the rag and bone man? - Page 2

cjrk · 02-02-2007, 21:58

People used to call us kids fat 'till they found out that it was malnutrition. If mice had come to our house we would have had the RSPCA on our backs citing animal cruelty. Bring back the birch for looking at a sheep the wrong way I say. Mancie, you had a dad? We could only afford a mum, although we used to call the rag and bone man uncle.

Mancie · 02-02-2007, 22:03

I suppose I was lucky.. I had ummmm .. 11 dads

West Ender · 02-02-2007, 22:48

I remember the rag and bone man that used to come round West End when I was a child. He looked like a Gypsy, or what I thought a Gypsy should look like, with longish black greasy hair and he used to shout, "Rrrrragggg a bo-o-o-one. Hany old hiron". I thought he must have a wonderful life and, when I was very little, I wanted to be a rag and bone woman when I grew up.

I remember the horse drawn milk float too. Our local farmer, Bill Whalley (his horse was a grey called Bonny), used to let me ride in the float sometimes - I was so proud when he did. He came round twice a day, early morning and in the afternoon, because we didn't have fridges then and in Summer your milk, if you hadn't drunk it, could be "off" after a few hours. When Bill had to retire through ill-health his sons took over the round but it wasn't the same - they delivered milk in a trailer on the back of a Daimler. Well I never said they were poor farmers, did I?

jambutty · 03-02-2007, 13:06

My heart bleeds for you guys and gals. I can just hear the violins.

At least you had a house to live in. On three occasions we found ourselves on the street having been thrown out of lodgings and considered ourselves lucky to find a bed in the workhouse. The one that I particularly remember was called Moorlands on the main road between Haslingden and Rawtenstall.

I suppose that we all look back to those times with a little bit of fondness but in all honesty I wouldn’t like them to return. What would be nice would be a return to the values and attitudes of the people. Even though few people had two ha’pennies to rub together people could leave their milk money in an empty bottle on the doorstep and no one would even think about nicking it let alone actually doing so.

There was no need to lock your front door because no one would nip in and nick something.

Which reminds me – my mum used to boil the milk or stand the bottle in a bucket of cold water.

cjrk · 03-02-2007, 13:15

We could only have a bath when it rained. First in was my dad (or uncle!), then mum, then the 3 whippets, sister, 3 brothers and then me. And after that we had to scoop the scum out of the bath to make broth with.

grego · 12-02-2007, 22:11

I remember the rag and bone man 70's and early 80's, used to run out the front door to see the horse, the horse poo never lasted long on the road either, someone would scoop it up for their garden.

Mancie · 12-02-2007, 22:44

I was just wondering why it was the "rag and bone man".. did you get a bone for rags.. or get rags for a bone?... my mum used to make soup out of my dads old raggy underpants.. boiled up in water (well my mum said urine was safer cos of the cholera).. but a bone?.. we would have been drooling!

Mick · 13-02-2007, 08:29

A little story for you
About 44 years ago our family used to own and run a shoe factory in Preston (Springfield shoe co) it was on Greenbank street i was about 8 or 9 at the time it sounds daft but it did not make shoes but childrens slippers (kids would out grow them before they wear them out) and need a new pair anyway i would be able to go to the factory and "help"on a saturday.
just down the road the building but one was a rag & bone place,
one of my little jobs was to go round the shoe factory collecting all the rags that had been used through the week and take them to the rag & bone man
he would give me 1d a lb for dirty rags and 2d for cleanish rags .
This i did every sat one sat we got to the factory a bit early and saw this rag & and bone man arrive for work he was dressed in a really fine suit when i went to give him our rags later in the day he was dresses in old dirty clothes,
when we left he was leaving and waved to us now back in his suit as me and my dad watched he went into the car park and got into a rolls royce and drove down the road .hehe

maxwell silver · 13-02-2007, 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by mick

A little story for you
About 44 years ago our family used to own and run a shoe factory in Preston (Springfield shoe co) it was on Greenbank street i was about 8 or 9 at the time it sounds daft but it did not make shoes but childrens slippers (kids would out grow them before they wear them out) and need a new pair anyway i would be able to go to the factory and "help"on a saturday.
just down the road the building but one was a rag & bone place,
one of my little jobs was to go round the shoe factory collecting all the rags that had been used through the week and take them to the rag & bone man
he would give me 1d a lb for dirty rags and 2d for cleanish rags .
This i did every sat one sat we got to the factory a bit early and saw this rag & and bone man arrive for work he was dressed in a really fine suit when i went to give him our rags later in the day he was dresses in old dirty clothes,
when we left he was leaving and waved to us now back in his suit as me and my dad watched he went into the car park and got into a rolls royce and drove down the road .hehe

He was proberbly on state handouts as well

Kitkat · 13-02-2007, 10:30

What a great thread - it was better than a Catherine Cookson novel

Doug · 13-02-2007, 15:23

I remember the chap that use to come round Church in the 60s with a Horse and Cart. Always had plastic bags with Gold Fish in strung up on a pole the back of his Cart irrespective of the weather? Nice bloke always had time to talk to people.

The only Rag ‘n’ bone men I can remember up Fern Gore had a tranny van and just nicked stuff when you where out.

garinda · 13-02-2007, 15:43

I remember the one who used to trot round Ossy in the late '60's. I was only two and a half, because it was our old house.

To me it sounded like he was shouting 'Eeeee-vonne'. Which because my Mother is called Yvonne, made me think he was shouting for her. Perhaps he was.

K.S.H · 13-02-2007, 16:03

I remember the one in Accy, he used to have a place behind Burnley Rd, up the alley at the side of the DHSS off Melbourne St, someone once told me he was minted - don't know if it was right or not, not a lot of overheads to pay in that job is there

Edit - O'Mally just come to me, is that the right name?

cashman · 14-02-2007, 00:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by K.S.H

I remember the one in Accy, he used to have a place behind Burnley Rd, up the alley at the side of the DHSS off Melbourne St, someone once told me he was minted - don't know if it was right or not, not a lot of overheads to pay in that job is there

Edit - O'Mally just come to me, is that the right name?

there was a guy called Aurther Mortimer, had a horse n cart, but it was stabled up top of Plantation St.somewhere in 50/60s but he moved to the street that goes off burnley rd,at the boars head (bradshaw st)i think in the early 70s,so he may well have moved stables. cos thats just around the corner.

cashman · 14-02-2007, 00:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by K.S.H

I remember the one in Accy, he used to have a place behind Burnley Rd, up the alley at the side of the DHSS off Melbourne St, someone once told me he was minted - don't know if it was right or not, not a lot of overheads to pay in that job is there

Edit - O'Mally just come to me, is that the right name?

remember old joe omally who was a caracter if ever there was one, a buggar for scrap metal if you get my drift, but dont remember him having a hoss n cart.