A metal-detectorist pensioner was left speechless after a hoard of gold coins discovered in Lenham, Kent, sold for more than £100,000. Tony Asquith unearthed what looked like “a pile of chocolate buttons”. After putting on his glasses, he realised he had discovered 35 gold coins dating back to around 55 BCE – a time when Julius Caesar had already conquered Gaul and was attempting to conquer Britain. Asquith, who has been a detectorist for 45 years, said: “I am speechless at the result and can’t believe it.”
Kent Online (Richard Fearn)
A seat with a view
Not even the Highland port town of Cromarty can escape Britain’s plague of fly-tipping it seems. A smart office chair has been left on a jetty overlooking the sea in “the UK’s most remote fly-tip”. Locals are concerned that the seat has been permanently abandoned. “It has the best view in Cromarty,” said harbour officials, who have asked the owner to retrieve the discarded piece of furniture.
Metro (Michael Meadowcroft)
Stand by tree
Oasis fans who missed out on tickets for the band’s reunion tour can instead see their heroes… at a scarecrow festival. Straw versions of Liam and Noel, dubbed Scarecr-Oasis, were created by residents as the Great Paxton Scarecrow Festival returned to Cambridgeshire. “Over the years, there have been some real stand-out ones and some hilarious ones,” said committee member Rachael Martin, 43.
BBC (Amanda Welles)
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This article appears in the 02 Oct 2024 issue of the New Statesman, The fury of history