Donkey Stones (& some stuff about bad wraps)

LS1 · Post by **LS1** » Sun 09 Mar, 2008 11:42 pm

Bramley4woods wrote: stevief wrote: Trojan wrote: arry awk wrote: Corse I yam! She's even putting on weight(Wash yer mouth out!)! And 'donkey stoning' Now there's something you don't see any more. You used to be able to buy "donkey" donkey stones at the grocers. We had the remains of a demolished sandstone street behind our house so we used to use ordinary lumps of sandstone. My mum would swill the flags, then scrub the front step and donkey stone it. I'm sure I've seen 'Donkey stones' on sale somewhere.It might have been in Haworth.I know they were used to clean door-steps butwhat exactly were 'Donkey stones'?And how did it aquire the name? Don't know exactly what they were. Just a block of compressed stone dust, water and a binder.The powdered stone gave old worn polished stone steps a non-slip effect.The biggest firm that made them had a picture of a Donkey as a trademark, and it was pressed into the surface of the stone blocks Any ideas why name them Donkey stones though?

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sun 09 Mar, 2008 11:51 pm

[quotenick="LS1"][quotenick="Bramley4woods"][quotenick="stevief"][quotenick="Trojan"] arry awk wrote: Any ideas why name them Donkey stones though? Because using them was "donkey" work?

wiggy · Post by **wiggy** » Mon 10 Mar, 2008 1:28 am

[quotenick="Trojan"][quotenick="LS1"][quotenick="Bramley4woods"][quotenick="stevief"] Trojan wrote: arry awk wrote: Any ideas why name them Donkey stones though? Because using them was "donkey" work? i think thats the answer.

LS1 · Post by **LS1** » Mon 10 Mar, 2008 8:51 am

Makes sense!

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Mon 10 Mar, 2008 4:46 pm

Didn't they get them from emasculated Neddies? (Can't say asses!!!).Yes, me old Mam used to 'Donkey' the front, and only, steps.every Saturday morn. and every fortnight did the cludgie stepand surrounds down the street! We shared with the house next door. 'Yorkshire Evening News' threaded on a string behind thedoor'News' was softer than the 'Post'! If you were lucky, there would be a 'Screws of the World',Scandal sheet. Mindst yew, The PicturePostwas hard going,far worse than Non skid San Izal! None of yer'Andrex' quilted ,in them days!'Donkey Work' sounds about right, Never did go into it's origins!Wait a tic!-- Yes! each block of the stone had a Donkey impressionon one surface. How's about that for (almost) instant recall?????Job's agood un!If I remember ('Ere We go!), They didn't cover the whole of the steps with the sandstone, That would have made sandy footprints on her lino and clipped rugs! No, She just did along the front edge of each step and about four inches inward from the end of each step.(we had three). The steps were swilled down first alongwith the flags in front of the house.Some crafty folks would cheat with cream coloured paint insteadof D/stone! makes sense really!That'll do for now.Cheers!

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Mon 10 Mar, 2008 4:51 pm

Sorry about my last posting re Donkey stones! Forgot it was on the Wrapid thread! Back to dialect/slang.

munki · Post by **munki** » Mon 10 Mar, 2008 5:12 pm

I'm loving this Donkey Stone stuff. I swear I have never heard the phrase before in my life! Let's hear more about them? Anyone got a picture of the logo, or can remember what the picture looked like?

munki · Post by **munki** » Mon 10 Mar, 2008 5:15 pm

Donkey Stoning?**(no animals were harmed in the making of this picture).

munki · Post by **munki** » Mon 10 Mar, 2008 5:16 pm

A picture of, confusingly, a 'Lion Brand' Donkey Stone. I'm enjoying this so much, I changed the name of the thread!

munki · Post by **munki** » Mon 10 Mar, 2008 5:21 pm

Perhaps the most exciting photograph I have ever seen...