9 replies to this topic

[Barton Rafie]

I appreciate this photo has already being posted, but it reminded me of a "clippie shop" at Choppington Station. The shop was on the right side going up the bank. I think the shops on the left, were a barber’s, fish & chip shop and a grocer. On the corner was the Railway tavern, with the Lord Clyde on the opposite side.

I understand the clippie shop was run by a young lady from Barrington called Peggy. The clippie shop was where people took the old clothes to sell and Peggy washed and cut the clothes into clippies to re-sell for the proggy mats. Proggy mats were hard wearing rugs made out of clippies (rags), which were poked through a canvas/sacking.

There was always a proggy mat in the kitchen, which was laid onto top of oilcloth. This was really lino; I have no idea why the word oilcloth was used.

Does anyone remember the clippie shop at Choppington and also any stories with regards to clippie mats?

PS: The milk for Barrington was delivered by the Scotland Gate Co-op, via horse and cart. It must have been quite a task going down and up that bank in the winter.

Edited by Barton Rafie, 09 November 2010 - 12:57 PM.

[Vic Patterson]

It was a family event making proggy and clippie mats, hessian was stretched on two wooden runners and clippings were either poked up or down through the hessian, clippie mats were made with short clippinges and were pushed down and the ends trimmed, (like a shag carpet) proggy mats were longer clippings pushed up through the hessian forming loops and often following a pattern drawn on the hessian.
As kids it was our job to cut the strips of cloth and keep the supply of cups of tea going! Aunts and cousins used to bring there gossip and news, even share their sweet coupons! They had a mat making demo at Beamish last time I was there.

The same family members used to attend Beatle and Whist drives! even show up for wallpapering sessions or wall stippling! I think this may be the reason we never complained about "I got nothing to do!" mom would soon find something!

[bediesathome]

Barton Rafie, on 09 November 2010 - 12:56 PM, said:

willowbridgechoppington.jpg

I appreciate this photo has already being posted, but it reminded me of a "clippie shop" at Choppington Station. The shop was on the right side going up the bank. I think the shops on the left, were a barber’s, fish & chip shop and a grocer. On the corner was the Railway tavern, with the Lord Clyde on the opposite side.

I understand the clippie shop was run by a young lady from Barrington called Peggy. The clippie shop was where people took the old clothes to sell and Peggy washed and cut the clothes into clippies to re-sell for the proggy mats. Proggy mats were hard wearing rugs made out of clippies (rags), which were poked through a canvas/sacking.

There was always a proggy mat in the kitchen, which was laid onto top of oilcloth. This was really lino; I have no idea why the word oilcloth was used.

Does anyone remember the clippie shop at Choppington and also any stories with regards to clippie mats?

PS: The milk for Barrington was delivered by the Scotland Gate Co-op, via horse and cart. It must have been quite a task going down and up that bank in the winter.

[bediesathome]

during the 1940ties my sister and brother and myself used to cut the fabric so that mother could make a proggie mat . they were nice and warm on your feet when they were put on the bottom of the bed during winter.

[Barton Rafie]

As well as doing proggie mats, my mother used to all the knitting for every one.

The first task was to create a ball of wool from a yarn of wool. Being the youngest it was my job to sit STILL with this yarn of wool, which was stretched out between my two arms, whilst my mother unwound the wool into the ball.

After about 4 yarns my arms were aching, the only thing to keep me going was listing to !*!@# Barton special agent on the wireless. Those were the days.

[Barton Rafie]

The editor is not letting me put the abrevated word for Richard, I guess it assumes it is rude is.

Edited by Barton Rafie, 28 November 2010 - 10:46 AM.

[johndawsonjune1955]

Barton Rafie, on 09 November 2010 - 12:56 PM, said:

willowbridgechoppington.jpg

I appreciate this photo has already being posted, but it reminded me of a "clippie shop" at Choppington Station. The shop was on the right side going up the bank. I think the shops on the left, were a barber’s, fish & chip shop and a grocer. On the corner was the Railway tavern, with the Lord Clyde on the opposite side.

I understand the clippie shop was run by a young lady from Barrington called Peggy. The clippie shop was where people took the old clothes to sell and Peggy washed and cut the clothes into clippies to re-sell for the proggy mats. Proggy mats were hard wearing rugs made out of clippies (rags), which were poked through a canvas/sacking.

There was always a proggy mat in the kitchen, which was laid onto top of oilcloth. This was really lino; I have no idea why the word oilcloth was used.

Does anyone remember the clippie shop at Choppington and also any stories with regards to clippie mats?

PS: The milk for Barrington was delivered by the Scotland Gate Co-op, via horse and cart. It must have been quite a task going down and up that bank in the winter.

Harry Wheatley also delivered milk there too by horse and cart.

[johndawsonjune1955]

There was also the Unitarian Chapel there too, who remembers that. it was demolished in 1981.
In the 1970s i remember the Lord Clyde very well. How many of you remember the man George, who would stand outside having a ciggy with his white
apron on ? Was that George Maddison. I think there were two brothers and they lived at Scotland Gate, none of them married to my knowledge.
The Railway Tavern pub was a good place for a pint too. They say that John Wade was a very tall fella and had many antique oil lamps on display. It was originally called the Railway Hotel and built in 1860.
the houses and shops that were on either side of the Willow Bridge were built over a ten year period that began in 1860.

[Canny lass]

I also remember helping to make proggy mats in the 50's. The mat frame was a permanent feature, leaning against the wall in the livingroom/kitchen and in the evenings or at week-ends it was balanced between the table and 2 chairbacks. The radio was switched on and the children had various jobs in the mat making process while we listened to a play or music on the 'wireless' as it was better known. I don't ever remember my father making mats so it clearly wasn't a mans kind of thing.(They were probably out tending to their leeks)! My job, being the youngest, was sorting the clippings into piles of different colours ready for use. The older children cut 'clippings' and the oldest ones actually got to do a bit of 'progging'. Like Bediesathome I can remember the proggy mat being put on the bed as an extra blanket but not just over the feet. It weighed a ton and a littlun like me couldn't move under the weight. It's no wonder I was flat chested as a teenager! I think it was probably used more for its restraininjg qualities than its heat retaining properties! You had no choice but to stay in bed and lie still. I can remember a few times, when clippings of a certain colour were running out, that there was near panic and we children were sent with a clipping in our hand to go and ask the neighbours if they had anything in a similar colour. My mother's sister lived in Bristol and was obviously a bit of a progger too as odd clippings would come in the post with a request for rags of a similar colour. I don't suppose progging had reached the masses in Bristol at that time so she had nobody to ask.

Knitting was also a popular pass time and I remember that wool was bought in 'hanks' or 'skeens.' I don't remember the term 'yarns' but maybe it was a local thing. We children also got the job of winding the wool into balls but we used to turn a dining chair or stool upside down and stretch the skeen over the legs and wind it from there.

[keith]

Yeah and brokens clothes pegs were never chucked out (the dolly type) they were used as proggies. Also , as you say the proggy mats were used as blankets but then they were relegated to the floor later as new ones were made. If it is any consolation ,Canny Lass, I was also flat chested as teenager..............not so much now !!

Edited by keith, 15 January 2012 - 11:43 PM.