Living in the slums

[hillsbro 28]

The one thing that we had in common is that we were all poor, which was nothing to be ashamed of. Housing was tough and money had to be worked hard for... I consider myself to be very lucky to have been born in Sheffield, England, at the time I was, receiving the education I did, under the circumstances we had...

You are absolutely right, glennpickard. I was also born in poor circumstances (see the link in my post #19 on Page 1 of this thread) but grew up in a loving family, knowing right from wrong and that money had to be earned. I passed my 11-plus in 1959 for King Edward's and benefited from this. Life has been kind to me, but the best education was growing up in a close-knit Sheffield family.

[flyer 10]

coming a very posh area penistone and burton just cant emagine what you poor went through:hihi::hihi:

[beechnut 10]

An article (in the form of an interview arranged via the Forum in 2010) gives a glimpse of Sheffield life in poor-quality housing - here it is: http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2010-03-09-reform-and-revolution-3-1950s-slum-clearance...

A very interesting article. Growing up in post-war Sheffield my own childhood was similar (but we were posh - we had our own outside loo!) It certainly helps us appreciate the modern comforts that people often take for granted.

[bantycock 10]

A very interesting article. Growing up in post-war Sheffield my own childhood was similar (but we were posh - we had our own outside loo!) It certainly helps us appreciate the modern comforts that people often take for granted.

 

Don't tell me you actually had IZAL toilet paper ! Snob ! Lol

[rainbow2411 11]

I was chatting to one of my cousins this morning and he remembers staying at our house and having a bath in front of the fire in our tin bath, he tells me I walked in and wanted to know what 'that' was, apparently my Mom ordered me out of the room

[beechnut 10]

Don't tell me you actually had IZAL toilet paper ! Snob ! Lol

Come off it, bantycock - we weren't that posh! No, it was squares of the Daily Herald as Hillsbro recalled, on a rusty nail on the back of the toilet door. The more up-market outside loos had the Sheffield (or even the Daily) Telegraph.

... a bath in front of the fire in our tin bath...

Yep - sounds familiar. I would have thought that by the 1960s tin (or rather galvanised) baths were no longer in production, but I remember on a trainspotting trip to South Wales in 1965 I saw a shiny new bath displayed outside a traditional ironmonger's shop in Cardiff.

[rainbow2411 11]

Yep - sounds familiar. I would have thought that by the 1960s tin (or rather galvanised) baths were no longer in production, but I remember on a trainspotting trip to South Wales in 1965 I saw a shiny new bath displayed outside a traditional ironmonger's shop in Cardiff.

 

Ours was in full use throughout the 30s to 50s, until I, the youngest, was old enough to go to the Attercliffe slipperbaths, I absolutely hated those baths but there was no alternative except what my Mom called a 'strip wash'

[melthebell 862]

I remember getting weshed in the sink at darnall when little

[hillsbro 28]

...I would have thought that by the 1960s tin (or rather galvanised) baths were no longer in production...

It seems they have now acquired secondhand/antique value if this eBay offer is anything like realistic.

[themissis 10]

We lived in a two up two down house on Aizlewood Road until 1979, with the toilet at the top of the yard and a tin bath that resided at the top of the cellar steps.

No central heating but a gas fire and gas geyser in the kitchen..... needless to say moving from there to a new build at Intake was like moving from a cardboard box into Buckingham Palace.

The thing I did miss was the people who lived in the other five houses in that yard, we all knew each other and noticed whether anyone was missing or not been seen around.

We were lucky I suppose, people have lived in worse.

 

you just described my childhood upto the age of 13. at crookesmoor though.......tin bath, toilet at top of yard etc. 2 up 2 down with a geyser in kitchen

[beezerboy 12]

you just described my childhood upto the age of 13. at crookesmoor though.......tin bath, toilet at top of yard etc. 2 up 2 down with a geyser in kitchen

 

No geyser but a 30 gallon boiler belching steam stuck at the end of the bath,gas fire at the side,sometimes a bacon sandwich and a pot of tea .Last one in was the dog.