Donkey Stone

[Caran]

Do you know what this is? Paul O'Grady mentioned it on tv, brought back memories from my childhood.

[sandyRoe]

Was it a type of pumice stone used to clean the front doorstep?

[Baldric]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_stone‎
A donkey stone was a type of scouring block, used mostly in the mill towns of the North of England to clean stone steps.

[bibblebub]

Is the site suggestion that Mr. Ed should use one for nefarious purposes?

[Caran]

I remember it well, watched my mother doing it and I had to do it when I was older. Don't know how this ended up in site suggestions, I have copied it in cb

[woofgang]

yup it was used on London too, either that or Cardinal Red. Shipw with wooden decks used to use a similar stuff called holystone

[chrisgel]

We used to get them off the rag and bone man in exchange for old clothes.

[Gromit]

It was a cruel past-time which the RSPCA banned in the 1960s. It involved pelting the rag and bone man's horse with pre-cut rocks until he gave you a balloon.

The practice has largely been irradicated except for a few isolated pockets where it went underground and illegal betting takes place on the outcome. Recently there was a Channel 4 documentary following police as they made raids in Stalybridge and Barnoldswick.