The Treasures of the Thames
July 2020. A light-hearted piece on the pleasures of mudlarking — hunting for historical artefacts in the thick mud of the Thames. I spoke with several well-known mudlarks, who shared their remarkable and occasionally unsettling discoveries, along with the quiet satisfaction the hobby brings them.
Mental Floss
July 2020. My debut piece for Mental Floss explored works of fiction that somehow managed to predict the future with uncanny accuracy — from Ray Bradbury's earpods to a truly horrific case of cannibalism.
Fortean Times
June 2023. A piece on the folklore of bread for my beloved Fortean Times. I revisited some of Britain's strangest bread tales — the Devil tempting a bishop with a loaf, curing whooping cough with bread and lice, and plenty more besides.
Jumped the Shark - The Guardian
2017 – present. Ever wondered why your favourite TV shows went downhill? For Jump the Shark I picked them apart and pinpointed the exact moment they stopped being great. House MD, you had such promise...
Listverse
2011 – present. A batch of list articles for Listverse.com that let me indulge my love of trivia. Discover ancient buildings still in use today, myths about same-sex love in antiquity, or the plague remedies history has attempted. Click through and tumble down a fact-filled rabbit hole.
Each entry here links to a different outlet and subject, from Thames mudlarking and bread folklore to TV retrospectives and trivia lists. Together they show the range of topics and publications I've written for over the years.