I enjoyed watching the workmen dig the trenches across the Leicestershire field as they prepared the ground for a new motorway. They invited me to jump down into a small pit where they had piled up interesting objects discovered during the excavations.

Most of the debris comprised pre-decimal coins from the twentieth century. However, I also recognised some Roman currency, and several heart-shaped silver coins stamped with the word “Prague” or “Antigua”.

When I asked what the workmen what they planned to do with all this treasure, they replied “We always give our finds away to the tinkers who live in the hills”.