Last month, I was lucky enough to enjoy two metal detecting outings with my daughter, and she found some interesting relics. Click on the photos above to see enlarged images.

First we have a child’s toy cannon from a time when it was considered safe and normal to give a young child a model cannon, some black powder, and a match. You can still see the touch hole where you would set the match to fire the cannon!

Next we have a small bell, which perhaps hung around the neck of a sheep. If you look closely you can see the hole where a bar (now missing) was inserted to hold the clapper.

Finally, we have an old poker. As we were digging, it became evident that there had been quite a lot of camping on the field. Among ashes and charcoal, Audrey found what seems to have been the handle of a little shovel, but was being used as a poker when it was lost while tending a fire some decades ago.

As I’ve said before, I find so much to enjoy in metal detecting—whether it’s thinking about the people who used these objects, or getting the chance to share my hobby with others, in this case my daughter.