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Back-to-back Houses

Eric, I would imagine we had the same. I remember going with my step mum into town to pay the rent, but can't remember the offices we went to. I bet those landlords didn't live like we did. The street we lived in was one of the last to be knocked down. It would be 1971 when that happened. My step mum was moved into a block of flats at Saltley, and she also though she had 'died and gone to heaven', with the bathroom, kitchen etc, no mice, no blackbats, no snails on the soap. These flat's had been fitted with underfloor heating, which was a bad idea.
 
I grew up in Solihull,but did live in a stone back to back in Bradford.
It was well built,but had no back window.It was made of stone,so was cold,but had no problems with damp.
 
Hello I have just joined the site and find it great. I was a Franchise Street child in the 50s and I am trying to find as much information as I can and any photographs of the street etc
Jean
 
Hi Jean my Nan lived in Franchise street and I loved to visit her. She was at the back of Mr Minty's cafe. Welcome to the site and I am sure you will enjoy your journey on here?. Jean.
 
Referring back, I don't think we lacked ventilation. With plenty of draughts built in and single skin walls, there was ventilation throughout the houses. Also we forget that in the past many houses had shutters and needed them. I didn't long for ventilation in the winter when I went to bed fully clothed, including my jacket; shoes excluded of course.
 
Michael when I stayed with Nan I too wore jumpers in bed but loved to be with her. Nan was up an entry too Jean with the old wash house at the end with the mangle etc and bikes that never were chained up like today. Mike Nan's house had a wood yard at the back and those walls were constantly damp. The coal cellar was in the living room and her kitchen was so tiny you couldn't swing a cat.
 
franchise child said:
I now remember Mr Minty's cafe was across the road from us. We lived up the entry not on the main Street. Thank you so much for that.
Jean
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Jean I remember the entry over the road and Nan had friends who lived there. Michael sometimes I went to bed with a couple of coats over me. Oh the damp and drafts in those little houses with a coal cellar in the living room.
 
Ref Back to Back extra windows.
Being tenants, they did not own the house in question, only the rent man, and some-times not him very oftern. There-fore the idea of bashing new windows through would have not crossed the mind. In 1950 I lived at 1/29 ("one backa twenty nine") Cromwell Street with my grandparents, who had occupied the place since 1912, and not even a paint brush had been used let alone a lump hammer and chisell.
ATB
Frank
 
Hello & welcome Frank,,the Rugby refugee, nice monica aarh kid,

you Emigrated from the posh part of Nechells/Dudds/Small Heath,,,, you only have to put 1/29 on here,, no propa
joined up writing explanations reqd, (lol) Mois from 1/9 in a little Street orf the posh end of Summer Lane (Palm Tree area)
Y,kno the ol Bk/Bk,s were tiny (but cosy) clean as a whistle(scrubbed red steps/tiles) yard toilets scalded every week by
boiling water from the "brewhouse wash" whichever one of the 6 Ladies in our yard did her "turn",,We survived Ok.
Theres lots on here about Bk/Bk,s & the wonderful history on here will welcome your return,,, Cheers John
 
i was raised in a back to back dont know how we put up with it about 3 feet out side our door was an air raid shelter and a massive oak tree great times though the walls were that thin the woman next door used to dip her bread in our gravy
 
Welcome to the forum Elvis. Where was your back to back?. My dads cousins lived at the top of Park road in a back to back and that too had a large tree and air raid shelter outside their house. Jean.
 
I reckon they were all pretty much the same Elvis. My Nan's in Franchise street had about a ten foot garden with a shelter at the end and looked out onto the coach yard. One big brick wall. She loved it there though.
 
I liked reading this article today about the history of back to back housing in Birmingham
and the efforts of Canon Norman Power following in his father, Canon William S. Power's footsteps to enlist help within the community for the people
living in the houses, starting in the 1920's. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/carl-chinn-big-fight-boost-2521290

This article is followed by a followup article by Dr. Chinn about Canon Norman Power. His father Canon William S. Power was the incumbent Vicar at
St. George's, Hockley for several years, Later he became Vicar at Erdington Parish Church during my time attending there.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/carl-chinn-power-forgotten-birmingham-2590011
 
Bernard, my husband also lived at 7 back of 8 Hick street, when did you live there. Do you know if there are any surviving photos. regards Debbie
 
odbsmith said:
Bernard, my husband also lived at 7 back of 8 Hick street, when did you live there. Do you know if there are any surviving photos. regards Debbie
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Hi Debbie, we left Hick Street in 1932, I was two and a half.We got a three bedroomed council house in Cleeve Road Yardley Wood.What year are you talking about ? I have a street map and electrol roll for the street somewhere if I can find them.cheers Bernard Never seen any photos, sorry!
 
Hi Bernard, Dan's family lived there from about 1952 to 1964 with 8 or 9 children and he attended St Patricks school. They moved on to Vincent Parade.
 
It seems most people using this site grew up in back-to-back houses.

Whilst it was all that was available to most families, does anyone know of anyone that lived in a private house at that time and did they treat the slum dwellers as inferior?
 
We had a small private house, my (2nd) Husband was brought up in a back-to-back terrace and he says he thought my house would have been "posher"...........however, my friend at school who lived in a large house (it's been converted to bedsits now) said she thought my house was a slum!!!!
I did forgive her, but there was always a certain difference between us.
rosie.
 
Bernard & Debbie,


A photo of the Hick St / Conybere St junction and another of the Hick St / Highgate St junction.
 

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  • Highgate Hick St - Highgate St 1962.JPG
    Highgate Hick St - Highgate St 1962.JPG
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Lets not be sentimental or romantic about back to back houses, My late Wife and I spent over 5 years in one (1/128 Vicarage road Aston) in the late 50's from when I left the RAF until we were able to put a deposit on a 3 bedroom semi in Erdington, it was damp, rotting sash windows, wallpaper peeling of the wall within a few weeks of decorating, 4 outside cold damp toilets between 12 houses, no kitchen, no bathroom, leaking attic which was our daughters bedroom, a dank cellar, no upstairs electrics, Gas stove top of cellar steps (no Health and Safety then), sharing brew (?) houses for washing. Impossible to keep warm in the winter. The landlord did nothing, only on the odd occasion he was made to, such as when next doors bay window fell out. Those back to backs on show to the public give a complete false impression, they look so snug and cosy, ours were anything but. Only one thing in their favour, cheap rent I think it was 11/6 !!. Eric
 
Yeah, agree with cookie/Eric entirely. I have not read all of the posts on here but would be suprised if anyone would have sentimental thoughts about back-to-backs and yeah, the museum pieces are looking nowt like most of the photo's on this forum. It's funny, when you leave GB, often you encounter people who think that, in the centre of the Empire, the resident workers had it great and all went to Oxford or some such institution. If they only knew. Not mud huts but not much better either.
You do read sentimental words about the camerarderie and community spirit. You can keep it as far as I am concerned. I would sooner have a dry warm house...with a loo and bath.
 
delightful photo john reminds me of living in our nans back to back..happy days no complaints as life back then was as it was and i am proud of my roots

lyn
 
Astoness said:
what a delightful photo john...reminds me of living in our nans back to back house...happy days i have no complaints life back then was as it was

lyn
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No Lyn, I was quite happy too, I can only imagine our back-to-back was in much better condition than most of the ones I read about. I only ever remember seeing a rat once and my dad and a neighbour cornered it and killed it, I still think of the squeal it made. We did have glass along the top of the wall at the end of the 'yard' to segregate our court from the court on Park Lane, played havoc with the soles of my shoes.
 
brummy-lad said:
No Lyn, I was quite happy too, I can only imagine our back-to-back was in much better condition than most of the ones I read about. I only ever remember seeing a rat once and my dad and a neighbour cornered it and killed it, I still think of the squeal it made. We did have glass along the top of the wall at the end of the 'yard' to segregate our court from the court on Park Lane, played havoc with the soles of my shoes.
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john i think you are right there..not sure how many chairs of that size you had in the room but one of those would have taken up a lot of space in nans also notice you had cupboards which nan did not have although she did have a table and 4 chairs and a medium sideboard...in nans the cooker was also in the living room...having said that the house was spotlessly clean as were the outside toilets and where the miskins were kept

lyn
 
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Astoness said:
john i think you are right there..not sure how many chairs of that size you had in the room but one of those would have taken up a lot of space in nans also notice you had cupboards which nan did not have although she did have a table and 4 chairs and a medium sideboard...in nans the cooker was also in the living room...having said that the house was spotlessly clean as were the outside toilets and where the miskins were kept

lyn
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Yes Lyn, our cooker was in the living room too and the kitchen (if you can call it that) was so small that dad had to put a gate in front of the stairs to the cellar, I bet it was only 3 ft (max) from sink to cellar stairs.
 
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