Donkey Stone

[Caran]

Do you know what this is? Paul O'Grady mentioned it on tv, brought back memories from my childhood.
22:50 Thu 22nd Aug 2013

[Caran]

Don't know how this ended up in site suggestions, blasted ipad

[Baldric]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_stone‎
A donkey stone was a type of scouring block, used mostly in the mill towns of the North of England to clean stone steps.

[Caran]

Have you ever used one Baldrick, I have many moons ago. People don't seem to use them nowadays.

[Mamyalynne]

I have four in my undersink cupboard, as you say full of memories.

[Buenchico]

Wanna' buy one?
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/the-donkey-stone-is-still-in-step-1137378

[Baldric]

Remember my gran using one

[Buenchico]

My mother used this on the front step:
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/images/thumb/f/fb/Im20110501Mon-Cardinal.jpg/180px-Im20110501Mon-Cardinal.jpg

[Caran]

We always got ours from the rag and bone man.

[Caran]

We also used the cardinal, mum called it red ragging!

[craft1948]

My nan's biggest jobs, besides doing the weekly wash, was blackleading the fire range and donkey stoning the front step.

[Caran]

We also had a range that needed black leading. I remember one morning mum sorting out the cinders and letting out a scream, there was a mouse in the ashes.

[craft1948]

We had 11 of us in a 3 bedroom terrace house. My 4 uncles shared 2 double beds in the big bedroom, my nan and granddad shared the middle bedroom, my auntie had the little bedroom, and me and my sister and parents had the front room downstairs................I was born there.

[Caran]

Craft that seems a bit of a squash, what bathroom arrangements did you have?

[Caran]

When I was 3 we moved to a rented property where previous tenants had stored coal in the bath!

[Caran]

That took some s rubbing by mum!

[Caran]

Scrubbing

[craft1948]

We had an outside toilet (with big spiders) and a tin bath. My uncles used to go to the slipper baths..............

[Caran]

I remember cutting radio times up into squares and hanging on a hook after threading them with string.

[pauln90]

I seem to remember that my mother got them from the rag and bone man who came round with his horse and cart, who announced his presence with some sort of screeching - still cant decipher what he said. Mother always got the white ones but I remember some steps were edged with a yellow donkey stone.