JTM wrote:

In article ,
Bruce wrote:
JTM wrote:

When I were a lad,

Pointing Nori brick was done with what looked like red sand mixed with oil.
There might have been other stuff in the mix- idon't know. One slight
drawback was that the oil (linseed I believe) was popular with the sparrows
who seemed to find it very palatable


Are you sure you aren't thinking of "red raddle", which was a
decorative treatment used to colour the bricks and/or mortar?

The bricks should be pointed with lime mortar. Treating afterwards
with red raddle is optional. ;-)

Red raddle. A red pigment used to mark sheep / red iron ore.

Might be I recall that the dryish morter like stuff went into the joints
and stood proud when finished. Definitely the joints and not the brick
face. Accy Nori brick is often shiny anyway


I think you recall correctly. In other parts of northern England,
where Accrington brick was not the most popular choice, the red raddle
was also used to colour the bricks. But as you say, it would not have
adhered well to the Nori bricks.