Meet the mini treasure hunter with a passion for digging up the past.
Four-year-old Harley-Rose Williams from Brechin loves nothing better than going out with a metal detector and she’s become the talk of her nursery class!
That’s because Harley-Rose dug up a medal commemorating Queen Victoria’s 60th Diamond Jubilee shortly after taking up what has become a family hobby.
The amazing find on farmland has only increased Harley-Rose’s daily demands to her parents to head out every evening to go in search of buried treasure!
Describing the moment she found the treasure, mum Lorna said: “My husband Carl and I took Harley-Rose Williams out for an evening of metal detecting – or treasure hunting as she calls it.
“We were graciously given permission to access local fields in the area by the Cessford family, and it was in these fields that we made a fantastic discovery.
“Guided by my daughter, who took great delight in digging up the buried treasure, we found what we believe to be a medal commemorating Queen Victoria’s 60th Diamond Jubilee.
“Although missing the clasp fixture, it is still in otherwise a good and well-preserved condition.
“The inscriptions are still relatively clear to read and date the memorable dates of her birth, 1819, crowned Queen 1838, married in 1840 and the year of the Diamond Jubilee 1897.
To find this medal from Queen Victoria’s 60th Jubilee on the year of our Queen’s 70th jubilee is really something special and memorable.”
Lorna Williams
“When we told Harley-Rose what exactly we had found, she was ecstatic, as she had been learning about The Queen’s current platinum jubilee at nursery.
“Over the last few weeks she has spoken about nothing else, pointing out all the Union Jacks and the bunting in the square that was put up for the local events.
“Even her nursery had been preparing a picnic celebration, which she unfortunately had to miss.
“However finding this medal made up for it and she hasn’t stopped talking about it since!
“To find this medal from Queen Victoria’s 60th Jubilee on the year of our Queen’s 70th jubilee is really something special and memorable.”
Lorna said the look of joy in her daughter’s eyes was unforgettable and it has ignited a passion to continue to go back out in the evenings to make more history.
Harley-Rose has also taken the relic in to show her Edzell Nursery classmates, which has proved a special encore to many weeks spent learning about the jubilee.
So how did the Brechin family become interested in metal detecting?
Lorna said it has been a hobby of husband Carl’s for as long as she can remember and was something she got into herself when she was pregnant with Harley-Rose.
Carl would go out with his metal detector and Lorna would join him for a walk.
She quickly started to see what all the fuss was about and soon had her own!
It’s only recently that Harley-Rose has expressed a desire to follow in her dad’s footsteps, although finding available or suitable land can be difficult.
That’s why being granted access to the Cessford farmland between Brechin and Arbroath has proved a godsend – and – on the evidence of the recent find – could well be a patch which will throw up some more hidden goodies in the months ahead.
It’s a hobby which ticks so many other boxes too in an age where so many kids are now glued to a mobile phone or computer games.
Fresh air and exercise are among those benefits.
It’s also a family-friendly activity that young and old can enjoy.
Special place in the memory box
So what’s next for the young Angus treasure hunter?
Lorna says her daughter will continue metal detecting, although she stresses it’s not about making money but finding connections to the past.
As for the Queen Victoria medal?
It would fetch a two-figure sum on an online marketplace but the only place it’s going is straight into Harley-Rose’s memory box.
A memento from a very special day at the start of her treasure hunting journey.
All that’s left is for the final word (or words) from the young lady herself.
“Can we go out treasure hunting again tonight, mum?”
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