Last week, I once again lost one of my treasured mudlarking trowels! I realised when I got home that something didn't feel right. I rushed out to find my rucksack to check inside - and then out to check in the back of my car amongst the muddy boots and bags from that morning's mudlarking session. It was not there! Yep. it was gone, leaving a trowel shaped hole in my heart! I had placed it on the foreshore, got distracted - and wandered off! You wouldn't think that you could be attached to a trowel, but you can (and actually most of the time I literally am - by a long piece of cord! Trouble is, this one particular day I wasn't!).
The mudlarking trowels I have owned over the years have been special ones. They've been bespoke and made with hand turned wood and engraved brass by my mudlarking friend Graham Anderson They've accompanied me on many exciting muddy adventures and they have helped me to carefully prise out clay pipes, Bartmann faces, coins and other precious pieces of history. I suppose it's only fair that having found so many beautiful lost and discarded objects - that I offer up something myself now and again to the Thames tide. After an evening of feeling very annoyed with myself I decided to let it go and send it on its way with many blessings to whoever finds it. Maybe it is already snug in another mudlark's backpack or embarking on a new career on some building site, or slapping cement on bricks on someones garden wall. Maybe it will be found in the years to come.
The good thing to come out of this is that my amazing friend Graham Anderson has sent me a new trowel. It's so shiny and beautiful and it has a retractable cord so that I can attach it very securely to myself. The handle is hand turned Zebrano wood and brass! "I thought you might need a replacement one day", he said. He knew!! I received it yesterday and here it is. A thing of beauty, yet to experience its first pipe extraction. I am already attached it and it will be very much attached to me when I go out with it next on the foreshore!
So how can you procure yourself a wonderful bespoke trowel made by Graham. Read on to find out!
The mudlarking trowels I have owned over the years have been special ones. They've been bespoke and made with hand turned wood and engraved brass by my mudlarking friend Graham Anderson They've accompanied me on many exciting muddy adventures and they have helped me to carefully prise out clay pipes, Bartmann faces, coins and other precious pieces of history. I suppose it's only fair that having found so many beautiful lost and discarded objects - that I offer up something myself now and again to the Thames tide. After an evening of feeling very annoyed with myself I decided to let it go and send it on its way with many blessings to whoever finds it. Maybe it is already snug in another mudlark's backpack or embarking on a new career on some building site, or slapping cement on bricks on someones garden wall. Maybe it will be found in the years to come.
The good thing to come out of this is that my amazing friend Graham Anderson has sent me a new trowel. It's so shiny and beautiful and it has a retractable cord so that I can attach it very securely to myself. The handle is hand turned Zebrano wood and brass! "I thought you might need a replacement one day", he said. He knew!! I received it yesterday and here it is. A thing of beauty, yet to experience its first pipe extraction. I am already attached it and it will be very much attached to me when I go out with it next on the foreshore!
So how can you procure yourself a wonderful bespoke trowel made by Graham. Read on to find out!
Beautiful bespoke trowel made with Zebrano wood and brass by Graham Anderson
This is how you too can own a trowel made by Graham. A bit like this one, but not exactly like this one as they are all different. Graham used solid brass ("not plated crap" in his own words "which doesn't last after a million dunkings in the Thames."). He can also use chrome fittings which can look great against dark woods. And talking of wood, Graham has a variety of different woods that you can choose from which he then hand turns to make the handle. He gives the wood a minimum of 6 coats of special oil to offer some waterproof protection (12 hours between coats). And then he waxes them using Bison's wood wax. The trowel itself is a WHS Tyzack archaeological trowel (as used by most archaeologists). So they are super strong and built for purpose. Added extras are - engraved names and phone details (you know, just in case you lose it and want to have it returned!!). And of course, something to attach it to yourself with.
For enquiries, commissions and prices, contact Graham on :
[email protected]
For enquiries, commissions and prices, contact Graham on :
[email protected]
Believe me! You'll see how easy it is to get attached to a trowel. You might even write an ode to one too!