Living in the slums

[paul0726 10]

living in the slums wernt that bad we had a mobile bath. and silver fish races. and a trip once a week to page all for a real bath. but they stopped me going there as i put a permanent ring round uncles bath, happy days

 

SORRY aunty mags for ruining ya bath

Edited February 12, 2016 by paul0726
added

[trastrick 866]

living in the slums wernt that bad we had a mobile bath. and silver fish races. and a trip once a week to page all for a real bath. but they stopped me going there as i put a permanent ring round uncles bath, happy days

 

As our neighbor used to say, "Yur might be poor, but yur don't have to be mucky!"

[paul0726 10]

As our neighbor used to say, "Yur might be poor, but yur don't have to be mucky!"

 

true and where theres muck theres money, nicking all that copper and lead piping from the houses that they where knocking down,

[Eater Sundae 12]

Some of the later pictures are bad, but I can't see much wrong with the 3 from Sheffield.

[Ms Macbeth 75]

I grew up in an old flat in Scotland, but at least it had a bathroom! For work, my husband, baby and I moved from a new council flat, central heating, fitted kitchen etc in Scotland to Doncaster in 1970. We rented an old terrace house in Hexthorpe, outside loo, coal fire, no electric points upstairs etc. The plus side - it was cheaper than our council flat had been! I remember a family we were friendly with, they had a bath with a wooden board over it in their kitchen. Lots of people were living in poor quality housing in the seventies.

 

I agree with EaterSunday, the Sheffield pics aren't the worst.

[bantycock 10]

I grew up in an old flat in Scotland, but at least it had a bathroom! For work, my husband, baby and I moved from a new council flat, central heating, fitted kitchen etc in Scotland to Doncaster in 1970. We rented an old terrace house in Hexthorpe, outside loo, coal fire, no electric points upstairs etc. The plus side - it was cheaper than our council flat had been! I remember a family we were friendly with, they had a bath with a wooden board over it in their kitchen. Lots of people were living in poor quality housing in the seventies.

 

I agree with EaterSunday, the Sheffield pics aren't the worst.

 

I worked at Hexthorpe on the railways and to be honest its not changed much

[hillsbro 32]

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. The worst part was having to go down two flights of stairs and across the yard to the loo in the depths of winter. I'm the littlest one in the 1951 photo!

[soft ayperth 11]

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. The worst part was having to go down two flights of stairs and across the yard to the loo in the depths of winter. I'm the littlest one in the 1951 photo!

 

What a great article, Philip. While I didn't actually live in what might be termed a "slum" house, I only had to walk 5 minutes down the road to see them (back of Talbot Street). Your article is written so vividly and with so much detail that it takes me right back there. It sounds a bit of a cliche to say that people rise to the occasion and make the best of things when they are enduring hardship, but it's actually true. You make that case very well.

[bantycock 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. The worst part was having to go down two flights of stairs and across the yard to the loo in the depths of winter. I'm the littlest one in the 1951 photo!

 

Nice to read that was thanks for the memories !

[hillsbro 32]

Hi soft ayperth and bantycock - glad you enjoyed the article. The journalist who wrote it joined the Sheffield Forum and we did the interview by telephone. The house in Dykes Hall Road would have been fine if we could have secured the grant for a bathroom conversion. In fact we were stuck "in limbo" for so long that my dad said he wished he had paid the whole cost. In 1974-75 some houses further up the road were in a dangerous condition and had to be quickly demolished and the occupants rehoused. The council then looked at houses nearby with a critical eye. Ours was in good structural condition but the three lowest houses in the row of six were not - so the whole row had to be demolished. Here are views of the front and the back of our house. It was such a shame when it had to come down.

 

But as they say, it's an ill wind... And by buying No 29 in 1978 I had my foot on the housing ladder. And after dad died in 1984 I bought a bungalow in Wadsley for my mum and me. Mrs hillsbro and I still have it as a "holiday home" - but that, as they say, is another story!

[Ms Macbeth 75]

Hi soft ayperth and bantycock - glad you enjoyed the article. The journalist who wrote it joined the Sheffield Forum and we did the interview by telephone. The house in Dykes Hall Road would have been fine if we could have secured the grant for a bathroom conversion. In fact we were stuck "in limbo" for so long that my dad said he wished he had paid the whole cost. In 1974-75 some houses further up the road were in a dangerous condition and had to be quickly demolished and the occupants rehoused. The council then looked at houses nearby with a critical eye. Ours was in good structural condition but the three lowest houses in the row of six were not - so the whole row had to be demolished. Here are views of the front and the back of our house. It was such a shame when it had to come down.

 

But as they say, it's an ill wind... And by buying No 29 in 1978 I had my foot on the housing ladder. And after dad died in 1984 I bought a bungalow in Wadsley for my mum and me. Mrs hillsbro and I still have it as a "holiday home" - but that, as they say, is another story!

 

Great article, and lovely real local history Hillsborough. Thank youl

[beezerboy 12]

One mans slum is another man's palace,our houses were eventually pulled down in the 70's

( Carwood Rd area ).I never saw them as slums ,there was a lot of pride in those homes. Modern home owners could learn a lot from some of those people, how to live with what you've got, not what you think you should have.

Edited February 13, 2016 by beezerboy