The Brew Cabin

Hi,
I'm increasing the size of my patio and want to reuse the concrete slabs that I have and add to them rather than buy a completely new set - money is tight!!
From the pics and descriptions that Tony gives, it looks like I need to find exposed aggregate slabs 3'x2's or 2'x2's.
The ones I have are probably 1950s but I couldn't say for certain.
Does anyone know of a secondhand slab specialist or do I need to go round my local reclamation yards.
Or at a pinch I'll buy new, but, I've not found any manufacturer making these. any more - it's either riven or textured or pimpled.
Ideally in the South Cheshire locality.

Thanks
Jonathan

They won't be 'exposed aggregate flags' from the 1950s - they're standard flags that have worn so much over the intervening years that the aggregate has become exposed.

There's no specialist supplier of reclaimed concrete flags as they are generally considered to be worthless. Your best bet is a local reclamation yard that might just have a few, or look around at your neigbours, especially if anyone is having a new driveway or patio, as their flags are probably the same and would be dumped if not salvaged. The lads laying the new paving will often let you have the old flags for a quid a piece, delivered, as they cost a small fortune to get rid of in a skip.

You have to bear in mind that, in the 1950s, there were literally hundreds of small, local manufacturers for flags, because no-one wanted to haul the damned thing a hundred miles or so, as they do nowadays. When you get to be as obsessed with paving as I've become, you start to notice the different aggregates that were used in certain towns. St. Helens, for instance, had a flag making factory at Sutton Junction, just half a mile from the old Bold Colliery/Power station complex, and their flags incorporated a lot of cinder and ash, giving them a distinctive look that can still be seen on the older flagged paths in St. Helens, Warrington, Wigan and parts of Liverpool.

It's highly likely that your flags came from Crewe or Stafford and the aggregate may well be unique to your area, so you have to hunt around locally. Do you have any photos? If you do, I might be able to identify the type you have and let you know where I've seen similar.