Lancashire Trivia

Donkey Stones were square blocks of cream coloured chalk (pieces of sandstone) about 4 inches x 3 inches x 1.5 inches. They were ususally bought from the Rag & Bone man either for a penny or swapped for someting of equal value. The ladies of the street tended to judge a woman on her steps so almost all women in the neighbourhood would "Donkey Stone" the steps in front of their homes. This would entail kneeling in front of the steps and using a damp cloth to wipe the chalky stone on to the step, some would scrub the stone on to the step using a brush etc. the outcome would be a pristine pale cream covered step or steps. You used to see some quite intricate patterns. The most mortal sin you could commit was to write on the stone pavings outside a proud person's house to play hopscotch.

Rag & Bone Man

The Rag & Bone Man used to come around with his horse and cart shouting "RAG-E-BONE" and collected almost anything (like a junk shop on wheels). Originally they collected the rags to be pounded into paper pulp (such quality paper as is not seen today!) and the bones were ground into meal for use as fertilizer. Later they got to buying and selling just about anything as commercial pulp & fertilizer mills made the small-scale operator redundant. Children were fascinated by the Rag Bone man, perhaps because he had one of the few horse-drawn vehicles left. Also, other horse drawn carts were the Ice Wagons, Breadman, Milkman, and Coalman. Children used to gather round the back of the ice wagon and take the little chips that flew off the ice blocks when the iceman chipped off the size block that was to be delivered. The milkman came around with his horse and cart - a special job with two big wheels. You used to leave your jug, with a piece of muslin over it, on the front step and he used to fill it with milk from a big milk container on the back of his cart, using a measuring ladle. The coalmen filled the 112 pound bags with coal direct from the railway wagons and carried them into the houses, sometimes right through to the back yard, but often also tipping the coal under the stairs in the terraced houses. The neighbors would run out with shovels to scoop up the horse manure to spread on their roses or send their kids out with shovels to collect the droppings for their gardens.

Wakes Week

The annual "Wakes Week" when the factories and shops closed for their annual week's holiday and the fair and rides came to town and set up on the market grounds. These were the two weeks set aside in the cotton towns for the annual vacations - or at least time off, as lot of people couldn't afford to go anywhere. The actual two week period varied from town to town. Most people went to Blackpool and walked along the front in a mac and scarf, heads down against the gales from the Irish sea and pretended it was a lovely holiday!! Some people went to the Isle of Man on a boat which sailed from Fleetwood. Some used to go to Blackpool on a "Shara" (a type of bus tour)

Guy Fawkes Night

"Plot Night" - 5th November. This commemorated the attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up the houses of parliament in 1605; unfortunately he was caught before completing the act and was hung, drawn and quartered for his affrontery! Young lads celebrated this event every year by gathering as much old wood as they could for a bonfire; gangs of boys often raiding each others' stockpiles. They also bought all the fireworks they could afford for weeks before. On 5th November night the whole street would turn out and they'd light the fire and set off our fireworks. Potatoes blackened in the fire, roast chestnuts, black peas, "plot toffee", the "Guy" ( a straw filled dummy made from old clothing) which was placed on top of the fire and burnt. They also used to go from door to door, pushing their "Guy" in an old pram, much like "trick or treat", and sing this song in the hope they'd get a few coppers to buy fireworks. Remember, remember, the fifth of November, It's gunpowder plot, we never forgot. Put your hand in your pocket and pull out your purse. A ha'penny or a penny will do you no harm. If you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do, If you haven't got a ha'penny then God bless you.

Life In Lancashire

Common abodes were similar to fourplexes and were called "two up and two down". Some even had outdoor toilets called "middens" which were a long row of little cubicles. The "Midden Men" came once a week to empty them. The old tin bath came out every Friday night for the weekly bathe in front of the fire. It took hours to boil water in the kettle for the bath. And the clothes were washed in the kitchen sink and hung up to dry on a pulley contraption that hung overhead near the fire in the kitchen (called a "maiden"). Some of the other early memories of life in Lancashire include: Bringing the coal in Taking out the ashes Mother mangling the washing Dolly tubs for washing in Lucky bags Gobstoppers Standing on the bridge while the steam train went underneath Using the front room (only at Christmas and receiving special company) Wooden draining boards Soft water taps Stone sinks Stone Hot water bottles Guzunders