I had to retire from the job I loved about 14 years ago because I was diagnosed with a serious degenerative neurological disorder. I was totally lost and quickly reached the state where I didn't go out of the house.
In order to help me get over this my wife, who is always trying everything she can to help me, bought me a metal detector, a Fisher CZ7a. It worked and I started going out with the detector whenever I felt we'll enough.
Over the following years I've had some good spells and some really bad ones, putting me back in hospital. This year,2012, was not very good for me health wise and I have been feeling quite low.
In July I suggested to my wife that I get a new detector. She as always was very supportive and started looking through the Internet. She came across the Joan Allen web site, which was the company I had purchased the Fisher machine off and told me there was a competition to win a new detector. She told me not to get excited because there were a lot of entries but the web site would keep me occupied whilst I was at home.
She also ordered some books on detecting. Sitting at home, on my own one morning the postman delivered one of the books about beach detecting. This got me thinking and I again looked at the Joan Allen web site. It said the draw for the detector was to be made that day. I had a good read at both the book and the site and again began thinking about what detector to buy, money being a big factor!
My wife came home late evening and started looking at the Internet, I was still feeling a bit low and was lying down. She said, "have you looked at the Joan Allen web site?" I told her I had earlier and she said, "It says here the winner of the detector is YOU!" I shot up out of the chair and was like a child on Christmas Eve. I could not believe my luck and the list of coincidences.
The next day I phoned the company and they told me I had won the new Minelab CTX 3030, I really could not believe it until a parcel arrived a few days later.
This has given me such a boost, it's a wonderful detector and I go out and use it whenever I can. I've found many amazing things with the detector but the most amazing thing I've found is the will to go on and enjoy my detecting with an awesome detector all thanks to my wife and Joan Allen Detectors.
The photo is of a nine carat gold wedding ring I found after three days searching in the rain with my Minelab CTX 3030.
Thank you both for giving me so much.
Les - Wales, UK