1/2: I first spotted this tile fragment lying upside-down on the foreshore, showing only that bold lettering. Turning it over, it all made sense - it was part of a Minton floor tile, made in Stoke-upon-Trent.

1/3: One of my most exceptional recent pipe finds - and I only found it when I stopped my searching and moved a few metres inshore to take out my water bottle for a drink. It was then that I spotted a pipe stem sticking out, and looking closer, saw there was a bowl at the end...

1/2: I recognised immediately that this fragment was from an Uncle Tom's Cabin plate - a popular subject for children's china, as the book caused a sensation when published in 1852, becoming the best-selling novel of the 19th century, and exerting enormous influence on the anti-slavery movement.

1/3: Spotted while searching the foreshore one evening - it was just lying there nestled between the bricks, revealed on an ebbing tide...

Here's a ballgown idea for the Mudlark's Gala! Seen at a recent exhibition of Chinese craft at Somerset House.

1/2: A fish-scale pattern clay pipe, revealed by the tide; follow the thread to see it being rescued...

Another alley gob for my collection, found on the Thames foreshore - but look at the rich multi-coloured glaze of this one; I think it might be my favourite! These ceramic cubes were from a street game known as Alley Gobs, Five Stones etc, and came in many colours.

I was rather pleased when I excavated an edge of china protruding through the mud to discover this - an intricately-painted large fragment of delftware plate rim. It's about 12cm across, and relatively fine in thickness, not chunky like most such pieces I find, and certainly more detailed!

1/2: A magic pipe patch and a mystery man.... An evening low tide revealed a small patch with several clay pipes, including two decorated ones! The first turned out to be a badly broken claw pipe, but when I knelt down to look at that, I spotted another, potentially even more interesting one ...

1/3: What's this!? I wasn't entirely surprised at finding this little ornamental squirrel on the Thames foreshore, because this was the same patch where I found the owl and ornament hoard last year - follow the thread to see...

1/2: A belated mention of the marvellous mudlarking exhibition at London Museum Docklands at the end of September. Here I am at my table, and in front of the dramatic foreshore installation by Juliet Williams. See my next post for close-up photos of those display cases...

Isn't she lovely... this German 1800s doll's head is particularly winsome. The second photo shows how I found her, on one of the recent low evening tides, in an area which isn't often exposed.

1/2: When you spot a stoneware inkwell in the mud and the lip is intact, you KNOW that it's going to be complete. These penny inkwells are so compact and strong that usually the only bit that ever gets broken is that exposed lip. Follow the thread to see that it's true...

1/2: Mammoth marble! I'd never seen such a large marble before... This photo shows how I found it, among the stones at the tideline of the Thames. Follow the thread for a closer look.

1/3: When I spotted this on the Thames foreshore, I could see that it was part of a clay pipe; looking closer, I saw there was an interesting spur at the base, and some 'thorns' on the bowl - but how complete would it be?

1/3: I was delighted when I excavated a china fragment and saw it was part of a Pratt Ware pot lid! Not only because these have exquisitely detailed and coloured transferware scenes, but because they're identifiable...

1/3: A complete pipe! And I made it myself... This was at the Society for Clay Pipe Research conference in August in Hull. One member brought his pipe-making equipment - and even made a special commemorative stamp for our pipes! KuH26 means Kingston upon Hull 2026, and below that is the SCPR logo.

This Saturday, Sept 26, I'll be exhibiting at the mudlarking weekend at London Museum Docklands. Dozens of mudlarks will be there showing their finds. It's all free! I'll also bring a few of my latest finds that I haven't shown here yet. It's on all weekend, but I'll be there Saturday only.

1/3: A decorated clay pipe bowl poking through the Thames foreshore - have a closer look; what do you think it's going to be? It certainly wasn't what I was expecting!

This little white cat was waiting for me up by the riverwall on the Thames foreshore. I don't keep many plastic toys, but this one is so full of character, I'll find a place for it!

1/2: You won't believe what was inside this plain pot! As explained in my commentary, I only dug out the pot for the pleasure of excavation, and I thought another mudlark nearby might want it. But when I started to empty out the mud inside, something with a scaly pattern started to emerge...

Isn't this vintage marble just exquisite - the shades of a Cornish sea, perhaps, with white swirls the shape of waves. Found on the Thames foreshore; it's quite battered by the river, but that doesn't seem to matter when the colour goes right to its core!

1/3: Here's some recent clay pipe finds from the Thames foreshore: firstly, this very nice 'bulldog' pipe. In tidy condition and with the bowl still full of mud, this looked like it was freshly eroded out of the mud. This design dates c. 1880-1920.

1/3: China from the Express Dairy Co is a common find on the Thames foreshore - but this is an unusually large fragment - half a plate, with the full logo intact!

1/3: Can you see what's special about these pipe stems? Yes, they're from Elizabeth Spaull, clay pipe maker of Grange Walk, Bermondsey. I've always wanted to find one of her pipes, but for the moment I've found two pieces of her stems...

1/3: This was a lovely thing to come across, lying face-up on the Thames foreshore. It's a large fragment of a plate, with a flying bird...

1/2: An unusual find on the Thames foreshore - a wooden chess piece! It has traces of dark paint, so was probably originally painted black.

1/3: I spotted what looked like a clay pipe half-hiding under some ship staples on the foreshore; when I pushed them aside, I was delighted to see that the clay pipe was a decorated one...

1/3: After a fairly unproductive few hours on the Thames foreshore, I was just returning to the river stairs when I spotted something unexpected directly in my path...

I took this brick from the Thames foreshore thinking it'd be a perfect gift for a couple with the initials E and M. I think I've now found a suitable candidate to offer it as a surprise... (The E & M initially stood for the brickmakers Emerson and Milner of County Durham.)