MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Tizer]

As well building houses from the slag blocks in Hayle, they built part of the dock with them too. They were called scoria blocks locally. Wikipedia says: "The copper slag was cast into large heavy dark bricks or "Scoria Blocks" which were to prove a very useful building material which were used and re-used in the town and can be seen in many buildings. The blocks were sold at 9d for 20 and given free to employees of the Cornish Copper Company to build their own houses. Sea Lane or Black Road (and Black Bridge) as it is now known was built using these...". John Wesley writing in 1785 about the first Copperhouse Chapel: "I suppose such another is not in England, nor in Europe, nor in the World. It is round, and the walls are brass; that is brazen slags. It seems nothing can destroy this, till heaven and earth pass away." Hayle Historical Assessment Report PDF Also, lot of land was reclaimed from the estuary by filling in with scoria. The blocks were red-brown to black in colour. I have a broken piece in my mineral collection but I can't show a photo of it - it's so black and lustrous that it reflects too much light. In fact it looks very similar to to volcanic obsidian and has a similar silica composition. Like in obsidian, the dark colour is due to the presence of iron.

I happened upon this web site which has good black & white photos of Hayle and other pages deal more generally with Cornish mines: LINK

[Stanley]

John Wesley was right, they are as hard as the hobs of hell as my dad used to say....
Try this one....

[Marilyn]

You have been attempting to make your own tea-bags again?

[Tizer]

I warned you that your sun hat would shrink if you put it in the washing machine at high temperature!

[Tripps]

Could it be one of these ? Dolly Blue

[Stanley]

David has it right. I thought there was a chance it would catch you out as they are so old-fashioned..... Try this one.

[Gloria]

Is it for turning eyelet type rivets over?

[PanBiker]

For tagging cattle or other beasts?

[Tripps]

David has it right. I thought there was a chance it would catch you out as they are so old-fashioned....

So is David. . . .

Another spooky moment - after this triumph, I happened to surf to my Ben Brierley link, like you do, and there read this extract from his "Ab o'th Yate". Two encounters with 'dolly blue' in one day. What's the chance?
"

Ther mony a mother lookin' eaut at th' chamber window, tryin' to hide summat ut trembled in her e'en, as hoo looked at a bit o' white deawn below. Ther one o' eaur Ab's childer amung th' lot; an' th' owd gron-rib thowt th' wench's mother mit ha' put a bit moor blue in her starch, for th' frock wur th' colour of a primrose. Mother-in-law agen! aw thowt. Dowter never con pleeas."

[Gloria]

Another spooky moment - after this triumph, I happened to surf to my Ben Brierley link, like you do, and there read this extract from his "Ab o'th Yate". Two encounters with 'dolly blue' in one day. What's the chance?
"
Tripps, is your Ben Brierley one of the Briercliffe Brierleys??

[Tripps]

Another spooky moment - after this triumph, I happened to surf to my Ben Brierley link, like you do, and there read this extract from his "Ab o'th Yate". Two encounters with 'dolly blue' in one day. What's the chance?
"
Tripps, is your Ben Brierley one of the Briercliffe Brierleys??

Thanks for your interest, but almost certainly not I'd guess. This is my one Ben Brierley
The bard of Failsworth.

Incidentally Stanley has said he doesn't like seeing dialect written down. I would tend to agree, - it always seems stilted, and not always accurate, but as it seems to be dying out - perhaps it's better to have a written attempt to record it rather than nothing? Perhaps we need a Lancashire Textile Dialect Project.

[plaques]

Back to the last mystery object. I'm amazed that nobody has come to grips with it. Must be all this power equipment that's used nowadays that we don't need to keep our craftsman's tackle up to scratch. I've two in my shed one of which is identical to the one shown. I thought PanBiker would have got this one.

[PanBiker]

Having been given a clue and with another look I would say a link extractor.

[Big Kev]

Hole punch?

[Tripps]

I thought I vaguely remembered it had something to do with sharpening saws - so I found this saw sharpening Shift to 1 min 40 secs.

I rest my case.

[Stanley]

P knew what it was but let David cheat on Google.... They both knew it was an Eclipse saw set for adjusting the offset to the side of individual teeth.
Next one?

[Tripps]

P knew what it was but let David cheat on Google....

I'm pleading not guilty to cheating. I had a good idea what it was - just confirmed and demonstrated.

[Stanley]

You're right David, a bit strong, I apologise..... Try this one...

[Gloria]

Leather punch??

[PanBiker]

Looks like an eylet punch but has a locking mechanism, looks surgical as well in stainless or chrome.

[Big Kev]

For putting rings through the noses of bulls?

[Stanley]

I'm surprised the ladies didn't get this immediately. Think kitchen......

[Wendyf]

Is it for taking the stones out of olives?

[Stanley]

Exactly right Wendy, cherry stones as well. I bought it in the US and have never used it!
Next for shaving?

[Stanley]

Try this one....