Who remembers the Rag & Bone Men

[jaffa1]

The Collins you refer to on Penistone Road may have been the Collins who was at the bottom of I think Upper alber street near the juction of Infirmary Road. I remember the horse & cart and the wheel barrow. Kids got either a ballon or if you had a big bundle a goldfish. Collins was a big family of rag & bone men scattered around Sheffield. There still is a Collins scrap man who I often see driving around and there is Collins skips, they are the grand & great grand children of the above mentioned who was in the Upperthorpe area.

 

I worked in Kiveton on job in 2002 and a r&b man came round with a loud speaker on his van shouting any old rags and scrap. I was told as a lad that some of the rags went into making paper. I am sure Jackie of Collins skips might be able to answer some of the questions relating to the rag & bone business.

 

The Collins you are talking about used to be at the bottom of Portland Street and his brother Walt was in Upper Allen Street. It is now mostly skips they deal with. [Walt being the grandad of Jackie ]

 

Not to be confused with the Collins of Hill Street.

[jaffa1]

Hi Baza 123, Yes you are right mr and mrs collins of alfred road were Wilf and Beattie.Wilf was my grandad's brother.My grandad's yard was just off London Road and his name was John and his wife Edna and my Great grandfather was called Wilf and he was a rag and bone man but died in the 1960's.

Hi tenbob,yes i am the daugher of trevor and little edna!(Gosh I haven't heard that for years)

 

I always remember Lish wearing hush puppies, he'd wear nothing else but hush puppies.

[yellowperil]

My grandad used to be a rag and bone man with a horse and cart,he was also an ice cream man and used to make saddles,lived on the manor,anyone remember him.

[pigeon]

Thanks Pigeon!

I remember the last horses my grandad had was a great big horse and a small shetland pony in Early 80's but had to put them on a farm eventually I think!I know my mum said he had a lot!

Do you know Wilf well?

:suspect:Yes must be cold he finally got gas fire running on two burners for a limited time though!

[Alan Stormon]

I used to stay at my Grandads on Honeysuckle Road, the rag and bone man used to call once a week, My Grandad was WW1 vet, apparently during WW1 we ran out of everything, the main explosive used was nitro glycerine and the glycerine bit was made from boiling up fat and bones, every house had to have a fat and bone bucket,(where have I heard that before) the rags were to make soldgiers uniforms,not officers, they were send to the shoddy mills in Lancashire and turned in to cloth, early version of recycling, Alan Stormont

[jackbob]

my grand dad was a rag and bone man called tosh (and darts player) I bet theirs a few people how've got a tale or two to tell about him. lived on gatefield road. abbeydale

Edited January 24, 2011 by jackbob

[cherriepie]

Iremember living on Attercliffe and the rag and bone man coming up our street every sunday.All we got really as kids were baloons, not sure what anyone else got?

 

We got goldfish ner ner !

[tilter]

does anyone remember Tubby and Manny Woodward they lived ta the top of Kelvin Street and had barrows with the wheels made from mangle handles their mum was a grand old lady.

[smuffin]

I too remember one at Parson Cross Always wondered why the goldfish never survived for long

[curleyburley]

did peter stringfellers dad used to be a rag and bone man:)