When I lived at Owlerton late 40s,there used to be a kind of mobile ironmongers( is that word still used?).
We used to call him 'The Friday Man' for obvious reasons.
Out of the back of a small van he sold ,vinegar ,kindling wood, washers for repairing galvanized washing tubs and bath tubs etc;
The milk was also delivered out of the back of a small van,it was measured out of a big urn and poured into your jug or whatever you used to keep the milk in.
I also remember during this period the council dust men used to have a coal fired steam lorry .
When we moved onto Parson Cross, Smedleys used to be the mobile greengrocer, I think they had a shop on Leppings Lane .
A guy across the road had a business renting washing machines..You would rent it for a specific period i.e. 1 or 2 hours .
Just long enough to get your washing done.
He used to fly around in one of those vehicles with 3 wheels dropping off and picking up washing machines

when i was little i remember the indian with the beard & turban and suitcace full of brushes etc.---he used to knock on our door about once a week!---he was quite a novelty in those days!--i never really knew where he lived or who employed him.--then all at once he just seemed to vanish!!---i remember us all hiding under the table at one particular time when he called(cant remember why)!--i wonder if anyone could shed some light on this legendary figure:help:

Originally posted by mikeyspikey
when i was little i remember the indian with the beard & turban and suitcase full of brushes etc

I remember him too! There was more than just brushes in there ... lots of exciting colourful things ...

He'd put the suitcase down on the back steps ... it was like seeing the magic box being opened ...WOW!! 'silk' scarves and other pretties ... my mother bought me one of the scarves once, to stop my "ask, ask, asking!". There weren't many colourful, useless things around in 1950's Britain ...

Gypsies used to come too and try to sell 'chrysanthemums' made of dyed wood shavings fastened to privet twigs ... they were always really garish but to a child, irresistible. Did you ever see the knive sharpener man - had a bicycle like thing strapped to his back which he'd sit on and pedal to grind the knives and scissors. The French onion seller on his black bicyclette! I wonder what did happen to them all... suddenly they just didn't turn up anymore.

It's hard to believe it's less than 50 years ago ... it really was another world.

Originally posted by rubydazzler
I The French onion seller on his black bicyclette! I wonder what did happen to them all... suddenly they just didn't turn up anymore.

It's hard to believe it's less than 50 years ago ... it really was another world.

Thank you..thank you.. another story I told my daughters and I am sure they did not beleive me.

I remember the onion seller, but so far ago I did not know whether I was dreaming!!

My girls reckon Sheff was too far north - he would have sold all his onions before he got there!!

Even until fairly recently there even used to be a rag and bone man calling out for any old iron etc but I havent heard him for a few years now.

I remember the onion sellers, Mufin man. Lady who appeared on the doorstep with a large suitcase of clothes to sell on credit.
he man who collected the Dr's fee, paid weekly. The knocker up'er, who rapped with a long stick on my Dad's bedroom window in ordr for him to get up in time to walk to work for 6 am.
I think I can remember an Indian with turban and suitcase, but I'm not sure of this.
I can recall the gypsies selling clothes pegs. Some neighbours were frightene to death of being cursed and would give them anything to get rid.
The knife sharpener and I think the same man used to repair sacepans with holes in by rivetting washers to either side of the hole. It worked. It would be wartime and no new saucepans.

I remember the indian as well,He used to come around Parkside Rd we kids were amazed to see him with beard and white tash.
I can also rember a tall man coming round every Friday selling fresh flowers and callin out his wares, my dad always said the flowers were pinched from cemeteries but i think he was joking.
Can also remember a man i think hewas called Frank and he used to sell goodies around the pubs from a suitcase i can recall him in the Park Hotel Wadsley lane. I believe in his younger days hedid a bit of boxing.

the indian guy mikey spikey mentions used to do the rounds where i lived as a child, once he walked into the beginning of our school assembly before the head teacher got to the podium the guy plonked his suitcase down and proceeded to get out huge highly decorated silvery sequined prayer mats!!! and this was in the 70's:)

Remember the door to door Indian Sikah gentlemen who use to work door to door with a suitcase selling ladies things silk scarves etc.

I BELIEVE IT WAS FRANK BARRON WHO USED TO SELL FROM A SUITCASE AROUND THE PUBS AND CLUBS YES HE USAD TO DO ABIT OF BOXING AND IBELIEVE HE CAME FROM PENISTONE ROAD

Thanks sHIRL it was Frankie Barron, I had forgotten the name but recognised it straight away

An old Indian gentleman with the turban used to call on us in the late 70's, we bought some silk tie's from him. We were pretty sure that he was the same one that used to come around Attercliffe and Darnall when we were growing up in the in the 50's.

There was also the man from the Prodential that collected the life insurance money each week. I always thought that the men with the onions were Spanish as in . Your face is a funny un got a nose like a spanish onion ears like a squashed tomarta and legs like two props. :smile: