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Lucky dog-walker finds £12k diamond under hedge

A lucky dog-walker has found a £12,000 diamond under a hedge, more than four months after it was shot into space as part of publicity stunt.

Allan Bell was out walking his two dogs Rosie and Dylan along a country path in the village of Brattleby in Lincolnshire, when one of them got a ‘scent of something’ and darted under a hedge.

The 75-year-old retired lorry driver said springer spaniel Rosie was ‘scrabbling about’ for 10 minutes before she dragged a package attached to a limp orange parachute out from the hedgerow.

The diamond was floated from a 'secret field' in Derbyshire, up to around 100,000 feet - the edge of space – in a helium balloon, on 7 August this year.

The original plan was for the balloon to pop and for the diamond to be parachuted back to earth for the lucky finder to keep.

But during the descent, the GPS signal was momentarily lost, with nobody knowing where it landed – although it was believed to be within five miles of the village of Lea in Lincolnshire, which is ten miles from Brattleby.

Since then, treasure hunters had flocked to the area to search for the gem, but it wasn’t found.

That was until 23 December, when Mr Bell got a huge Christmas surprise.
As soon as I heard about this diamond landing around these parts I kept my eyes out for it - but never in a moment did I think I would ever find it.

I was walking Rosie and Dylan along and Rosie suddenly darted under a hedge and got a hold of something big.

She took about 10 minutes dragging it out from under the hedge and I saw that it was covered in mud and leaves.

I didn't fancy carrying it for the rest of the walk, so decided to leave it until we walked back along the road on our way home.

- Allan Bell
It was only 30 minutes later that it hit him that the package could be the one that had been sent into space containing a diamond, so he rushed back to get it.

He and his wife Pat opened up the package at home, and told the company they had found the diamond.
I couldn't believe it when we opened it up - you could have knocked me down with a feather.

I suppose if I led a glamorous lifestyle I would be wearing it out and about in all the best places, but I don't lead a rip-roaring lifestyle, so such a beautiful diamond might be wasted on me.

Allan got me a lovely bracelet for my Christmas, but this diamond has trumped it - just a bit!

- Pat Bell
The pair, who are celebrating their silver wedding anniversary this year, said they would 'probably' sell the gem and use the money to go on a Mediterranean cruise.

Allan also said the dogs would be getting a treat too.
Both the dogs will get something special. I imagine a rib-eye steak would go down well - it's the least they deserve.

- Allan Bell
Article and photographs here...

http://www.itv.com/news/central/2014...d-under-hedge/

What a lovely Christmas and Silver Wedding Anniversary surprise!

Your comments and views:
Losos
Fondly Remembered
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,529
Male 
 
30-12-2014, 01:03 PM
It would be nice to read more stories like this and less of the horrors of ignorant uneducated morons and their pet cruelty.
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Malka
Dogsey Veteran
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 18,088
Female  Diamond Supporter 
 
30-12-2014, 01:22 PM
Unfortunately there are only too many of the latter and too few of the former.
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CaroleC
Dogsey Senior
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 939
Female 
 
30-12-2014, 07:26 PM
Amazing, that is just like a fairy story. What a lovely anniversary present. Well done Rosie!
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