Slimbridge Dowsing Group

THE Get Grubby Gang isn’t as formidable as it sounds.

In fact, after they left, we all said, “What a super bunch of kids!”

As part of the Gloucester Wildlife Watch, their leader Val Box asked if we could show the Gang how to dowse.

We were delighted, because youngsters take to dowsing more quickly than adults.

So we made a date - Sunday, July 19 - and hoped for good weather.

The forecast was for heavy rain, but we had not a cloud in the sky and warm sunshine!

We forgot to ask for the wind machine to be switched off, but it was still hot.

So we welcomed the Gang - and several parents - with cups of tea, healthy cold drinks and not-so-healthy biscuits, gave everyone a pair of dowsing rods, and some simple instructions on how to use them.

Earlier we had placed a £2 coin somewhere in the Slimbridge village hall for them to find by dowsing, and eight Slimbridge WWT badges left over from our Open Day there in May.

And you know what?

They dowsed and found every single one of them!

The plan was to then take them to the Glebe Field behind Slimbridge Church to dowse for an underground stream, amongst other things.

However, some cows, calves and a bull beat us to it, and left several ‘messages’ that didn’t bear thinking about.

Fortunately, we were offered access to an alternative field, where there were Iron Age encampments to be found (700 BC until the Romans came in AD 43), and a Roman Road, villas and outbuildings (AD 43 to when the Romans left in AD 410.)

And find them they did!

SDG members led the youngsters in asking ‘Please show me where there was a wall of a Roman building’; ‘How many storeys did this building have – One? Two? Three?’; ‘Was it made of brick?’ (Yes); ‘Was the roof made of tiles?’ (Yes); and ‘Is there a well nearby?’ (Yes, definitely!)

It was a history lesson as well as a dowsing lesson, and the Gang loved it.

Poppy said it was their best meeting ever, and Slimbridge Dowsers decided it was one of our best meetings ever too!

Next meeting Thursday, August 13 - Peter Knight on Stolen Images: Pagan Symbolism in Church Architecture.

All welcome.