question about Polyorc pipe

[Steve Day]

Hi, in my house which was completely refurbed and extended by my grandfather in 1969, we have a cold water feed which i always assumed was black alkathene which comprises most of the cold water pipes through the house, only going to copper close to the different outlets (copper shortage I assumed). However since finding the remnants of some of this pipe I find it reads
"Yorkshire" Polyorc A BS19******** the rest is illegible
I was under the impression that Polyorc was rigid, something like waste pipe but this is pretty bendable by hand, even back on self like tough hosepipe and is curved like it came on a roll, what makes me wonder is that whoever plumbed it (grandfather presumably) seems to have used solvent or possibly some kind of sealant on some of the compression joints. There are no elbows on this pipe all curves come from the flex of the pipe itself.
anyone know if "yorkshire" made alkathene pipe too? and is this what the "A" is for after the polyorc?
My great uncle who co owned the building business he and my grandfather ran once told me the pipe came from a huge roll of it they kept in the yard for water main jobs.

any further knowledge would be welcome.
Steve

edit the pipe size is 3/8 17.5mmish OD and 12.5mmish ID and looks black to me with aforementioned writing in some sort of brown/red text

 

[Gasmk1]

Wife you search polyorc pipe you will find it was used in the 70/80s when the copper shortage was happening you should be able to learn what fittings you need but my advice would be remove and replace. Think philmac make the adaptors

 

[Steve Day]

what I would like to know is what the upvc polyorc pipe which everyone says is "brittle" is actually like?
upvc implies hard plastic like a wastepipe but this stuff is more like polythene, thick but bendable hosepipe and the remains i found (about 8 feet of it from the old loft water tank, long gone) do not seem brittle at all

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Your thinking about the cpvc type

Any chance of a pic of the piece you have ?

 

[Steve Day]

 

[Steve Day]

hopefully you can see these images showing colour, markings and degree of flexibility

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yea that's black alk (underground pipe)

 

[Steve Day]

but i am confused as to why its stamped Polyorc and why many of the compression joints around the house also look like have been solvent welded or sealed with something thats brown in the light.
has anyone got any photos of polyorc in situ with solvent joints showing?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Here you go