Who remembers the Rag & Bone Men

[Darbees 10]

Go to Bradford on A650 from the M62 and you will see them on there. Seen one this week.

[Alan52 10]

I remember them well they used to come down Arbourthorne Rd .One day when they came down I was running across the road did not look both ways and the nexed thing I went flying got hit with a motor bike I was in abad way for a while and the rag and bone man took off never saw him again.

[adamski1 10]

I remember the rag and bone man he used to come round the wybourn and give baloons and pegs for clothes. I also remember the tea van when my mother used to go and buy loose tea. Those days are long gone i was only a nipper then but can still remember the good old days

[lovedubai 10]

The one who came round Nether Edge in the 60s had this amazing cry -

"anyowragabones". He also gave out balloons.

[claire3725 10]

Arthur that was my grandads yard john collins and my nan edna worked in the yard.my mum once told me they collected bones to be used in making glue.I asked her ages ago

HI that was Collins yard, he used to hire out ponies and carts to ragmen, Arthur.

[joe snr 10]

Do any of you remember the Rag & Bone men that used to go round the streest with a Horse and Cart shouting "ANY OLD RAGS"

 

My Nan would say go out and put these old clothes on that mans cart.

 

The more modern day version is the plastic chariy bags you fill and leave outside now.

 

john Collin's of Alfred Rd was one of the most known for collecting rags ect.

during the school holidays i would go out with some of the rag men as they were called and help them weigh in at the end of the day then take the pony and put it in the stable on Brightside lane

2 bob[10pence] was a lot in them days

[BLITZER 10]

In the pre-war days of the 30's,the rag and bone man was just one of the passing show of tradespeople shouting their wares as they tramped the streets. Bread,fish,firewood,greengrocery,ice cream,oatcakes & pikelets,milk,and I'm sure there were more. A couple or so had horse drawn carts.but most used shanks's. Oh,and don't forget the street singers. colourful days.

[chrishall 10]

Just after the war my older brother pinched a new pair of his Mam's drawers to give to the ragman, she had to retrieve them!

[carosio 186]

Collins, Langsett Rd; The driver for one of their carts lived a few doors from me off Grammar St, Lower Walkley, he was an alcoholic and frequently you would see the horse and cart parked outside the White Horse pub (corner of Grammar/Creswick St) balloons still tied to the back, the horse waiting patiently. Apparently on one occasion the cart wheels fouled the tram lines on Penistone road resulting in gold fish being tipped over, traffic was at a standstill until all flapping fish were gathered up!

Edited May 16, 2009 by carosio

[Tooeg 10]

Any bones were smashed to get the marrow from them, which was then made into food of some kind I believe.

The rest was then boiled down to make glue.

I would imagine any person over the age of eighty or so would remember people who knew about this first hand.

We do not know how lucky we are to live in this day and age.

 

Often on leases for land to build houses on in Sheffield there would be an exclusion to forbid glue boilling, because of the smell. The rag and bone men with a barrow rather than a horse and cart, the barrow wheels were always cast iron mangle handles

[Tooeg 10]

Artie, you mean to say they Did actually collect BONES, bones from what?

you mean like left over stew bones after cooking ?

 

Remember the bones would be graded, with some going into the cutlery industry, knife handles etc.

[rf2690 10]

john Collin's of Alfred Rd was one of the most known for collecting rags ect.

during the school holidays i would go out with some of the rag men as they were called and help them weigh in at the end of the day then take the pony and put it in the stable on Brightside lane

2 bob[10pence] was a lot in them days

hi, i lived top of carlisle rd,grimesthorpe.i can remember the ragman who came up our st he was called charlie had a lovely round red face he came from down alfred rd area.can anyone recall his second name i can't think,but will know it straight away.