9th October 2026
Up at 4.00am to catch the early low tide and on the foreshore by 5.45am – I think you can tell by now I’m loving ‘larking about!!
It was a completely different vibe to my previous (early evening and mid morning) trips. Empty roads and a sleeping London made the logistics a doddle and the foreshore looked great.
I was very excited to try out my new (small, elliptical and high frequency) detector coil which I hope will be more conducive to the iron rich foreshore environment. Time will tell, of course, but the early signs are good, with the detector much more stable in these difficult conditions.
The city did eventually come to life, of course, and a few interesting sights came into view. Who knew the Thames was home to crabs? And I’m certainly hoping that mask was only part of a fun fancy dress affair and not something more sinister!!
I was initially happy to find another intact bottle to add to the R Whites one from my first trip. The initial joy was tainted slightly for this Spurs supporter to find that it was from the Royal Arsenal but at least it was another reminder that they really are a South London team 😉
The glass is embossed with the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society’s name, and there is a single letter W on the base, which may indicate that the glass manufacturer was Worksop glassworks.
I estimate that the bottle dates from around 1950 and would originally have contained milk.
The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society was established in 1868 by workers connected with the Royal Arsenal and grew into a major local organisation, providing groceries, milk deliveries and many other services to the community.
It eventually merged with the national Co-operative Wholesale Society in 1985.
This humble bottle is a reminder of the everyday deliveries that once served local households and of Woolwich’s distinctive co-operative history.
As you can see, I also decided to consolidate my growing collection of clay pipe fragments although have resolved only to bring complete ones home in future. Another pretty iridescent bottle base and a couple of random bits of wood and metal completed the haul.
I’m already looking forward to next time!!
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