Paul Renucci - Webmaster
Story given to "The Evening News and Star" local paper.

Story background from webmaster Paul.

The discovery, and the mystery of the camera lens, that sees what the human eye cannot.
Following our usual Wednesday night dive, we returned to our club with our booty from the bottom of the lake. Bottles, money and tools.

In the club, the beer was good and the conversation light and easy until a coin was passed around by one of the members. I had just purchased a new digital camera and used it's macro lens to zoom in on the scrolls we could all see.

Those scrolls, under the camera lens simply did not show. In their place an ugly face appeared instead. I tried normal lens settings but no change, then one of my dive buds (from my now former club) asked what was the matter?
I explained and he took a look, the others took a look and pretty soon we were getting annoyed with each other for being stupid - simply put - some of us could see quite clearly the face, whilst the others stated we were seeing things because all they could see were scrolls. There are no scrolls when viewed under the camera's digital view finder we exclaimed! The others refused and remained abstinent that all they could see were scrolls!

The following Sunday, things began to happen. First, the buddy carrying the coin had his car lights fail. Then the trailer carrying cylinders blew a tyre. Then I was given the coin that Sunday to show the press. Within four hours I had serious stomach pains which remained all day and night accompanied with diarrhoea.

On Monday, I see the Doctor. Tests and sample taken. I don't get ill, especially like this. The press in the meanwhile call round the same day, Monday and take the photos and story. Test results from Doc's come back on Wednesday. They have no idea why my stomach and other parts are acting like this! That Wednesday night it's dive night with the club and I am pleased to hand over the coin to it's owner.

By the end of that night my stomach and other parts are back to normal as though nothing had happened. The person with the coin starts having problems. Other dive buds take the coin, more problems, the face of the coin is then ground down a few days later and the ugly face on it has gone. When asked why that person ground off the top of the coin he gave no reason.

"NEWS AND STAR"

Dated : February 19th, 1997

Exact transcript from the paper follows:

MEMBERS of Penrith Divers Club came across a devilish discovery in august of last year. Paul Renucci, of Carlisle, with G##### B##### and P### H###, Penrith, were diving at Ullswater when they uncovered an old coin. Although at first they thought there was nothing unusual about it, they later discovered its darker side. Mr Renucci says that the men are a bit concerned about their find. Looking at it with the naked eye all that can be seen is a black scroll, but using a camera to zoom in on it reveals an evil face. He says that when diving the men look around to see what they can find, usually one pound coins, so when they found this one they didn't think there was anything unusual. "When we got back to the club and used the camera lens to enlarge it we saw the face. "it looks masculine, and if it had horns would have thought it was a devil. It also has something coming out of its mouth like a very long tongue."

The coin has caused a strange reaction amongst the men, as none of them wants to keep it. "It's hard to explain the feeling about the coin as no-one seems to want it probably because the face is spooky." Mr Renucci is so intrigued by the coin that tonight he will be meeting John Story, of Anthorn, who specialises in King Arthur and the Roman era.

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