Rag and Bone men

basmic

basmic

basmic

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10 Apr 2004
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Darlington, County Durham
For the first time in my life, I've heard and seen a genuine, modern day, rag and bone man.

Nothing special really. Just slowly drove down the alley in a white van shouting at the top of his voice - at first I thought it was a drunk, until I heard him shouting what sounded like "any old rags". :eek:

Anybody else get these, or is it just the local gypos feeling hardup?
 
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We had one on the council estate I used to live on. Came round about 8 on a Wednesday - my only day off of the week, and would shout and wake me up!!! Dunno what he actually shouted though.

Charity shops still use rag merchants, its a much bigger business now, and half the charity bags you get through your door go straight to rag merchants now.

Apparently the old fashioned Rag and Bone men used to give children goldfish in exchage for rags!!! You wouldn't see that now.
 
We have two scruffy fellas who wander around all day with a wheelbarrow collecting bits of scrap metal. They always make me girlfriend laugh as one is really little and the other a great big bloke, the little one pushes the barrow. :D

Sadly, they don't shout anything.
 
Whenever I hear about rag and bone men I always think of the old Rob Newman standup where he's talking about getting it on with his girlfriend but simultaneously thinking about how rag and bone men have over the years compressed the phrase "Have you got any old rag and bone for me please" into one handy shouted word. Then he has a 'mishap' and apologises by shouting out rag and bone style. :D
 
ALL THERE SCRAP IRON AND LUMBERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR :)


Just so you know.
 
basmic said:
Nothing special really. Just slowly drove down the alley in a white van shouting at the top of his voice...
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Not the same realy!... Needs to be on a Cart pulled by a Horse called 'Hercules' (Steptoe!!!)

I can remember them when I was a Kid visiting my Nan in Brixton (I'm not that old!!!) but I've not seen (or heard) them for many many years (NO I'm not that old!!!)
 
malc30 said:
ALL THERE SCRAP IRON AND LUMBERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR :)


Just so you know.
Click to expand...

They always shouted something but I never understood any of it :confused:

Actually I remember peopel use to come outside when they were shouting with washing machines, mowers and all manner of stuff.

It was an open truck so a guy would be stood up behind the drivers cabin shouting *memories*
 
Used to get them regularly when I was a kid, still see one once in a while. The other thing I remember is the French onion man coming round on his bicycle, flogging strings of onions and garlic (giving away my age here...)
 
We had one come down our road twice this week, first time I've ever seen them. Couldn't make out what they said but they had loads of stuff on their truck.
 
Simian said:
From memory it was "RAG BOOOOOOONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" over and over again...
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These were Irish iirc

"TTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGAAAAAAAAAAA BORNNNNNNNNNNNN"

wozzizname said:
Used to get them regularly when I was a kid, still see one once in a while. The other thing I remember is the French onion man coming round on his bicycle, flogging strings of onions and garlic (giving away my age here...)
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Hey we have one of them, he gets about abit with his *Ding-Dong* "Fraunch Oin-ions".
 
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Simian said:
From memory it was "RAG BOOOOOOONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" over and over again...
Click to expand...
Same here, i used to live in leytonstone until 1990 and he came round every week, horse and cart ringing a school bell shouting RAG N BONE!!!! I think it actually all stopped in the mid-80's.
 
Not heard one for years .....


Always used to be "Any old iron or ragbone" as I ecall from my youth in the midlands.
 
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