Milkmen (farmers)
came around the streets with their horses and milk floats, selling milk to
householders -the practice being to carry at least 2 x 12 gallon cans on
the float and the farmer filled from these a gallon tin which he then
carried
to his customer and poured into their jugs a gill or pint, whichever they
required; or you could go to the float and he would dip into the large
container a gill or pint measure, whichever you required.
Perhaps three or four farmers visited Underbank. Names which spring to mind
are Handford Howorth of Far Old Meadows Farm, H. Pilling - Broadclough Farm,
Butlers - Hay Slacks Farm, Dicky Ashworth (Dicky Thorn - Dick O'Thorn)
Holmes Barn Farm, and Jack Holt with his son Ben "always drunk) from Old
Meadows Farm.
Coalmen also brought coal around the area on their carts, two types being
available -- coal from local pits, Deerplay¥ and Thowlers (Old Meadows) and
coal brought into the town by rail and this always called Railway. Local
coal 1/3d a cwt., railway 1/6d cwt. Coalmen I remember are Wright Walker and
his brother Joney. Wright lived at Brow Top Farm and used to swear
prolifically. Caleb Lord from Weir also brought coal, as did the Co-op.
TWO-HORSE CARTS
It was a common sight to see a coal cart with shaft horse and another in
front called a chain horse pulling a loaded cart full of 1 cwt sacks, (about
40) up the steep inclines in the town. The factories used to have their own
carts, two wheel high carts which probably held about a ton and carted
Deerplay or Thowlers coal for the large Lancashire boilers.
One of the well-known carters was Bill Tom Buckley who sometimes went so far
as the Copy Pit at Holme in Cliviger for a load a days job). Also Fred
Chestney who worked for Shepherds Holmes Mill. This was as good as any
railway coal Georgie Scott used to bring fish round on a cart. He was
besieged with cats whilst serving customers. Clarry Walton had a posh
enclosed horse drawn cart from which he served meat. He later moved to the
Isle of Man. He was the son of old Nurse Walton who brought many hundreds of
babies into this world, including myself.
Old Slattery was a chimney sweep who tramped round the streets with his
brushes on his shoulder dressed in you can guess black clothes with funny
blackcap, shouting "Do you want Me-e-e-e-e" (1/a chimney) Another chimney
sweep was Micky Corless
RAG AND BONES
There were numerous persons with donkeys and cart who collected rags and bones and gave a scrubbing stone or a block of salt, dependent upon the quantity of rags you gave him. By the way, the scrubbing stone or donkey stone, colour cream or white, was used to colour floors or doorsteps by wetting and rubbing on the surface. Floors of lots of houses had no floor-covering so sand was scattered on the stone floor and after it had been walked on for a period it was brushed off and left the stone clean.
BLACKING THE FIRE
It was the fashion in some or most houses to do as we did at 12, Underbank.
During the week until Saturday dinner the following decorated the fireplace:
Poker and tongues a fender with black fire irons, a tidy betty to cover the
ash pit under the fire, and a top bar (all of which needed cleaning by a
method called black leading). This method consisted of a solid ball of black
powder and two hand-brushes with handles, the idea being to spit on one
brush, rub
it on the black ball, then in turn brush it all over the fire irons, after
drying polish with another brush. Saturday dinner all these were taken up
and replaced with ones whose surface was brass and looked much posher.
The round table legs covered by woollen stockings, the feet of which had
worn out were uncovered. A chenille table cloth was used as a table cover
when meals were over stead of a patterned America cloth one and the carpet
square was laid on the floor for the weekend. The process was reversed
before going to bed on Sunday night. Also, all the best shoes were cleaned
before being put away for another week.
Sunday observance was more strictly adhered to, only the back street lads
roaming around and playing games; others attended Sunday-school twice a
day. In my early years I attended the Salvation Army who had a room over
Ogden's Sewing shop in Market Street higher up
on the same side as the V.W.M. Club.
My father was in the brass band playing the euphonium, Uncle Dick the
cornet, Grandfather Read the drum, Archie Howarth cornet, Willie Kershaw, A
Bussie, Albert Law, George Arthur. Willie and Elijah Bell, Eddie Bowers,
Sydney Simcock, Young Ormy Haigh, whose names spring to
mind, and the officers at that time were the Misses Diamond and Barwise.
They used to hold open air meetings each week at the bottom of Bankside by
the bank, across the road by the Spread Eagle pub (about 10 yards down Tower
Street), Blackthorn Gardens and Under bank. During dark weather a
lamp worked by carbide was carried on a pole to help illuminate the little
gathering and the bandsmen's music. Ormy Haigh and Johnny Jenks were two of
the stalwarts.
QUARRY CRICKET
At about 9 or ten years of age I commenced attending Zion Sunday-school in
Market Street. In my class were John Crabtree (later to be Mayor),
Harry Ashworth, Harold and Fred Welden, Sidney Platt, Arthur Aspinall,
Arthur Dodgen, Albert Howorth (later to become Mayor). The school had a
cricket team that played at Bonks, the land between Bankside Lane and
Plantation Street beside the quarry now filled in. This quarry bottom made
an ideal football and cricket pitch for the lads from Plantation Street.
