The 3Ms of Fun

Yes, it’s a new year and, no, I’m not going to wax poetic about having a fresh start and to hell with 2020. We all know that story. Instead I’m going to share some activities that keep me grounded no matter what is going on in the world.

While having snow on the ground and freezing temperatures has been delightful for the holiday season, it does tend to put a damper on enjoying my favorite hobbies. I like to call them the 3Ms: Metal detecting, magnet fishing, and mudlarking. The average person in the street has likely heard of metal detecting, a handful may know about magnet fishing – or can figure it out by the name – but whenever I mention mudlarking I get a blank look and “What’s that?” I usually describe it as a relaxing outdoor hobby more popular in Britain than the U.S. where one walks along (or in) rivers, creeks, streams, beaches, etc. looking for bits of history, i.e. antique trash. That’s basically what all three “M”s are about.

When metal detecting, one hopes to find dropped coins (preferably silver or gold) or in this general area, Civil War bullets, cannonballs, or the elusive cartridge box plate. Mostly historic and sometimes valuable is the goal. Through a combination of local history research, skill in operating your machine, and a bit of luck, you could find a treasure trove. Though most of the time it’s just large, flat, random pieces of iron. This photo is of a little tin Christmas ornament I found near the remains of a 19th century log house.

Magnet fishing is just what the name implies. No, not fishing for magnets, but fishing with magnets. So, obviously, the items you’ll find will all be ferromagnetic and not any precious metals. More indistinguishable lumps of old iron, bicycle parts, flashlights, modern coins, stolen cash boxes (always empty), and occasionally a lovely piece of history like a Civil War shell. At the very least, you’ll clear the waterway of dangerous junk. Pictured is a large hand forged nail I pulled out of a creek at the site of an 18th century textile mill.

Mudlarking is my favorite of the three. Being in the water, with or without my wellies (rain boots to most Americans) is soothing to the soul, especially when it’s a creek bordered by majestic beech trees. Those lucky folks who are permitted – literally permitted, you have to have a permit – to collect along the Thames foreshore in London when the tide is out can discover the medieval or even Roman version of a plastic water bottle. Junk tossed into the water hundreds of years ago that is now of historical interest. Here is Pennsylvania, I search along tiny beaches and shallows for shards of colonial pottery – Pennsylvania redware and lovely blue featheredge are my favorite finds – or bits of vintage glass that have been smoothed by the endless flow and tumbling. The photo above is a piece of a 19th century redware bowl.

Now and then you’ll come across larger chunks of pottery or whole bottles and discover some farmer’s centuries-old midden pile along the banks. (Our forefathers may have had a lack of foresight, but they felt the creek was the perfect natural sewer to carry away their trash.) Pictured is a tiny early 20th century amber pill bottle I found along the Juniata River in Bedford, PA. Occasionally, you’ll find an old tire or other modern trash. The smaller bits of plastic I take back for recycling, the larger pieces can only be reported to the township with the hope that they do something about it. I suppose the appeal of mudlarking (for me anyway) is the combination of the challenge of the hunt and the surprise of what you’ll find, along with researching local history and imagining who would have used the found items.

And how did I get started on such an obscure – at least in the U.S. – hobby? I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole. I started off watching the highly entertaining and quite educational videos by Beau Ouimette, a.k.a. Aquachigger, when I was learning the ropes of metal detecting. His somewhat goofy demeanor and catchphrases (“Hold Your Breath!”) and seemingly bottomless well of knowledge on historical artifacts and early American history are two more reasons to watch. Then, as YouTube does, recommended videos began to appear and apparently metal detectorists, magnets fishers, and mudlarkers all tend to flock together. Most participants seem to dabble in all three at one time or another, likely because of the previously mentioned commonalities.

I next discovered Let’s Go With The Johnsons! A charming Welsh couple (Phil and Caroline) whose enthusiasm is contagious. They love uncovering the history of the areas they visit and their unique artifacts. They’ve even invented a game “Plain or Patterned?” where you have to guess if a pottery sherd has a pattern on its underside before you flip it over.

Brummies Outdoors was the first magnet fishing channel I started watching. A lovely family in Birmingham who’ve hauled an incredible amount of scrap out of the rivers they’ve visited and reuse or recycle as much of it as they can. I especially enjoy when they try to guess what a mystery item might be – often a “manky pole” of some kind. If it’s of possible historical significance, they contact a local historian and present a mini history lesson.

I try to get out as often as possible when the weather is decent, but when I can’t, watching the channels mentioned above and the ones listed below make me feel like I’m there. (A definite bonus with all the time we’ve spent being socially distant!)

Other favorite channels to watch:

Tom Burleigh : Part-time writer, part-time mudlarker, full-time adventurer. His soothing voice alone is reason to watch!

Northern Mudlarks : An enthusiastic mother-daughter team who create beautiful art with some of their finds. With special appearances by the “shwoos” a pair of peahens.

Green Mountain Metal Detecting : Beautiful Vermont scenery, lots of history and amazing finds!

Tideline Art : Nicola White, one of the aforementioned Thames mudlarkers and brilliant artist. Seeing her creations is as much fun as watching her mudlarking adventures.

Si-finds Thames Mudlark : Simon Bourne, another mudlarker and metal detectorist who creates unique works of art with his finds.