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National Trust Back to Back houses and memories of them

Ray T said:
Our 1950s back-to-back in Sparkbrook was infested with the little devils.
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and our house in nechells was we hated going to school with the lumps on us., when he bedroom ceiling fell down on us one night there was hundred in the old horse hair plaster and laths. we had to go outside and wait for the estates to come out. that is when we was took for fumigating and emergency re homed that was just positively shocking
 
abigailcasson said:
Thanks so much for this, Pete. This gives me a real insight into what it was like - I often find that the National Trust can romanticise the past. What a terribly tough time... Thanks again.
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I lived in one, literally a stones throw from the National Trust show homes,which are much too tidy! Ours was very similar to the one mw0njm(Nechells dude) lived in.6 families sharing 3 lavatories and a brew house to do the washing in.I didnt realize it was hard going until I grew up
 
I thought it was cool to help nan mangling till I tried . Bent over, onee foot on the base to stop it slipping, enough pressure turn the handle , one hand to catch the clothes. I couldn't even turn the handle of the one in the kitchen!
 
Richard Dye said:
I thought the houses looked great, then I rotated around to look at what you see looking out of the front door, oh my goodness!
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It's a new side to the Hippodrome!
I know some of it was added when the Royal Ballet moved to Birmingham in the early 90s I think, they had very nice rehearsal studios added, someone I knew took me to have a look around.
 
A Sparks said:
It's a new side to the Hippodrome!
I know some of it was added when the Royal Ballet moved to Birmingham in the early 90s I think, they had very nice rehearsal studios added, someone I knew took me to have a look around.
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Certainly nothing creative about the building though!
 
joeboybollo said:
I lived in one, literally a stones throw from the National Trust show homes,which are much too tidy! Ours was very similar to the one mw0njm(Nechells dude) lived in.6 families sharing 3 lavatories and a brew house to do the washing in.I didnt realize it was hard going until I grew up
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I lived in one in Lozells until I was 10. Shared outside toilet with next door neighbours and the two houses facing the street shared the other. Didn't know the building where washing was done was brew house until researching family history. Remember the large "cauldron" which was used and a place to lite a fire underneath (?)
 
Geminidi said:
I lived in one in Lozells until I was 10. Shared outside toilet with next door neighbours and the two houses facing the street shared the other. Didn't know the building where washing was done was brew house until researching family history. Remember the large "cauldron" which was used and a place to lite a fire underneath (?)
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Same thing when we lived at 16 Alfred St in Aston. I always thought that the large cauldron was where the washing was done, although my uncles always seemed to spent a lot of time in there, we lived with my Nanna.
 
Astoness said:
yes quite right richard...washing loaded in the top ...cast iron door on the front where we stoked the fire...steam everywhere


View attachment 193152
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Just showed my wife your picture Lyn. She was was born and lived in Manhattan until she was ten. Her grandparents were Italian immigrants. She lived in a three story walk up. Looking at the picture she was amazed when I described how it worked and the sharing.
We just had a new floor put in our laundry room and were inconvenienced for about 3 days :) Oh how times hav3 changed!
 
Richard Dye said:
Wow! Talk about a blast from the past! I see wha5 looks like part of the mangle off to the left side!
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Its like the one I couldn't turn. Small Mangle on the right too at the front.
Where did they hang the washing, across their street,? In Lenny Henry's Three Little Birds it was hung across the windows. Would they have had the Italian type airers on pulleys?
 
joeboybollo said:
Great picture
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My mate's gran gave me an imagibary washboard demo. She stood behind it with a big block of soap and scrubbed up & down the bottom of it in the poss tub. For sone reason I didn't think you stood up. The granny had a small one on her sink in the 70s still.
 
I Am Nico said:
Its like the one I couldn't turn. Small Mangle on the right too at the front.
Where did they hang the washing, across their street,? In Lenny Henry's Three Little Birds it was hung across the windows. Would they have had the Italian type airers on pulleys?
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I can remember a clothes horse a bit like my bad drawing, three sections joined by hinges, which stood in front of the fire

dryin.jpg
 
Me too. Ours was small I made dens with it Nan's was double the size. Dad came home with an upight concertina one, that used to come down on you & my fingers. But we had a garden. Nan had a pulley line in the kitchen and over her bath. I forgot about those. I am yet to see one like gran's little half table top barrell. With a beater. She used to put cooking fat to oil her mangle.
 
i can remember 2 of us at the top of the bed and one at the bottom of a big bed crammed into a small bedroom the pillows were double size and mom called them bolsters and we was covered with a big eiderdown and a great coat,a big jug and bowl on the dressing table to wash in
our brewhouse was down the rd next to the loo/
the wooden cloths horse left brown stains on the cloths
 
mw0njm. said:
i can remember 2 of us at the top of the bed and one at the bottom of a big bed crammed into a small bedroom the pillows were double size and mom called them bolsters and we was covered with a big eiderdown and a great coat,a big jug and bowl on the dressing table to wash in
our brewhouse was down the rd next to the loo/
the wooden cloths horse left brown stains on the cloths
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I think you had to wipe it first. I remember the stiff clothes they would stand up on their own. It took me years to realise what a clowzorse actually meant! And the bungole where it was kept.
 
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