Secrets of the Thames Part 2 of 2: The Shadwell Shams

As promised, here is the second of our two-part double-bill of special episodes made with the help and support of London Museum Docklands, all about the new 'Secrets of the Thames' exhibition.

Today, with the basics now under our hats, we plunge below the waterline and scavenge away at some of what we know about the history of London, care of the city's community of Mudlarks.

We chew over almost 10,000 years of life in England's capital - from back when it was just an upstart town to its period of Victorian and Edwardian dominance.

Elsewhere, we have the second half of Martin's chat with the Secrets of the Thames exhibition curator Kate Sumnall, talk about the prehistoric origins of Celtic artifacts like The Waterloo Helmet, and Eleanor interviews long-time Three Ravens listener Peter Wollweber, who just so happens to be a Mudlark!

After that, as you might expect, it's story time once more.

And it's Eleanor's turn today with her elegiac telling of lives of fraud, love, and time spent on the foreshore, "The Shadwell Shams."

We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back tomorrow with a new Lang Fairy Tale telling - and do come and see us at Black Shuck Festival 1-3rd August 2025, live in conversation at Treadwell's Books on 4th September, and at Gloucester History Festival 20-21st September, if you can!

To learn more about London Museum Docklands and the Secrets of the Thames exhibition, and book tickets, click here.

Secrets of the Thames cover image and logo care of London Museum Docklands.

The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

Three Ravens is a myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.

In each Monday episode we explore a historic county, digging into heritage, folklore and traditions, then we tell a new version of a legend from that county. Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays and Saturdays.

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