iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

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.

2223

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

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.

0178

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

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!

1245

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

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!

A small plastic figure of a sitting cat, lying face-up among stones and fallen leaves. It's modern but very characterful and detailed, and the cat has a very relaxed and pleased expression.

The same cat held in my hand, where you can see its relaxed half-smile more clearly.

2241

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

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...

1192

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

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!

An old glass marble lying among the stones of the foreshore; it's a beautiful light sea blue colour, with white swirls running through it.

The same marble held between my fingers for a closer look.

2596

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

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.

1335

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

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!

Part of a small plate poking through the foreshore, with a fine blue band around the rim; you can see part of the blue roundel with the lettering ....SS DAIRY CO....

2201

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

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...

Two fragments of clay pipe stem. One has the lettering E.SP.... visible before it's broken off; the other has the lettering ...PAULL.

2263

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

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...

A patch of stony and sandy foreshore, with a diamond-shaped broken china fragment, the top half of which shows a flying bird (robin-shaped), and at the bottom is a leaf.

1626

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

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.

A wooden chess piece lying in a few millimetres of water on a sandy patch of foreshore.

The same chess piece when dry, held in my hand. It's fairly worn and has obviously been knocked about in the river for some years.

1301

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

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...

3472

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

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...

1202

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

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.)

Photo of a brick lying among stones at the tideline; it's a yellow stock brick with large lettering 'E & M'. The shape of the '&' is particularly characterful.

2280

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Here's a new clay pipe design I haven't seen before! The stem is like a tree branch, leading to some leaves and a flower at the base of the pipe bowl. (The bowl shape tells us that this dates from 1850-1910.)

Photo of a clay tobacco pipe lying in some shallow water on the Thames foreshore.

Photo of the pipe held in my gloved hand - you can now clearly see the design, with the flower and leaves at the base of the pipe bowl.

Photo of the left side of the pipe when clean and dry. It's in fairly good condition except a slight orange stain down this side.

Photo of the right side of the pipe when clean and dry; in very good condition except for a small nick in the rim of the bowl.

1383

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

1/2: When I spotted this red-lettered fragment, I immediately recognised it as being from Spiers and Pond - the great Victorian catering chain that once dominated rail refreshment rooms and ran numerous hotels and venues; now forgotten except when one of these intriguing fragments is found!

Photo of a broken china fragment lying on the Thames foreshore. It's Victorian red transferware with some decorated initials surrounded by banners with names such as Holborn Viaduct, Baileys South Kensington, and others which are broken off.

Photo of a closer view of that fragment.

111617

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

What's this? I was simply doing some garden tidying, clearing away some dead leaves, when I spotted this beautifully painted clay pipe underneath. It was a surprise gift from a friend, Carol, who knows the patch of garden that I look after and had hidden this a couple of weeks earlier!

Photo of a patch of soil with dead leaves, with something painted showing through underneath.

Photo of the painted clay pipe held in my hand after I'd picked it up.

Photo of the pipe when cleaned: the pipe bowl is painted a pearly dark blue-green, with yellow and red painted bands around the rim and another yellow band around the stem.

1240

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

1/2: I wasn't actually mudlarking this time - I was walking a difficult section of the Capital Ring walk. Feeling very frustrated at the local inhospitality, I sat alongside a shallow channelled brook to cool my feet in the water. Then I spotted something underwater on the other side of the brook...

1152

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

1/4: Spotted on the Thames foreshore on a very low tide; at first I thought it was just part of a Victorian figurine, but when I picked it up...

Photo of a small patch of Thames foreshore - in the centre of the stones and sand is the head and bust of a small ceramic figurine, lying on its side.

1283

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

1/3: When I spotted this colourful fragment of pottery on the Thames foreshore, I didn't know what to make of it; to be honest I even wondered if it was something fairly modern, perhaps a European souvenir. It was the only thing I found that day, so I was initially a bit disappointed...

Photo of a patch of foreshore with large stones - nestled among which is a colourful fragment of pottery with some lettering.

Photo of the same fragment held in my gloved hand - you can see all the rich colours - buff, red and green - with the letters AU at the top, scratched in with a multi-pronged instrument, a red band below that, and the top of some green leaves.

1231628

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Another gorgeous blue and white vintage marble! Found unexpectedly in a patch of otherwise very barren shingle, in which I found another marble at the same time. (The other one is a more modern marble in a less pleasing colour, so I'll return it for a future mudlark to find).

Photo of a small wet patch of shingle with a glossy vintage marble, two-thirds blue, one third white.

Photo of the same marble held between my fingers - you can now see that the marble is mostly blue, with a curving white band through the middle.

2694162

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

1/3: A tantalising glimpse of the stem of a decorated clay pipe peeking through the foreshore mud... what's it going to be?

Photo of the stem of a clay pipe bowl peeking through the mud - you can see about an inch of the stem, with the detailed design of a leaf along it.

2392

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

1/3: There was a little clue as to what this clay pipe bowl was going to be - I could already spot one of its 'thorns'... Follow the thread to see if I'm right:

1150

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

1/3: There's a particular patch on the Thames foreshore where I tend to find china marbles. Sadly they're usually rather faded ones, but still a pleasing find. On this occasion I spotted one, picked it up quickly before a wave caught it, then put it down again to photograph...

1190

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

1/3: A curiously-shaped pottery item spotted on the Thames foreshore - and a surprise when I saw the other side! Follow the thread to see it turned over:

1162

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

1/4: About five years ago I found this clay pipe bowl emerging from the Thames foreshore. A while later I learned that this is not just a Turk's Head pipe, but specifically depicts Omar Pasha, famous Ottoman commander in the Crimean War...

1292

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

1/2: This coin find was a surprise - it was lying freshly washed up in a patch that I regularly check, but not for coins. I couldn't miss it, and because of its large size was intrigued as to what I might be...

Close-up photo of a patch of Thames foreshore, with a large coppery old coin lying in the middle alongside old ship nails and stones.

1352

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

1/3: Can you guess what this object is going to be, partially revealed on the Thames foreshore? Follow the thread to see the answer...

Photo of a patch of Thames mud, with a small rounded ceramic object starting to peek through, with the letters R A visible as well as a long curved shape below the letters.

1180

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Here's a nice half of a flower medallion from a Bartmann jug - possibly a larger Bartmann, going by the size of this. Found lying face up on the surface, as in the second photo. The third photo shows its original context!

0280

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

South-east Londoners: this is a talk I'll be doing a talk for the Bexley Archaeological group next week Thursday 21st May. It's open to non-members too - entry is £5. The talk starts at 8.15pm and is held at the Bexley and Sidcup Conservative Club, 19 Station Rd, Sidcup DA15 7EB Info: www.bag.org.uk

0142

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

1/2: When I found this bottle emerging from the Thames foreshore, I was struck by its elegant design and glorious colour. The general consensus is that this is 1930s; it may have been a perfume or cologne bottle...

2301

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

1/2: The bowl of this pipe had been poking out of the mud; I pulled it out quickly thinking it was just a standard plain 1700s pipe. And while it did turn out to be a plain one, it's one of the 'elite' of 1700s pipes - this style has a long pointed spur heel; I consider them the height of elegance.

Photo of a clay pipe lying on the foreshore; it has about 6 inches of stem remaining, and is very elegant in style.

2302

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

1/2: Animal rescue! First, this little china dog - or the front half of it, anyway, found lying on top of the rocks on the Thames foreshore. Note the way tiny china fragments have been used to create the texture of its thick fur.

A small white china dog (a poodle?) lying face-up on top of some stones. It's broken, with only the front half of the dog. It also has a faded reddish collar.

The same china dog held in my hand, showing how small it is - about an inch and a half.

2254

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

A (broken) tree-trunk pipe, or what they would have called a 'rustic' pipe in its time. Instead of a rounded bowl like most rustics (see the one I posted here last week), this bowl has a flat base and straight sides, so it very recognisably resembles a tree stump.

Photo of a pipe bowl and part of its stem, half-lodged in the mud so you can't see what the design is yet...

Photo of the same pipe clean and dry later; there's about an inch of stem remaining, and the pipe bowl itself looks like a tree stump - in its shape and also the bark pattern.

0221

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

1/2: Londoners - ever been to @surreydocksfarm.bsky.social in Rotherhithe? And seen the fascinating display cabinets and curious structures around the site? I'll be leading a tour on Sunday May 24 to explain it all! You can book directly here: surreydocksfarm.org.uk/product/secr...

194

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

1/3: This masonic clay pipe was lying on the surface, in a patch that myself and a friend had apparently already searched. It was only when we were talking about our finds that I spotted it when glancing over my friend's shoulder...

Photo of a small patch of foreshore with a decorated clay pipe bowl lying (still wet, and a bit stained) on its side. The pipe bowl has masonic symbols in relief.

1371

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

1/2: This striking face was staring out from underwater when I found it... It's hand-painted, and is unusually large and thick, so would have been from a large object...

1233

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

1/2: This porringer handle was found lying on the surface as the tide ebbed; the second photo gives a clue as to what it was doing there - it was obviously a reject, after something went wrong in the kiln!

Photo of a ceramic flat handle with a decorative shape and three holes, lying on the mud of the foreshore.

Photo of the same handle, showing that on the left side it's been a bit squashed and is encrusted with rough clay.

1203

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

This pipe bowl was just sitting there, sheltered between the bricks and stones - it had obviously just been washed out of the Thames mud a day or two before. It's a very nice example of what was called a 'rustic' pipe, imitating tree bark or a tree trunk, and probably dates from around 1850-1900.

0263

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

There's a surprise on this mid-1600s clay pipe - it was only after I gave it a clean and closer inspection that I noticed the letter F stamped on its stem, as in the second photo. This is very unusual, so I'll be showing it to the experts for their opinion...

Photo of a broken clay tobacco pipe from the 1600s, with an intact bowl and an inch or two of stem, held in my hand.

Photo of the same pipe from above, so that you can see the top of the stem. There's a crisp serifed letter F stamped into the top of the stem, about a centimetre from the bowl.

0260

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

A beautiful vintage marble, spotted as the tide was receding, and in 'my' colour (the blue half, not the white half).

Photo of a patch of stony foreshore, under a centimetre of water, with a vintage marble - half blue, half white in the middle - its colour standing out from among the grey and reddish-brown rocks.

The same marble held in my hand, showing the blue and white halves.

745824

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

1/4: Aha - a decorated pipe bowl emerging from the mud! But what will it be? I could see the top of a nose on the right, so I thought I knew what it was going to be....

1281

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

1/2: Isn't this pipe bowl a lovely shape? It also has a maker's stamp at the back of the bowl - TRADE MARK with a D in the centre. So, a pipemaker whose name begins with D - that's not actually very helpful...

Photo of a clay tobacco pipe bowl with an elegantly leaning oval shape and a curly heel at its base.

Photo of the same pipe bowl, showing the back of the bowl with a stamped mark - the words TRADE MARK in a circle, and inside the circle is the letter D.

1200

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Here's the rainbow(s) from Monday afternoon, as seen from Rotherhithe looking over to the Isle of Dogs. It was an unusually low rainbow, that started and ended in the river! I went down to where it appears to start, but of course it wasn't there but everywhere...

0160

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

1/3: Ooh, could this be a china marble that I spy underwater?

Photo of something white and round seen lying on the Thames foreshore under a few inches of murky water.

1190

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

1/2: This clay pipe bowl was found a bit battered among the rocks - but I recognised it immediately, as I found a complete one of these in the same area about two years ago - follow the thread to compare:

A pile of wet rocks on the Thames foreshore, with a clay pipe bowl half hidden between them.

The same pipe bowl, now clean and dry, held in my fingers. It has four large leaves in relief around the sides of the bowl.

1516

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Spring on the Thames foreshore.... it's funny how often bluebells find their way there!

Photo of a smooth muddy patch of the Thames foreshore, partly under water, with a large sprig of bluebells lying washed up.

0100

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

1/2: This complete clay pipe was revealed on the foreshore as the tide receded during one of the recent extra-low tides - and I could see immediately that it was a complete one, intact with mouthpiece!

Photo of a patch of foreshore; lying on the mud/sand is a complete pipe, though it's a relatively short one with a stem of about 5 inches. You can tell it's complete as the mouthpiece is intact. It's a bit stained from the river, but otherwise in very tidy condition and unchipped.

1310

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

1/2: A distinctive cup fragment found on the Thames foreshore, depicting railway carriages, including a road carriage getting a lift! I thought this should be an easy one to identify, but I needed the help of transferware expert Dr Richard Halliday, who recognised it...

Photo of a broken fragment of blue and white china, depicting part of two joined carriages, one obviously carrying a horse-drawn carriage.

1726

Germander Speedwell @germanderspeedwell.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

A belated mention of the Watermen's Hall mudlarking exhibition at the end of March; these are my display cases that I enjoyed arranging. My new Empress pipe bowl (second photo, centre right) looks like she's delighted to be on display again after so long in undignified obscurity in the Thames mud!

1281