Who remembers the Rag n Bone man? Coming round Blantyre streets with his horse and cart and blowing his trumpet announcing he was there. People would take out their old clothes and towels and he would give your child a balloon or some small plastic trinket in return.
In later times, the rag n bone man had a small van, but the idea was the same.
What can you tell me about this subject? What memories do you have? Do you know who the traders were and when this practice stopped?
On social media:
🎈 we all laughed I think the rag man just let them have one each.
😂😂😂😂
🐴😂
🐑🎈 and wee plastic toyHe must have sold them on but to whom
We were talking g about this the other day lol
🤣Aye, you’re wearing them
In a nearby street a bugler played, no it wasnt the army or the Boys Brigade
And all the young mothers gripped wi the fear, as that dreaded bugler got ever near
Was Jock the Ragman playing an old tune, a scruffy Pied Piper who came tae oor toon
He came intae orr street pushin his cart, blowing and shouting right from the start
An auld broon suitcase filled with toys like santas grotto for girls and for boys
Paint sets and crayons lots o coloured chalks, to draw on yer walls ain yer spinning top
Spud guns ,peashooters, and gutty slings, toys of war ,that the ragman brings
Then he wid tak oot a woodbine, the last o his fags , then he shouted and bawlled “Toys for Rags” Goldfish for rags
Another blast on the bugle and then it wid hush, light up and wait for the mad rush
The bairns in the street wid all gan mad ,lookin fer rags frae ther mums and ther dads
In aw thi cupboards through oot thi rooms and that work tae git some balloons
Wi great anticipation they wid aw stand in line, eyes watchin the ragman all of the time
Nae pounds or ounzes or oni kind o measure, jist a bundle o rags fer a handfae o treasure
Bit a kin onli staund and stare, wi nevir hid oni rags tae spare , noo looking back thinkin o thi facts
Aw my rags were on my back.
😂 Janette Mcgregor😂..x
My Uncle would simply shout very loud ‘RAG BONE’. He didn’t have a pony, he just pushed his cart around the streets of Salford and Moss Side in Manchester
M<y Uncle Billy was a Rag and Bone man in the late 1950s and early 1960s. I'm writing about him in my book and would love to use this image so can you confirm if this is copywrite free. If not how can I get permission.
Sometimes a ragman would give you a goldfish in return for rags ?woolens ,and the firm. He sold them to was known as a MARINE MERCHANT who might lend or hire to the rag man a hand cart. Or in some cases pony @ cart, when he weighed in usually. Just after pub opening time ,would pay for the hire,if he had enough monies worth gathered in 1953 in burnley a typical hire charge for pony & cart in burnley lancs was 7 shillings& 6 pence or @ today’s rate 38 new pence twas my job to make this ready for him