Mudlarks and more

 

Today I want to talk about mudlarks.

Mudlarks were originally children and sometimes robust elderly scavengers in the 17^th and 18^th century combing through the mudflats of the Thames at low tide for things to sell. I suppose they existed elsewhere as well, but the typical mudlark worked the Thames.

As one can imagine, it was a grueling, dirty and dangerous job as the mud wasn't just mud but also raw sewage dotted with the carcasses of animals and even humans. This combined with the chance of getting cut on glass, ceramic shards and bits of metal made the risk of infection quite high. There was also the danger of getting stuck. What looks like somewhat solid ground could be a mud pit that can suck you down, trapping you until the tide comes back in. Unless you had a friend that could pull you loose, you would probably drown.

They did however make a living off it, even though it was a meager one. Interestingly enough, it was possible to state your legal occupation as mudlark as late as 1904 but in 1936 the term had fallen out of fashion.

Until modern times. Mudlarking has become a hobby for some people armed with metal detectors, magnets, radios and sometimes even hovercraft. Most mudlarks don't use anything fancier than metal detectors and magnets, crossing over into the hobby of magnet fishing.

So why do they do it? For fun mostly, but also profit and environmental reasons. When the Hertford Union canal was drained for repairs, the Authority in charge invited several mudlarks to help clean up the waterway by picking up litter. Most of the Victorian junk isn't really that bad for the environment anymore, as the organic stuff has broken down ages ago, and glass and ceramics aren't really a pollutant but they pulled out a lot of plastic as well.

So how do I know all this? A couple of months ago I found a Youtube channel called Si-finds Thames Mudlark. This guy and his friends are passionate mudlarks and he even sometimes dig up Victorian garbage dumps in search of antique glass bottles that he cleans up and sells. The broken ones are cut down, sanded and made into awesome drinking glasses. Check it out if it sounds interesting.

I do have something else to mention today. My wife has started streaming on Twitch, and I want to give her a shout-out. She streams World of Warcraft from the beginning (though she is a veteran) with a brand new account. Do come and check out the adventure at: Twitch.tv/Chelidda 

You can catch her live Mondays and Fridays at 10.30 and Wednesdays at 19.00 GMT. (6.30 am EST and 3.00 pm EST). Come by and check it out, and if you don't feel like chatting, you can always just watch.   

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great and safe week!