It is tremendously important that mudlarks report their finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme in accordance with the terms of their licence, no matter how trivial or mundane they seem,” said Stuart Wyatt, Finds Liaison Officer for the London area, who assesses and records the artefacts found by mudlarks for the PAS. Want to try London’s coolest new hobby? Mudlarking is the quirky riverside activity that Londoners will love – provided you don’t mind getting a little muddy.

Anyone with a permit is allowed legally to go mudlarking on the Thames. It is not recommended however, that anyone goes onto the Thames foreshore unless they have a good understanding of the tides, and local conditions. I found myself feeling that although Mudlarking would perhaps not be for me, I recognised its charms and if I was to don a pair of wellies it would be to spend sometime watching Lara at work and sharing at firsthand the all consuming love she has for this activity.The exhibition, running until Saturday, October 30, is part of the Cathedral’s River Season. This series features a number of mudlarking tours and relevant talks, with visitors able to bring along their own finds to be identified to the celebration on the final day. Firstly a tendency to somewhat absurd flights of fancy (an example being when she holds up some Tudor glass and wonders whether Henry 8th looked through it when pondering Anne Boleyn's future). Firstly, people who are casually searching the Thames foreshore may fail to report significant finds. By regulating mudlarking with permits, it help to protects the historical integrity of the riverbed, and makes it more likely that people will respect the archeological significance of items they find.

A lyrical and evocative narrative history of London and its people, told through objects found on the banks of the Thames by the city's most prominent mudlark This is a wonderful idea since modern day scavenging isn’t for coal, food or items just washed into the river but a history lesson and more akin to river archaeology. What makes this book so special is Lara’s writing and insights. She has that wonderful ability to let her mind wander, way beyond the present, and we follow in her imagination the provenance of her finds. Making up scenarios for how the objects came to be in the river; they have been preserved by the mud and spotted on the foreshore.While I found the writing and the river description, route, clarity to place names upon it- all of that IS exceptional, still! Still, I found most of her tasking while mudlarking becoming insipid. It's me. Too much of the same, too much of the same. Recommended reading for amateur and professional historians and genealogists; archaeologists; aquaphiles; environmentalists; museum lovers and the curious. I always wanted to know more. So When I saw this book, I initially thought it was about these Victorians. It turns out that Ms Maiklem is a very modern mudlark, but that didn't make the book any less fascinating - moving from the tidal head of the Thames to the Estuary, she describes what she finds on the foreshore and tells fascinating stories about the people who lived, worked and died on the river, and whose lost possessions the tides still erode out of the mud. I haven't ever seen a book such as this before and that makes this all the more of a unique experience. I must admit that despite having been to London a few times and enjoyed myself I find big cities rather exhausting given I am a country girl at heart. That said, they offer a prime hunting ground for items that could give valuable insight into the social and urban history of an area populated for centuries and founded by the Romans in 43 AD. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am full of envy for all the wonderful things the author finds on the shore of the Thames.