Stuff you never see anymore

[bogiesdey]

Nothing to do with mining or pits, me and my mate were talking about things you don' t see anymore, you know, Aztec bars,mobile shops( chip vans,grocery vans) white dogs poo on pavements or old boys selling sports papers at corners on a Saturday night,just wondered where they have all gone?

[dazbt]

Dec 6, 2013 15:20:03 GMT -5 bogiesdey said:

Nothing to do with mining or pits, me and my mate were talking about things you don' t see anymore, you know, Aztec bars,mobile shops( chip vans,grocery vans) white dogs poo on pavements or old boys selling sports papers at corners on a Saturday night,just wondered where they have all gone?

yep, so much lost, generation to generation;

When Arwer a Lad


REARED IN BARNSLEY !

RUSTY AND BATTERED OLD SNAP TIN
CORDUOROY TROUSERS WEARING THIN

SPARKING CLOGS
BULL TERRIER DOGS

WHITSUNTIDE CLOTHES, SUNDAY SCHOOL WALKS
PEA SHOOTERS MADE FROM HOG WEED STALKS

COPPER BOILERS AND PEGGY TUBS
HIDE AND SEEK IN THE VICARAGE SHRUBS

MINTY BEECHNUT CHEWING GUM
DAINTY TOFFEE TIN AS A DRUM

COCONUT MATTING AND HANDPEGGED RUGS
LITTLE OLD LADIES FETCHING BEER IN JUGS

PAWN BROKERS SHOP
HOME MADE GINGER POP

TIN BATHS HANGING ON A NAIL OUTSIDE
CURTAINS CLOSED WHEN SOMEONE DIED

HOBNAILED BOOTS
LIQUORICE ROOTS

CAPSTAN CIGS FOR FULLER STRENGTH
BONFIRE SPARKLERS AT FULL ARM’S LENGTH

SCRAPING SEGS
GYPSY PEGS

SWOOSHING SOUND OF TIPPED HOME COAL
OLD PEOPLE TALKING OF THE DOLE

BLACK GAS METER AT THE CELLAR HEAD
GRANDMA’S SUPPER, CHEESE AND BREAD

DAD’S SUNDAY NIGHTS OXFORD BAGS
DAD’S MONDAY MORNINGS OLD PIT RAGS

SPIC AND SPAN HIDDEN IN DAD’S SOCK DRAWER
TWO LAYERS OF LINO ON THE COLD STONE FLOOR

THE CORONATION UNION JACK
COWBOYS AND INDIANS ON THE STACK

DOLLY BLUES
BOBBIES IN TWOS

TWEED FLAT CAPS
NARROW GINNEL GAPS

GREEDY MOTHS AND CAMPHOR BALLS
BIG BLACK PINNIES AND CROCHETED SHAWLS

CAMPHORATED OIL RUBBED ON MY CHEST
STICKY RUBBER BUTTONS ON MY VEST

CONVEYOR BELT SLEDGING DOWN THE STACK
SIX OLD PIPES IN GRANDAD’S RACK

CIGARETTE CARDS
EXTENDABLE FIRE GUARDS

GRANDMA’S SHOES WITH BUTTONS ON
BACK DOOR LEFT OPEN AND BUDGIE GONE

CHILDREN’S MATINEE AT THE FLICKS
WEEK END CHORE OF CHOPPING STICKS

LENTIL SOUP MADE WITH TWO PENNARTH OF BONES
NEXT DOOR FAMILY NAME OF JONES

PHILIPS RUBBER STICK ON SOLES
WOLLEN SOCKS WITH COMPULSARY HOLES

BIG BRASS FENDERS
NASTY MONEY LENDERS

CLATTER OF CLOGS ON PAVEMENT FLAGS
TATTERS COLLECTING BONES AND RAGS

YORKSHIRE PUDDING
CELLARS FLOODING

DAMMED UP STREAMS FOR SWIMMIMG POOLS
HARD BACKED CHAIRS AND THREE LEGGED STOOLS

PLAYING HOPSCOTCH IN THE STREETS
SHERBERT DIPS AND HUMBUG SWEETS

REMEMBERING MAM’S COOP DIVI NUMBER
VINEGAR SOAKED ONION AND SLICED CUCUMBER

OLD TIN DUDLEYS
PENNY JUBBLYS

COBBLED ROADS AND JINNEL ENTRY
BACKS UNMADE FOR MORE HALF A CENTURY

WET THROUGH WEIGHT OF DUFFEL COATS
GRANDAD MAKING FISHING FLOATS

HOMEMADE JAM
SPECIAL SUNDAY TEA TIME HAM

SCHOOLYARD GAMES AND SNOWBALL FIGHTS
ROARING FIRES ON WINTER NIGHTS

TB JELLY TEST AND COD LIVER OIL
BARNSLEY DOOERS, BOOITS, COIT AND COIL

DAD COMING HOME WITH PANDA EYES
BABY SISTER’S NON STOP CRIES

AGE OF FOUR SAW MY FIRST BANANA
CASABLANCA SAM PLAYING A BLACK PIANA

WOODBINE CIGS
SYRUP OF FIGS

TERRACED ROWS FROM HERE TO EVER
A COUSIN AT GRAMMER SCHOOL, OH SO CLEVER

GREEN GAS LAMPS TO PLAY AROUND
SEASIDE DAYS IN “LOST AND FOUND”

POTTIES, ALLIES AND SHINY MABS
FISHING OFF THE PIER FOR GREEDY CRABS

CARBOLIC SOAP
JUST LIVING IN HOPE

MONDAY MORNING STEAM, SOAP AND BLEACH
DRYING SHEETS FAR AS THE EYE COULD REACH

PARTY SANDWICHES ALWAYS POTTED MEAT
JELLY TRIFLE A SPECIAL TREAT

CHECKING SEAMS ARE STRAIGHT FOR MY MAM
MY SISTER IN MY SILVER CROSS PRAM

SUNDAY TEA
DAD’S BEET KNEE

TREACLE SANDWICHES WITH MARGARINE
GRANDMA’S PICTURE OF THE QUEEN

WOODEN PENS WITH SCRATCHY NIBS
SOOTY CHIMNEY CLEANING SQUIBS

LOOMING HEADGEAR, WHIRRING WHEELS
CLACKITY CLICK OF SEGS IN HEELS

EARLY MORNING KNOCKERS UP
MY VERY OWN SPECIAL TERRIER PUP

PENNY DUCKS
COAL LEADER’S TRUCKS

COLLIERY FIRE FIGHTING COMPETITION
CATAPULT ARMED HUNTING EXPEDITION

SHORT BACK AND SIDES
MAGIC LANTERN SLIDES

WHITE FIVE POUND NOTES AS BIG AS A SHEET
BUTCHER’S VAN WITH FLIES AND MEAT

WARM CREAMY MILK
COLLIER’S SCARVES MADE OF SILK

PIT BUZZER BLASTING IN THE MORNING
ALL BIKES HAD BELLS FOR PEDESTRIAN WARNING

PLAYING CRICKET WITH A HOME MADE BAT
PANIC IN THE STREET, GLADYS’ SEEN A RAT

PIT LANE PUDDLES WITH BLACKENED CRUST
SEPTEMBER WINDS AND SWIRLING DUST

FENNINGS LITTLE HEALERS AND BEECHAM’S PILLS
DONKEY STONED STEPS AND WINDOW SILLS

FISH AND CHIPS
PIT CLUB TRIPS

BROKEN BISCUITS AT HALF PRICE
BEETLE DRIVES WITH REAL BONE DICE

CHEATING CONKERS PICKLED AND BAKED
TINY NEW POTATOES BOILED WHEN SCRAPED

KETTLES ALWAYS ON THE BOIL
GRANDDAD USING WORDS LIKE TOIL

SACRED ALLOTTMENTS WITH PIGEONS AND BANTIES
EVERY KID HAD A HUNDRED AUNTIES

EAGLE COMIC WITH DAN THAT DARED
GLASS BOWL ALIEN MADE ME SCARED

A SINGLE OXO FROM THE CORNER SHOP
SAT ON A BOARD IN THE BARBERS FOR A CROP

CIG MACHINES WITH PACKETS OF TWO
TEA IN BROWN TEAPOTS LEFT TO BREW

ALWAYS THE ACRID SMELL OF BURNING WOOD
ALWAYS THE SLOOSH OF THICK BLACK MUD

GREEN AND BLACK OLD MORRIS EIGHT
DAD’S OVERLOADED DINNER PLATE

MONEY SAVING HOBBING FOOT
UNEXPECTED FALL OF SOOT

FIRST SLICED BREAD AT THE COOP SHOP
BRISTLY YARD BRUSH AND RAGGY MOP

COAL CELLAR LIDS
STREET SKIPPING KIDS

GRANDAD’S PIGTAIL BACCA WITH THE EXTRA JOCKEY
WORLD’S BEST BOXER, THE PROPER ROCKY

ROUGHENED HANDS HOLDING MINE
THEE AND THAR, THEIRN AND THINE

CANARIES AND LINNETS IN WOODEN CAGES
FREQUENT STRIKES FOR BETTER WAGES

CORNED BEEF HASH
NETTLE RASH

PROPER PORK SAUSAGES MADE WITH MEAT
INDIAN TEPE MADE WITH MAM’S CLEAN SHEET

TWO OUNCES OF HAM FOR FIVE OF US
PENNY FARE TO BARNSLEY ON A BUS

FOG AND SMOG MOST WINTER DAYS
GREAT GRANDAD STILL HAS VICTORIAN WAYS

SALT AND PEPPER ON DRIPPING CAKES
SPECIAL WASH WITH LUX SOAP FLAKES

MARCHING MINERS DEMONSTRATION
STOOD IN A FREEZING DARK BUS STATION

SCRUMPING APPLES
CHOICE OF CHAPELS

BURNING SLAG HEAPS AT EVERY PIT
GAS MANTLES EVER SO GENTLY LIT

WAISTCOAT POCKETS WITH DROOPY CHAINS
THE SPECIAL SMELL OF OLD STEAM TRAINS

DAD’S PIT SOCKS LIKE CURLY BOARD
DUSTBIN LID AND WOODEN SWORD

SAGGY KNITTED SWIMMING TRUNKS
LAID IN BED WAKENED BY SOME PASSING DRUNKS

ALBERT HIRST’S BLACK PUDDING SARNIE
STREET ENTERTAINMENT WITH SALLY’S ARMY

STREETS NAMED CHARITY, FAITH AND HOPE
LIFEBOUY, FAIRY AND SUNLIGHT SOAP

KNOCKING ON DOORS AND RUNNING OFF
FRIGHTENED BY GRANDDAD’S GASPING COUGH

INCH THICK TOAST ON A BELL WIRE FORK
SENT OUTSIDE WHILE MAM AND AUNTY MARY TALK

PINK PIG BRAWN IN BASIN SHAPES
DAILY PIT STORIES OF NARROW ESCAPES

TANNERS, BOBS AND HALF A DOLLARS
EDUCATION MISSED BY CLEVER SCHOLARS

SNOW FLAKES FALLING WHITE, BUT LANDING GREY
POP GUN AND DRAUGHTS FOR CHRISTMAS DAY

PIGEON LOFTS IN BLACK AND WHITE
STICKS AND PAPER, A DAD MADE KITE

A TON OF HOME COAL DELIVERED IN TWENTY LUMPS
CHICKENPOX, SCARLET FEVER, LURGY, AS WELL MUMPS

MYXOMATOSIS AND BLINDED RABBITS
PICKING YOUR NOSE AND OTHER HABITS

GABERDINE MACS AND WELLINGTON BOOTS
SEARCHING PONDS FOR FROGS AND NEWTS

BULL ROAR FIRES UP CAST IRON PIPES
KNITTEDTANK TOPS WITH COLOURED STRIPES

HIS MASTER’S VOICE AND JOSEF LOCKE
AUNTY MARY’S NOISY ANTIQUE CLOCK

MAYPOLE DELIVERIES ON A BIKE
STALKING THE CANAL FOR SMALL JACK PIKE

From a Barnsley lad, another TYKE!!

[shropshirebloke]

Daz - you should be Poet Laureate!

So much of that takes me back to my childhood in the 50's and 60's - and I was born and bred in Shropshire. Reading it I can imagine it being spoken by my school French teacher (he was a Barnsley bloke, which probably explains why I was crap at French... "Bonjewer mez onfonts, je mapell Barrnsli Billl").

Dunno about the "pink pigs brawn" though - Dad always made his own from pig's heads and it was brown - he said the pink stuff from the shops was rubbish (and he was right!). Best part was brains on toast - food of the gods!

Please keep em coming mate!

[colly0410]

Dec 6, 2013 15:20:03 GMT -5 bogiesdey said:

Nothing to do with mining or pits, me and my mate were talking about things you don' t see anymore, you know, Aztec bars,mobile shops( chip vans,grocery vans) white dogs poo on pavements or old boys selling sports papers at corners on a Saturday night,just wondered where they have all gone?

We still have a mobile shop come round 3 times a day, bit dear though, but good if we've forgotten something on our main shop at Aldi/Tesco/Morrisons, also sells nice big duck eggs that I like..

[bogiesdey]

Still on the subject of stuff that's gone, what happened to bandit biscuits or lucky tatties, remember then? It was like a hard nougat covered in cinnamon and inside was a small plastic toy, like a speedboat or a little air fix like soldier,when you think back ,how dangerous where they? How come we did not all choke to death?

[tygwyn]

Reckon if your childhood was through the 50`s/60`s and of working class stock,no matter where you lived,one can relate to most of Daz`s list,

I must have eaten a forest of that Spanish Root,lol.

[fortythreesflyer]

I can remember in the mid 1950s the pie and pea van coming round in the evenings. And also there is still a mobile shop in the ferry fryston/airedale area of Castleford, it has the theme from benny hill to announce its arrival.

[Mick]

Dec 7, 2013 9:58:13 GMT -5 fortythreesflyer said:

I can remember in the mid 1950s the pie and pea van coming round in the evenings. And also there is still a mobile shop in the ferry fryston/airedale area of Castleford, it has the theme from benny hill to announce its arrival.

Know the mobile shop very well,stops at the end of my street,anyone remember WONDER MEND used it loads of time to glue me pit clothes up .

[tygwyn]

Mick,
Was Wondermend similar to Copydex,that`s what my Mam used for my Dad`s and my Colliery trousers when patching the knee`s.

[Mick]

Dec 7, 2013 13:51:26 GMT -5 tygwyn said:

Mick,
Was Wondermend similar to Copydex,that`s what my Mam used for my Dad`s and my Colliery trousers when patching the knee`s.

Yes it could have been,the last time i saw it im sure it was call copydex or something like that,it was white when it first came out the tube then as it dryed it turned gray.
Mick.

[tygwyn]

Dec 7, 2013 16:39:16 GMT -5 Mick said:

Dec 7, 2013 13:51:26 GMT -5 tygwyn said:

Mick,
Was Wondermend similar to Copydex,that`s what my Mam used for my Dad`s and my Colliery trousers when patching the knee`s.

Yes it could have been,the last time i saw it im sure it was call copydex or something like that,it was white when it first came out the tube then as it dryed it turned gray.
Mick.

Little black spatula in the lid in the glass jar`s for spreading the stuff,white turning grey when dried,or was that the coal dust still in the material?

[dazbt]

Pit canteens used to sell Wondermend in tubes in this part of the world, it was a white latex based glue that once applied to cloth patch acted like an impact adhesive, brilliant for a quick patch repair but not all that cheap from what I remember.

Anybody remember Murrey's Irish Roll bacca, the best ever chewin bacca that disappeared in the late 60s as if by magic and left us all with the alternative plastic waxy rubbish unless you were lucky enough to be able to buy the costly Kendal twist varieties?

[dazbt]

My grandfather started a fruit and veg hawking round in the 1940s using a horse and cart and still managed to work full time as a miner, was a local councillor, a semi pro wrestler, kept a dozen pigs and managed a third of an acre of vegetable garden. He sold on the grocery business in the early 1950s to his mate who eventually passed it on, the horse drawn veg cart was still doing the rounds well into the 1970s ...... although I think the horse had to be changed a couple of times.
As a kid in the 1950s I remember an old guy on a bike who used to sharpen knives, scissors and such, the grinding machine was mounted on the back of the bike and he somehow managed to turn around and peddling powered the grinding wheel (I can't for the life of me envisage how he managed to do that, but he did). There was a youngish lad who sold ice cream from a massive 'cool box' stuck on the front of a push bike and occasionally a pop-corn seller on a bike would appear selling twopenny portions of brilliant pop-corn in a rolled up newspaper cone, don't see many of them about these days.

[shropshirebloke]

Dec 7, 2013 20:26:21 GMT -5 dazbt said:

Anybody remember Murrey's Irish Roll bacca, the best ever chewin bacca that disappeared in the late 60s as if by magic and left us all with the alternative plastic waxy rubbish unless you were lucky enough to be able to buy the costly Kendal twist varieties?

They used to sell Gallaher's Black Pigtail Twist in our canteen - came in a blue and green wrapper. Only ever tried it once and soon wished I hadn't

When my Granddad found out I was working at the pit he asked me to get him some - he used to chop it up and smoke it in his pipe - stank the place out!

[dazbt]

Dec 8, 2013 6:48:52 GMT -5 shropshirebloke said:

Dec 7, 2013 20:26:21 GMT -5 dazbt said:

Anybody remember Murrey's Irish Roll bacca, the best ever chewin bacca that disappeared in the late 60s as if by magic and left us all with the alternative plastic waxy rubbish unless you were lucky enough to be able to buy the costly Kendal twist varieties?

They used to sell Gallaher's Black Pigtail Twist in our canteen - came in a blue and green wrapper. Only ever tried it once and soon wished I hadn't

When my Granddad found out I was working at the pit he asked me to get him some - he used to chop it up and smoke it in his pipe - stank the place out!

That Gallahers 'rubbish' seemed to be standard canteen stock, it used to cost a shilling (called "a bob screw")it was well over £1.25 when I finished work. They sold a brown twist as well in a brown packet, the brown bacca seemed not to be as oily/waxy as the black. I worked with an old guy that smoked it in a pipe as well, but the twist to the twist was that after he'd chewed it he dried it out and then smoked it, double value.

[shropshirebloke]

You never seem to see snuff anymore - I used to love a pinch of Hedges L260 - best stuff in the World if your sinuses are playing up.

I first used it in the pit, but every pub and corner shop used to sell a selection - Hedges, Singletons, Simplex and Dr Rumney's are the ones I can remember.

Hedges used to be vicious stuff if left in the warm for too long - it wasn't a good idea to keep a large tin in your pit jacket and leave it in your locker - half way down the tin it felt like the fumes you get from mixing caustic soda!

[tygwyn]

A good tobacconist should see you right,last one i had in Aberystwyth,not exactly a Coal Mining area,

Always keep a tin in the medicine box,along with the Captain Morgan and Old Bushmills,lol.

[dazbt]

Another thing that you don't see nowadays is a trepanner right-hand gearhead gearbox crown wheel extractor, there's dozens of left hand extractors at carboot sales and on eBay, but I haven't seen a single right handed version, it's the same with right hand Acme snap tins, not one to be had on the open market, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if the Chinese counterfeiters don't twig onto these shortages and end up making millions by flooding the Western world with thousands of cheap copies.

[fortythreesflyer]

I can remember some of the old lads would marinade the bacca with all different concoctions, still tasted vile to me.

[John]

Dec 8, 2013 16:14:56 GMT -5 dazbt said:

Another thing that you don't see nowadays is a trepanner right-hand gearhead gearbox crown wheel extractor, there's dozens of left hand extractors at carboot sales and on eBay, but I haven't seen a single right handed version, it's the same with right hand Acme snap tins, not one to be had on the open market, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if the Chinese counterfeiters don't twig onto these shortages and end up making millions by flooding the Western world with thousands of cheap copies.

There's a shop in The Rocks area of Sydney that sells left handed things, like scissors etc...Check them out, you never know...

[dazbt]

John, you're not listening (again), there's tons and tons of left handed extractors about, it's the right handed ones that are the rarities, having said that, it could be that "left-hand" in The land of Downside Uppermost is really a "right-hand" once it's back in the Land of Right Side Up, might be worth a try.

[John]

Dec 9, 2013 15:13:12 GMT -5 dazbt said:

John, you're not listening (again), there's tons and tons of left handed extractors about, it's the right handed ones that are the rarities, having said that, it could be that "left-hand" in The land of Downside Uppermost is really a "right-hand" once it's back in the Land of Right Side Up, might be worth a try.

They also have right hand stuff, too Daz....

[shropshirebloke]

Dec 8, 2013 16:14:56 GMT -5 dazbt said:

it's the same with right hand Acme snap tins, not one to be had on the open market, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if the Chinese counterfeiters don't twig onto these shortages and end up making millions by flooding the Western world with thousands of cheap copies.

Shouldn't be too difficult to convert a lefthand one, in fact I think the red-painted 'First-Aid' versions were all righthand. Difficult bit would be getting the cheese and black pudding butties to fit - most pigs are RH but cheese...

[dazbt]

Dec 9, 2013 16:38:33 GMT -5 John said:

Dec 9, 2013 15:13:12 GMT -5 dazbt said:

John, you're not listening (again), there's tons and tons of left handed extractors about, it's the right handed ones that are the rarities, having said that, it could be that "left-hand" in The land of Downside Uppermost is really a "right-hand" once it's back in the Land of Right Side Up, might be worth a try.

They also have right hand stuff, too Daz....

I can't imagine the amount of confusion that would have caused J.

[John]

That would explain why I get confused easily....

[tygwyn]

Other things that seem to be off the market,

Fairy green and Sunlight yellow washing soap,the big bar`s,

Victory Vee sweets,

Hactos medicine,the one made in Llanelli,which i need to clear my chest of this flu.

[dazbt]

Dec 14, 2013 14:51:03 GMT -5 tygwyn said:

Other things that seem to be off the market,

Fairy green and Sunlight yellow washing soap,the big bar`s,

Victory Vee sweets,

Hactos medicine,the one made in Llanelli,which i need to clear my chest of this flu.

Victory Vees are still on sale, our local newsagents sell them, the Fairy block soap and Sunlight are still being made but are very expensive (relative to what they used to cost). No idea about the Hactos. Haven't seen Zubes for years.

[tygwyn]

Looks like a bit of cross border trading would`nt go amiss,

I live in an agricultural area here in West Wales,yet can buy Snuff up the road,but not a bar of soap for work washing.

[dazbt]

Dec 14, 2013 17:02:14 GMT -5 tygwyn said:

Looks like a bit of cross border trading would`nt go amiss,

I live in an agricultural area here in West Wales,yet can buy Snuff up the road,but not a bar of soap for work washing.

Fairy and Sunlight soaps are now made (or imported) Jupiter Soaps, they provide one or two other 'old name products' such as Lifebouy and the old transparent coal tar soap (that is now made in India and last for about two baths worth of cleaning).
We have plenty of snuff thank you and a few places still sell the old 'bob twists'.

[John]

How about mineworkers.......

Remember the advert for Zubes??? Zubes are good for your tubes...I used to love the taste of Zubes....Is Lucozade(sp) still made??