Rag a bone for a donkey stone

[James Pickering]

Originally Posted by cherokee

theres always someone with a metal detector down on the beach here

There could be some interesting finds -- three possibilities:

1. Artifacts from Lord Nelson's first flagship HMS Foudroyant that was anchored off the central Pier in the late 1890s as a tourist attraction. It foundered during a storm and the wreckage washed up on the beach -- much of the salvage was made up into momentos: wood pieces made into furniture and bronze/copper from the cannons and hull cladding into medallions. Here is a bronze medallion I own:




Closeup of reverse (..... wrecked at Blackpool June 16, 1897):



2. Wreckage pieces from the RAF Botha aircraft that plunged into the sea after the 1941 mid-air collision over the Central Railway Station: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/Botha-Defiant.htm

3. Washed up items (now buried) from the British troopship that was sunk by a German submarine in the Irish Sea in 1942 -- I recovered a sun hemet from the sands back then.

[Kiki]

Very interesting stuff! we had an old ashtray it was from the wardroom of The Iron Duke, it was given to us by an old Marine. I took it to Eric Knowles who only valued it at £30, We have a very good friend who lives on Orkney. on a holliday last year we noticed the museum at Stromness has artifacts from the Iron Duke. So we gave our friend the ashtray and if he wants he can give it to the museum. But we feel its back where it belongs!

if one is a proper white one ill buy it ,,i still use em but cant get a proper white one for luv nor money

besides the hubby its a picture from 1901 bloomin heavy thing but nice

[Kiki]

Originally Posted by krunski

if one is a proper white one ill buy it ,,i still use em but cant get a proper white one for luv nor money

Think the ="proper white ones have turned cream" by now with age!

[Sweetpea]

Could you tell this Southerner what a 'donkey stone' is please?

[Kiki]

Well it isnt a bar of soap you wash donkeys with! It is a chalky block that when you have washed your steps , probably once a week. You went to the trouble of rubbing the edge of the step with the stone to give it a white line effect on the edge. Most folks did this in the North of England. I remember my mum did it was a pride thing . I wonder if they were brought back, folk would use them? Maybe i should get some made and go on the Dragons Den ?

[Sweetpea]

Ok. We all painted ours red with a kind of red waxy stuff. Did they do the up North too? was a matter of great pride to have a really shiny clean step.

[Kiki]

Seen some painted in white, then you have the white nets done with dolly blue- thats another story.

[Sweetpea]

Now, I remember dolly blue I think. Did it come wrapped in blue paper? Very vague memory.

Step were always red down south.

i "had" a white one but it gone yukky grey , not at all nice,,shame really,,spose ill have to resort to the old paint the step trick ,,ah well

[Kiki]

I think dolly blue just wrapped in a cotton cloth in a box i think?

[Kiki]

The donkey stone was used for edging windows too, i have just red that in an old book!