief, the smiles, the tears … It’s beautiful,” he says. The Facebook group now has thousands of members, all dedicated to reuniting people with their lost treasures.
