Not A Question, Just A Memory.

[sandyRoe]

My question about ragmen prompted a memory from when I was 4 or 5. We were living in a room in a tenement and at that time the ragman would come by shouting: 'Any old rags?' I was sitting on the stairs and a woman came out of another room with a pillowcase full of stuff in her hand. When she saw me she asked me to bring it down to him. I did, and he dipped his hand in to see what treasures he'd been given. When he withdrew it it was covered in mess. Someone had had an accident.
He was a good sport, and after wiping his hand clean on the outside of the pillowcase, gave me a balloon as a reward.
I can't remember if I blew it up or not. ☺

[Togo]

Its all your dads fault them ayg. Since then everybody has ruddy stripped lines outside their front door.

[lankeela]

Ours used to shout what sounded like 'any old rags 'n lumber' and we used to have cooked mince on a Wednesday so I could take the horse a slice of bread.