MYSTERY OBJECTS

[chinatyke]

Something to do with collecting rainwater?

[Stanley]

They're corbels Tiz.
On the right track China, can you expand a bit? (He has such a good memory.....)

[chinatyke]

I've a vague recollection of a water tank being involved.

[Stanley]

You are to close to ignore China. In the days before mains water and with stables at the back of the pub, a long rainwater gutter carried water that fell on the North facing side of the roof to a water tank at the back of the pub instead of simply discharging it to waste in the street. Collection of rain water was very common when the only other source was wells and springs.
Next one?

[Stanley]

An easy one.....

[Wendyf]

I have one .....

[Stanley]

I might have known it! Let the others have a guess.....

[Gloria]

I know

[Marilyn]

For stretching holes in leather?

Have you got rid of that deadly Mercury yet? ( I do worry about you...)

[Stanley]

No need to worry Maz, I am very good at looking after myself!
Sorry no, but if it was thin leather it would do a good job.
Nice one Gloria.....

[Bodger]

I also used one,it was for a down to earth job in the house

[Stanley]

We've given them enough time, will someone please come clean?

[Wendyf]

It's a tool for making rag rugs.

[Stanley]

Thank you Wendy! I have never used one and have often wondered, was the double strip simply forced through one gap in the backing cloth and friction held it in place or was there a knotting process on the back?

[Wendyf]

No knotting needed, you work on the front of the hessian, push the tool in and out again like a needle, grab the end of your rag strip and pull it back through the 2 holes created by the tool. Both ends stick up to form the pile.

[Stanley]

Ah! Now I understand. Thanks for that.
I once talked to a lady who was very old and had been making peg rugs all her life and of course you will know that they were called that because before the advent of this tool, all that was used was a simple wooden peg and you worked from both sides. She always put another Hessian back on her rugs when she had finished the pile, they were lovely rugs.
One final thing she told me was that the best red material was old army uniforms. So If you see an old peg rug with red in it it's almost certainly from that source.

[Stanley]

It's very hard finding mystery objects..... Can anyone say why this piece of wall grabbed my attention?

[Cathy]

I'm probably way off but were those cut-out bits in the slabs previously used for drying lengths of wood?

[Stanley]

On the contrary Cathy, you are very warm. You went directly to those cut outs. But it wasn't for drying the wood.....

[Marilyn]

For holding rafters. ( up the other way and in a previous application.)

[Wendyf]

Are they in the wall at Booth Bridge?

[Stanley]

You're very very warm Maz. (are you sat up in bed or at home?) Not rafters though but close.
I think Wendy has it because she has homed in on Booth Bridge at Thornton.

[Wendyf]

I'll keep quiet for a bit.

[Stanley]

[Big Kev]

I know too