On a weekly basis my father [mother too and on holiday, me] would travel to the Belfast Freezing Works to buy our weeks' supply of meat. Among other things this would usually include a side of hogget.
How we consumed so much meat I'm not too sure, but we kept the rendered fat the cooking process produced in a 4 gallon tin.
When the tin was full, I had the task to load the tin of fat on to my bike and take to Mr Rawlings, the Soap Man. He lived just off Milton Street and had a factory there where he rendered down fat to make bars of soap. I would exchange the fat for a bar and half of his grey, unscented soap.
I think he was semi retired and 'modernity' was slowly forcing him out of business.
He would often talk to me and I would listen and not always understanding what he was on about, as it was usually 'the government' or the council.
However I do recall that he was fighting the City Council. He lived at the end of Roker Street and the council wanted to take his land to continue the street south. He told me that he was quite prepared to sell the property, but he had taken umbrage to the 'council chappy' who had called on him and tried to boss him around. So he dug his toes in and stayed!
I have not been back there for years, but looking at the map, the road still has a gap in it. How he did that with the Public Works Act and its powers, I have no idea.
Mr. Rawlings, the Soap Man was a stubborn man!
How we consumed so much meat I'm not too sure, but we kept the rendered fat the cooking process produced in a 4 gallon tin.
When the tin was full, I had the task to load the tin of fat on to my bike and take to Mr Rawlings, the Soap Man. He lived just off Milton Street and had a factory there where he rendered down fat to make bars of soap. I would exchange the fat for a bar and half of his grey, unscented soap.
I think he was semi retired and 'modernity' was slowly forcing him out of business.
He would often talk to me and I would listen and not always understanding what he was on about, as it was usually 'the government' or the council.
However I do recall that he was fighting the City Council. He lived at the end of Roker Street and the council wanted to take his land to continue the street south. He told me that he was quite prepared to sell the property, but he had taken umbrage to the 'council chappy' who had called on him and tried to boss him around. So he dug his toes in and stayed!
I have not been back there for years, but looking at the map, the road still has a gap in it. How he did that with the Public Works Act and its powers, I have no idea.
Mr. Rawlings, the Soap Man was a stubborn man!
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