I collect coal hole covers.
Now I grant you that may seem odd, given their size and weight, but they are in the way a powerful bit of history.
If you are lucky they will have the name of the manufacturer and possibly a location.
And even if there is no name they are a reminder of a time when pretty much all our homes, offices and factories were heated by coal.
If you are of a certain age the weekly visit of the coal man sat beside milk deliveries, the newspaper through the door and the grocery boy on his bike.
I can still remember the sounds and smells that accompanied the visit of our coal man.
It began with the thundering rush of the coal down the shute, followed by a quieter noise as the stuff settled, and with it came that distinctive smell which permeated the lower half of the house and seemed to hang in the air for hours.
Coal house covers are disappearing, and so when ever I see a new one I added it to the collection.
This one is from Rani who lives on Reynard Road and who kindly sent it over.
Location; Chorlton
Picture; the Reynard Road coal hole cover, 2021, courtesy of Rani Prasad
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