Does anybody remember Armoids Magic Elixir which was sold from an old wooden stall which stood near the entrance to the 'Pet's Alley' at the top of the market behind the old brass weighing scales.

The'Speiler' used to hold up a large specimen jar containing a Tapeworm which was purported to be 22 feet in left.

He claimed it had been removed from a sufferer by the Elixir, he also claimed it had all sorts of herbs and secret ingredients that would cure just about anything.

Happy Days!!

Yep, I can just remember it.
Being weighed on those scales was a treat..........how times have changed and how little it took to please and excite kids in those days!
That market had a great, vibrant atmosphere, something completely lacking in the marbled, luxury of Meadowhall... ...there should be a lesson to be learnt there........... or are they both merely products of their times?

I can vaguely remember the old rag n' tag market but have just tried to refresh my memory with a few pics on
www.picturesheffield.com

look under markets and results 51 onwards, there's also a picture of the weighing scales.

Thanks for the info Tiffy.

I've just been down Memory Lane for the past hour.


Happy Days

I remember standing with my mother at the crockery stall in the old Rag n' Tag market. We went down there rain, hail or shine to watch and listen to the stall owner sell his wares. Porcelain would often come flying through the air, including complete dinner and tea services, as he and his helper gave us the big sell. I can't ever recall anything being dropped or broken. The guy had a large wooden stick which was waved around then banged onto the counter as he gave us the lowest price for the day. It was a miracle he avoided smashing something.
I have many memories of the old market but even though things have changed, I still enjoyed walking around the Castlemarket when I was over there last Summer. We have nothing like that where I live in Australia.

Originally posted by Banksia
I remember standing with my mother at the crockery stall in the old Rag n' Tag market. We went down there rain, hail or shine to watch and listen to the stall owner sell his wares. Porcelain would often come flying through the air, including complete dinner and tea services, as he and his helper gave us the big sell. I can't ever recall anything being dropped or broken. The guy had a large wooden stick which was waved around then banged onto the counter as he gave us the lowest price for the day. It was a miracle he avoided smashing something.
I have many memories of the old market but even though things have changed, I still enjoyed walking around the Castlemarket when I was over there last Summer. We have nothing like that where I live in Australia.

That was 'potty' Edwards as he was known. It was a magical experience watching his 'show'.

'Potty' Edward's was last spotted in Barnsley Market.

Is he still around?

Originally posted by Mo
That was 'potty' Edwards as he was known. It was a magical experience watching his 'show'.

Thanks for that info, will mention his name to my 90 year old mother. Amazing what people out there know

Does anyone remember Aaron Patnick who used to have a junk stall in the middle of the old market.

I visited him every Saturday to buy a secondhand book, he often guided my choice and I read some real good stuff due to him.

He was an educated and very compassionate man although he always wore broken spectacles and old clothes which made a lot of people pass him by.

I still have a passion for books and it was this man who created that interest.

Maybe someone else can tell us more about him, I know his son Eddie still runs a stall in the Setts market on a Monday.


Happy days

The guy who sold the cure all elixir had all those travel trunks and suit cases with exotic place names on them.
Does anyone remember the little guy with the gravely voice "Get your dancing micky,a micky or a minny"I was in the army with his nephew.
Didn't Patnicks have a store in the langsett Rd area?
I used to go to the market Saturday afternoon when things were being sold off,for a shillings worth of ripe tomatoes.
These were fried up Sunday morning with a little bacon fat.What a treat
Does anyone remember Big Ada,She had a barrow on Dixon Lane

Get your Bouncing Mickey's here
Get your Bouncing Mickey's here
Every one on a string
Every one on a spring
If they don't bounce today
they'll bounce tomorrow
If they don't bounce tomorrow
They ain't Bouncing Mickey's

He used to stand at the top of the Moor with a tray full of Mickey's...and we Kid's used to mimic him.

Yes, Patnicks also had a corner shop on Langsett road nearly opposite Radnansky's.

It dealt mainly in house clearances, the secondhand clothes were piled high in the shop if you can remember.

I used to go down the old market with my dad, and always got a treat of an american horror comic or two, it was one of two places to get them from, I just about remember another shop somewhere between the parkway and broad street where you could get hold of an "Uncle Creepy". I also think Patnick had a big shop on Page Hall some years ago, it bacame a hardwear shop after he sold it.

You are right 'Herbiegrass', Aaron Patnick's son Eddie opened his first Junkarama Shop in the old Co-op shop at Page Hall.

I was told that all his stock from all the three floors of the building were bought by an American buyer.

Later he opened another Junkarama shop on Derbyshire Lane.

The man who bought Pope's Hardware shop next door moved into the Junkarama shop with his Hardware and DIY stock.

Whenever I drive past, it always amazes me how so many stalls fitted into such a small pace.

On a Saturday morning my sister and myself would be dragged around the market by mum ( my dad worked shifts in the steelworks so the house had to be kept quiet, whilst he caught up on his sleep).

In my memory it always seemed to be raining. The bare electric light bulbs hanging down would be reflected on the wet cobbles. You would lean in over the stalls, so the rain off the corrugated iron roofs would'nt drip down your neck.

All the women wore head scarfs, the men flap caps and the kids, duffle coats. No fancy waterprioof clothing, but we knew at the end of our trek through the stalls, that there was the promise of a cornet or shared quarter of sweets from Granellis.

Sounds lke the 1940's/50's, no the mid 1960's.

Ahhhhh! happy days.

For those of you in sunnier climes, its raining now just like it did then.

Pietro

This morning I'm sat on a beach deck overlooking the sea, the sun is shining and the view is beautiful.

What I would give to be transported one morning down to the old Rag n Tag market, even it it was raining.

No, I'm not mad or stupid, just remembering the simple pleasures of my boyhood days.

Sun, sea and sand are not everything in this life.

Happy Days!!

Originally posted by PopT
Pietro

This morning I'm sat on a beach deck overlooking the sea, the sun is shining and the view is beautiful.

What I would give to be transported one morning down to the old Rag n Tag market, even it it was raining.

No, I'm not mad or stupid, just remembering the simple pleasures of my boyhood days.

Sun, sea and sand are not everything in this life.

Happy Days!!
No sun, sea and sand aren't everything but I would sure as hell rather be poor in Aussie than in UK. Coming to your beautiful part of the world in October, how cold is it brrrrrrrrr

I remember 'Big Ada, she used to have a flower stall for years.

The stall was the last market pitch at the very top of Dixon Lane which was a prime place as it attracted the passers by on both the roads.

Woe betide anyone who tried to steal her pitch, she was one large lady that no man or woman should have messed with.

Happy Days

A Saturday morning treat for my brothers and me was to be taken into the Rag'nTag for a "Cup'o'Tea Stood up". They served it with condensed milk or tall milk. Sounds horrid now but it was lovely.

Originally posted by PopT
Pietro

This morning I'm sat on a beach deck overlooking the sea, the sun is shining and the view is beautiful.

What I would give to be transported one morning down to the old Rag n Tag market, even it it was raining.

No, I'm not mad or stupid, just remembering the simple pleasures of my boyhood days.

Sun, sea and sand are not everything in this life.

Happy Days!! ah i see your in the land of the long white shroud ,where bland rules,god people are boring down there same as oz if u don,t like sport the out doors your ****ed ,i never met anybody with a personality or sense of humer in 3 months there how the hell do u live there with out slipping into a coma of boredom

but I bet they could spell and knew their manners

I remember Big Ada, what a woman, she used to do a disgusting trick with a pint pot in the Norfolk, (bottom o' lane).

I know this isn't as long ago as everything else in this thread. But.................I am 32 and when i was younger I remember a pet shop near the markets that had a VERY rude miner bird in there. Ahhh fond memories. Does anyone else remember this or have I dreamt it?

Recall old Patnicks book stall and his regular chant "I Make all cheap".
His pricing was somewhat curious.Large books a bob -small books sixpence -a forerunner of that discount bookshop on The Moor a few years back that sold books by weight.
There was also a livestock market in a covered building flogging puppies,kittens and rabbits.
And just outside the Market was another place -Maces? -selling
pets and petfoods.As kids we used to grab a fistful of fishfood
and drop it into the huge tank of goldfish just to watch them fight like fury before the man in a brown coat kicked us out.

Mention of Big Ada brings to mind another charcter of that era from down Dixon Lane who was known as Little Herbert,he used to go in the Double Six (Old No12) for his pint and the landlord used to stick it on the bar just where he couldnt reach it,it was great fun to watch him trying to get his refreshment

Isn't the Aaron Patnick the Father or Granfather of Irving P' the Conservative M.P?

I remember my mum saying, "Get your bloody bedroom tidied. It looks like Patnick's bloody yard!"

Was Patnick's yard really THAT bad?

Originally posted by bonny
I know this isn't as long ago as everything else in this thread. But.................I am 32 and when i was younger I remember a pet shop near the markets that had a VERY rude miner bird in there. Ahhh fond memories. Does anyone else remember this or have I dreamt it?

i remember the miner bird he was called henry.......also remember the weighing scales in the rag n tag market used to sit on them for a penny:)

Originally posted by Texas
Isn't the Aaron Patnick the Father or Granfather of Irving P' the Conservative M.P?

Never Heard of him mate. Must be gripping.

I used to mooch around town on Saturdays in the late 40's early 50's. getting off the tram from Sheffield Lane Top I'd walk through the (wooden) Victoria market, taking in the smells and investigating Woore's stall selling old books, stamps etc. I'd leave by the door on Dixon Lane (wasn't Woolworth's opposite? It was always crowded.) and on into the Market - the
medicine man, pet `corner'. Ah me! Anyone remember the pie and mash place? My main interest was the stall selling army surplus electronic stuff -- valves, old sets and so on. You could sometimes pick up good things like klystons and magnetrons. I'd leave by the exit on Commercial street and then
off up into town passing the 50 shilling Tailors to the Library and book shops, taking in Frank Bold's stationery shop on Norfolk Street and possibly the shop that sold chemicals on West Street, I think. I recall Apelbaum's on Division Street that sold American comics. Simple pleasures.

I remember watching the Edward Brothers at their crockery stall, they used to throw their cups and saucers into the air making personal remarks about the passersby that made me creep by . Later on I used to see them dressed in their best dancing at the City Hall. Still having a lot to say.

As someone remarked it always seemed to be raining and the rain used to collect in the overhead covers so every so often the owner woud put a brush up the middle and an avalanche of water used to soak the passersby.
I used to buy my earings atthe rag and tag ready for the evning dancing at the city Hall. 3 yds of material from oneof the stalls for about a £1 would make me a dress to go with the earings, put on my stillettoes and I was ready.

Can anyone remember the sweets that were in the shape of fish, used to get them in the market. barley sugars the called them.
hazel

Isn't the Aaron Patnick the Father or Granfather of Irving P' the Conservative M.P?
Yes Irvine son of Aaron as well as Phillip and Edward his other sons

Whatever happened to the brass weighing scales? I remember it cost one penny. My mind is a bit foggy now…did it always cost one penny? How did the fella who owned them make a living? The owner must have had other means of earning a living. There must have been loads of kids like me who just wanted to sit in the chair. I do remember that people passing would sometimes stop and try to guess peoples weight before they sat on the chair. I should imagine the owner would encourage this to try to “drum up” trade.

In the '50's , I'm pretty sure the weighing scales made an appearance in Endcliffe Park on Sundays. But----the person in charge was a little old lady. Her gimmick was that she'd have a good look at you and maybe squeeze your arm and then guess what weight you were.
If she was more than 2 lbs. out , either side , you would get your money back. We kids would watch for ages but I can't recall anyone getting a refund.
Sheffield used to be full of characters like her------today I'd bet there's some law against it-----or she'd get mugged of her takings !

Originally posted by tiffy
I can vaguely remember the old rag n' tag market but have just tried to refresh my memory with a few pics on
www.picturesheffield.com

look under markets and results 51 onwards, there's also a picture of the weighing scales.

Some cracking pictures.....The pictures from the 1950’s were interesting……a lot of people using horse and cart to transport their wares around. Being born towards the end of the 1950’s and growing up in the 60’s I remember “Rag n Bone” men using horse and cart.

Originally posted by bonny
I know this isn't as long ago as everything else in this thread. But.................I am 32 and when i was younger I remember a pet shop near the markets that had a VERY rude miner bird in there. Ahhh fond memories. Does anyone else remember this or have I dreamt it?
I can remember the minor bird too, used to call in after going to the early morning grovel market for mi shoes and boots

Originally posted by msdiane
I can remember the minor bird too, used to call in after going to the early morning grovel market for mi shoes and boots

Does that mean the bird was under 18?

The correct spelling is mynah bird ;)

deadgobby

I've never been bored all my life until I read your posting.

Originally posted by mojoworking
Does that mean the bird was under 18?

The correct spelling is mynah bird ;)
I stand corrected, :P

Just a jogged memory. If the 'Guess your Weight'
got it wrong I think you had a choice of rewards
one of which was a ring of 'Peruvian Gold'.

I used to work in the Rag n Tag in the 60's. The stall I worked on was a carpet stall (Blonk Street Carpets), it was next to Patnicks in the middle. Patnicks was brilliant, I used to wish I worked on it instead of trying to flog carpet squares (pattern book samples) to old codgers.

One of the old stall holders told me a trick to keep my feet warm in winter by putting them in plastic bags before putting my socks on.

There were two pet shops. Ogley's was at the east side and Middletons over the road at the bottom of Commercial Street.

One of the cafes (there were two I think) situated around the edge used to make fried onion and sausage meat sandwiches running with melted dripping.

Can you remember dripping sandwiches with Bovril? (mouth drools).

I remember a record stall specialising in American imports and a stall that sold designer clothes with all the labels cut off. (Ozzie clark and stuff).

Her indoors remembers a stall that sold second hand fur coats, very trendy in the early 70's.

Hi
I found a thread in the archive about reminiscences about the Potty Edwards family, market people. My Dad is Mick Edwards, one of the china selling brothers and he worked in the market for many years. He is still living in Sheffield and well. He is the youngest of the family and left school at 14 to sell pots in the market. His brothers all worked selling pots-Joe Edwards, (Rotherham and Barnsley) Arthur, (Sheffield) Bill, (Sheffield) and latterly Bill's son Robert was the last to sell pots in the new market that replaced the old Rag and Tag. Their father (Arthur Edwads) sold pots before them. I belive the line goes back to a Harry Lockwood.
Joe was on the telly and on the Dave Allen show. He had a big van signwritten with it.
Dad's still got the gift of the gab and has a great sense of humour. He can tell a few stories. I'm hoping to write some of them up. If anyone's got any stories about what they saw, let me know.
Best wishes
Michele Lockwood Edwards

Ogleys pet shop was just further down dixon lane past the Norfolk pub, it was next to one of the rag and tags entrances. Middletons was on Sheaf Street just up from Broad St towards Gallaghers cigarette & tobacco warehouse. Ogleys can be seen as I have described on the website placed by STEVIE1957

My Saturday treat was to go on the scales, wow u bringing so many memories. My grandad used to be the landlord of the newmarket pub, just the other end of the zebra crossing from the market. The park pictures was just behind. Thanks for reminding me of happy memories

Don't want to get too serious but one thing has struck me about this topic-------and that's the sheer joy , shining through the posts of those who used to go in the old Rag 'N Tag market.
I think we all remember it with a deep affection. Why , though ? Well , it had character and it had characters ! Together with the Wholesale fruit and veg. market , that part of Sheffield centre always had a bit of life to it.There was noise , laughter , jokes , repartee , a bit of muck and litter and no doubt a lot of things that , today , wouldn't get past the Health Fascists.
However ,the markets and places like them were what gave cities their life. Nowadays it all seems so anti-septic , like shopping in a laboratory.
However many big ,shiny , new buildings they put up or how many regulations they pass , unless you allow for a bit of chaos , a bit of freedom , loads of people and easy , cheap access to the city centres , they'll never re-capture that wonderfull feeling we once had of taking part in the life of a city.

My Mom said she used to go with her Mom to the Rag and Tag when she was young, I suppose she was talking after the fiirst war. 1918
They used to go late on Saturday night when the market sellers had to get riid ( no refridgeration ) and get a joint of meat cheap, along with smallest new potaotoes which were left unsold and spend all Sunday morning scraping them, along with shelling peas.
I'm sure she said it was lit by oil lamps so I could imagine them spluttering and swayng in the rain and wind throwing up giant shadows spookily exciting.

hazel

yeah, usd to get a sexy joke mag from one stall, can't recall it's name.. teenagers:confused:

two things I remeber about the rag n tag were the atmosphere, as a kid it was like stepping into another world and getting a bag of boiled sweets

one stall used to sell plates and cup sets, the bloke used to toss them into the air then catch em before they smashed!

I was born in 1961, so I have vague memories of being taken round the Rag 'n Tag market by my parents. I recall the basic layout of the place, and remember the rank smell of 'Pets Alley' too. Oddly, one thing that does stick firmly in my mind is the brand of pickled onions [this is so very 'northern' of me, I realise] that my parents purchased there. They were called 'Hoskyn's' or perhaps 'Hoskin's', and frankly delicious. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have been on a lifelong quest [rather like Parsifal in search of the Holy Grail] to find a brand of pickled onions which equals them, to no avail. Only Haywoods Strong variety come anywhere close. I wonder if they are still available in some remote enclave of Sheffield. If so, let me know. You will make a Sheffield lad, exiled in Lancashire, weep with joy.

I recall the rag n tag had 3 entrance/exits and although some stalls were intresting to small kids, it was nice to be leaving:thumbsup:

Potty Edwards also known as Joe was my Grandad.He passed away in 1994.it's fantastic to hear stories about his and the Edwards brothers antics.

Can any one remember Violet may's record and tat shop when it was on broad street near Ye Old Harrow pub , before she moved to the back of the moor ?????

Yes I can remember going to Violet Mays in Broad Street.

That was years ago.

Loads of old 78's from the rock n roll days

Maurice

who remembers the park pictures on the road overlooking the midland station, leat I think it was the Park?

I remember going once with my Mom to see Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in Road to Morocco.
From what I can remember we sat on benches.

hazel

yeah I used to go with my older bro, the place was a bit taty

Someone mentioned Violet May's. Yes, I went there a lot in the late 50s/mid 60s. As I recollect, her store actually started out on Duke Street, near the Norfolk Picture House. I thought she then moved to the lower end of South Street., just around the corner from Broad St. What I remember most is her upstairs selection of old 78s. Great Jazz classics. I remember Violet herself very well.

Trekker,
I wonder if the 'sexy joke magazine' you refer to was 'Funny Half Hour'. As a Sheffield schoolboy [I'm 44 now, and in long trousers], we used to think it was quite exciting.

Originally posted by timo
[I'm 44 now, and in long trousers],

You're doin' well. I'm 50 and my mum still makes me wear short trousers except at weekends. Mind you, I do drink her guiness when she's not lookin'.

Just spent a few hours reading through this thread, and looking at the pic's on picture Sheffield. I remember it all now The pic's & post's brought back so many memories, Patnicks Junkerama, potty Edwards, the brass scales in the market, I remember sitting on them when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I wonder where they are now? in some museum maybe? And I saw one of the Edward's Bro's at Skegness market some year's back.

Hi, my mum wanted to know if anyone remembered big Ada
getting stuck in a taxi many moons ago.
She had a few too many and couldnt get out ,my Nan and her
neighbours that lived on Durham road had to literaly drag her out of taxi and put her straight to bed.

Hope someone remembers this.

I remember standing with my mother at the crockery stall in the old Rag n' Tag market. We went down there rain, hail or shine to watch and listen to the stall owner sell his wares. Porcelain would often come flying through the air, including complete dinner and tea services, as he and his helper gave us the big sell. I can't ever recall anything being dropped or broken. The guy had a large wooden stick which was waved around then banged onto the counter as he gave us the lowest price for the day. It was a miracle he avoided smashing something.
I have many memories of the old market but even though things have changed, I still enjoyed walking around the Castlemarket when I was over there last Summer. We have nothing like that where I live in Australia.

Thatman I think was my father Harry Stanton. The Sheffield Star did a full page piece on him at on point.

I think that was my father Harry Stanton. He would juggle pots and he did have a large wooden stick. I would go down on Saturday and help wrap the pots up for customers.

Does anyone remember Harry Stanton. He sold pots in the old Rag and Tag market for Violet Edwards. He would command an audience by juggling pots and hit the damaged ones with a big stick he kept under his arm
The Sheffield Star did a two page spread on him. He worked for old Joe Edwards (Violets husband) before he died. There were two Edwards families working the pot stalls both related.
When my father Harry Stanton was 14 he would drive over to Staffordshire, where the pots were bought, with old Joe in his lorry and on the way back Joe would stop off at a pub. One night he camed out of the pub that drunk he was incapable of driving the lorry and so my father, age 14, drove it back, but as he turned it into the drive he caught the front wing and when Joe woke up the next morning he leathered my father for damaging it. Happy days eh.

Hey PopT, I've re-read your original post on this thread and you mention the name 'armoids'. Could it've been 'Amoid'? I remember a guy who had a pitch just below where the big scales used to be. His name or pseudonym was Rix or Rex Amoid and among the stuff you mentioned he sold 'Parsley Piert' pills. Does that ring a bell with you?
I also frequented Patnicks stall. I remember buying a load of magazines in a big bundle about 18'' thick. They were all early 1900s, including 'The Strand', 'Gentlemans Magazine', 'Scout', 'Boys Own Paper', and others, almost in mint condition. For a 'tanner'.
Mr Patnick was glad to see the back of them, well, a sale is a sale, isn't it? Sometimes I could cry because they'd be worth a lot of money now.

I
Can anyone remember the sweets that were in the shape of fish, used to get them in the market. barley sugars the called them.
hazel

you can still get the boiled-sweet fishes from the sweet stall near the top entrance of the Castle Market, on the right hand side wall before you get to the two funeral florists. they charge abourt 70/80p a 1/4, I got some the other day, and they were blooming lovely, (My favourites were the white ones)

W

I
Can anyone remember the sweets that were in the shape of fish, used to get them in the market. barley sugars the called them.
hazel

you can still get the boiled-sweet fishes from the sweet stall near the top entrance of the Castle Market, on the right hand side wall before you get to the two funeral florists. they charge abourt 70/80p a 1/4, I got some the other day, and they were blooming lovely, (My favourites were the white ones)

My sister and I used to get the boiled sweet fish, or Dixon's Mint Rock (# Dixon's the mint-rock-king!!" # ) when we went to my grandma's.

does anyone have any photos of the old markets they'd be happy to share etc?

there a chap in crystal peak's market has a stall with all the old fashioned sweets on - - started reminiscing about coltsfoot sticks, marry me quick, cinder toffee and winter candy, guess what he had them all, and the big and little fishes, so ended up buying some of each. keep meaning to go back and ask if he has butterscotch and liquorice tablets - used to love those, could get all of these at the sweet stall in the old rag and tag- understand the shop at the bottom of duke street is still going as well

Yep, I can just remember it.
Being weighed on those scales was a treat..........how times have changed and how little it took to please and excite kids in those days!
That market had a great, vibrant atmosphere, something completely lacking in the marbled, luxury of Meadowhall... ...there should be a lesson to be learnt there........... or are they both merely products of their times?

I remember the scales, I was told they were Jockey scales

hears your bouncing mickie's every ones a winner anyone remember that