A while back I got a Port of London mudlarking licence and have been dabbling ever since. This year though I decided to get properly stuck in. I is an opportunity to make connections with the history – add real objects to the stories that I tell in school – and find out more myself along the way.

One of the easiest things to find have been roof tiles and pottery and these have not only taught me a lot, but inspired some ideas for activities and thrown up some exciting treasures to take into schools. I have already been able to show children the impression of a finger, made in the wet clay of a tile when it was made in Roman London around 2,000 years ago. They were as excited as I was to be able to put their hands in the same spot as a Roman did all those years ago.

I am posting about what I am learning on my new substack site. This enables me to send out regular newsletters about what I’m up to and has given a lot more structure to my communications. The mudlarking/history posts will be every Sunday as a gentle weekend read. If you want to get these, along with information about the books and reading with children you can sign up on the frontpage of the website or find the posts on www.readingriddle.substack.com