Reply to: When I were a lad..

[Ken Dodd]

coalman

My cousin works at a local 'Coal Merchant' as they are now called. As is the nature of the business in these modern times, they have a very wide delivery area.

You would be surprised at the number of people who still get or qualify for concessionary coal or take the cash alternative - especially in my area. It used to be about 10 bags per month, for 10 months of the year. It is paid to ex-miners and their widows ('ex' meaning redundant or retired.)

the estate my house is on, is on the site of an old colliery. Of the 15 or so houses in the row of terraced at the side of my garden - which are ex 'pit' houses - at least 5 burn coke. I suppose 'free' heating outweighs the inconvenience.

[crimdon]

NorthEast very near Durham, an old mining village.

Bowburn or the other side?

[d000hg]

thats the ones.

where do you live d000hg ?

NorthEast very near Durham, an old mining village.

[DaveB]

I see a coal delivery lorry on our street every now and then... like a small flatbed with sacks of coal and a small grabber. Does this count? Certainly lots of people still burn real coal around here.


We also get about 3 rag-n-bone men a week come past.

Same here. Village is off mains gas and a lot of the houses still have coal fired boilers. I replaced out fireplace just after we moved in and had to hack thorough the old pipework for the back boiler that used to be there to open it up.

We are on LPG for heating and hot water and quite a few have oil fired heating, but coal is still a sizable proportion.

The local council here does an "anything that does'nt fit in the bin" collection every six weeks for old bikes, bits of furnture, wood, diy refuse etc. The local rag-n-bone man comes round on these days before the bin men and helps himself to anything put out that he thinks he can do something with.

[thelace]

ee lad.
when did you last see a coalman ? smell a coal fire ?

Me mother's heating system still runs on a coke fire with a back boiler.

Girlfriend lives in a Co. Durham pit village, we get the smell of coal fires every day and deliveries once a week.

There's nowt better than bread or crumpets toasted on an open fire

[Drewster]

We still get a rag and bone man round our street every few weeks.

No horse and cart though. Just a van.

We get diddies round all the time - trouble is they come in the middle of the night and nick stuff............

[BrilloPad]

You don't see totters these days either. I remember in Brixton in the early 80s you'd regularly hear their cry "rag and BONE!" as they trotted down the street. Always amazed me how they could make any money out of the carp they collected, but I suppose they picked up better stuff now and then.

We still get a rag and bone man round our street every few weeks.

No horse and cart though. Just a van.

[Badger]

Making the fire in a morning used to be my job, we had coke and coal. Coke for the kitchen boiler for hot water, and a coal fire in the 'front' room. We had a coal fire in the 'middle' room as well but didn't light that often as it got through the coal too quickly

We didn't get central heating till I was around 14. Kids don't know they're born today.

[Coalman]

ee lad.
when did you last see a coalman ? smell a coal fire ?

I'm still here!!

See lots of Coal lorries (trains and boats as well) but then I do have to visit lots of coal fired power stations - does that count!

[Paddy]

I see a coal delivery lorry on our street every now and then... like a small flatbed with sacks of coal and a small grabber. Does this count? Certainly lots of people still burn real coal around here.


We also get about 3 rag-n-bone men a week come past.

... and Plague Cart
http://z.about.com/d/goireland/1/0/T...d_dublinia.jpg

[darmstadt]

You don't see totters these days either. I remember in Brixton in the early 80s you'd regularly hear their cry "rag and BONE!" as they trotted down the street. Always amazed me how they could make any money out of the carp they collected, but I suppose they picked up better stuff now and then.

We have one that comes every Saturday and a farmer comes round selling veggies as well

[EternalOptimist]

I see a coal delivery lorry on our street every now and then... like a small flatbed with sacks of coal and a small grabber. Does this count? Certainly lots of people still burn real coal around here.


We also get about 3 rag-n-bone men a week come past.

thats the ones.

where do you live d000hg ?

[d000hg]

I see a coal delivery lorry on our street every now and then... like a small flatbed with sacks of coal and a small grabber. Does this count? Certainly lots of people still burn real coal around here.


We also get about 3 rag-n-bone men a week come past.

[dang65]

when did you last see a coalman?

Times has changed

[Spacecadet]

ee lad.
when did you last see a coalman ?

Last saw a working coal truck 2 and half years ago in Chesterfield