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Rag and bone man


Thorntons girl

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Can anyone remember the Rag and Bone man when they were little?

We used to rush out to give him any old rags we could find and were rewarded with a balloon!

I recently found out that they did used to collect bones too, these were usually left over meat bones that used to be taken to shops and made into glue! Very interesting.

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 Many of them were based on Alfred Road, Attercliffe. Our payment was "pummy stones", balloons and , occasionally, a dying goldfish. The poor old nags that pulled the carts always looked miserable and usually had a hay bag to munch on....Enthusiastic gardeners would rush out to collect the horse muck for their vegetable patch.

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They used to come round shouting Donkey stones for old rags, I remember them very well from the 1950,s

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I remember one used to come round Hunters Bar in the early '60's, no horse just a bloke with a deep wooden barrow with long handles and running on cast iron wheels. The streets round there were still laid with setts, so you knew he was coming even before he shouted!

Nigel L

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I was talking to a pal in Mosborough and he told me the rag and bone man they had also came from Alfred Road and was called Collins...the name rang a bell with me but what a yomp from Attercliffe!

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5 hours ago, lysander said:

I was talking to a pal in Mosborough and he told me the rag and bone man they had also came from Alfred Road and was called Collins...the name rang a bell with me but what a yomp from Attercliffe!

Collins are now in the Skip hire trade.

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On ‎05‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 09:41, lysander said:

I was talking to a pal in Mosborough and he told me the rag and bone man they had also came from Alfred Road and was called Collins...the name rang a bell with me but what a yomp from Attercliffe!

There were quite a few Collins's as you say one at Attercliffe and one on Hill Street.

There were also  Walt Collins in Upper Allen Street and John Collins in Porland Street who I believe were brothers. The one in Upper Allen Street have now converted their business to skip hire.

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Every Fiday afternoon we had the fruit cart with a guy called Charlie and whenever his horse pooped the kids would grad it and use it on the rhubard for fertilizer, not a sauce. and every month the rag and bone man would give you  little yellow baby chicks or balloons for your rags.

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On 03/07/2017 at 21:25, Lemmy117 said:

I remember one used to come round Hunters Bar in the early '60's, no horse just a bloke with a deep wooden barrow with long handles and running on cast iron wheels. The streets round there were still laid with setts, so you knew he was coming even before he shouted!

Nigel L

Well said Nigel

Going a little further back to the 1940s.

I recall his predecessor, a little bent lady wh looked as if she dressed in some of her rags. In site of looking frail she was tough as old boots. I never saw her where we lived at the top of Hunterhouse Road but the equally steep roads round Pinner Road were no problem. She could heave her similar  iron wheel barrow up and down  at a surprising rate with a piercin0g call something like "Ragerbone". We knew what she meant although the donkeystone was handed out somewhat grudgingly. I wondered why her barrow contents were valuable and I still do.Wearing a pair of mens boots was another curiosity. As somebody said "They don't build them like that any more" Or do they?

Her predecessor was older but he had the traditional horse and two wheel cart complete with goldfish. Was there a local dynasty perhaps?

 

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On 28/06/2017 at 22:39, Thorntons girl said:

Can anyone remember the Rag and Bone man when they were little?

We used to rush out to give him any old rags we could find and were rewarded with a balloon!

I recently found out that they did used to collect bones too, these were usually left over meat bones that used to be taken to shops and made into glue! Very interesting.

Yes I can remember the rag and bone man when he came around the Manor estate. He came with his horse and cart and

called out "Rags, bottles and bones". For a bundle of rags you would be rewarded with a goldfish in a jamjar. I was born

in 1929 on Wulfric Road and lived there until 1935 when we moved to a house in Gleadless. Later I went to Prince

Edward school and still have the memory of the school dentist. The drill for fillings was operated by a treddle which

he operated with his foot at the same time as using the drill. The revolutions varied according to his tiredness which

hurt like hell. Thank god for modern times.

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Yes I can remember the rag and bone man when he came around the Manor estate. He came with his horse and cart and

called out "Rags, bottles and bones". For a bundle of rags you would be rewarded with a goldfish in a jamjar. I was born

in 1929 on Wulfric Road and lived there until 1935 when we moved to a house in Gleadless. Later I went to Prince

Edward school and still have the memory of the school dentist. The drill for fillings was operated by a treddle which

he operated with his foot at the same time as using the drill. The revolutions varied according to his tiredness which

hurt like hell. Thank god for modern times.

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There used to be one operating in Woodhouse in the early 1960's, and although I do remember the balloons, I don't know as to what his name was, or as to where he came from. He did have a horse and cart. There was once a glue factory in Woodhouse Mill, and I think that this survived well into the 1970's, based on Soap House Lane, which is probably where the name originated from. The lorries that delivered there were dark blue painted box vans, unrefrigerated, and not unsurprisingly, they always stank dreadfully, especially in hot weather. :(

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I was born on Harbury St in Wuddus Mill and for the first years of my life I thought the world smelt like dead animals,Bone yard and two tripe factories on Soap House Lane

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Well, they say 'you learn something new everyday'. :)

 

Marine Store Dealer:  A licensed broker who bought and sold used cordage, bunting, rags, timber, metal and other general waste materials.

 

 

Kell's directory1965.

rags3.jpg

rags 2.jpg

 

 

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