I think it's a shame that 'tenement' has some negative associations as I find these 4 storey-high red sandstone buildings with their bay windows very handsome.
Thanks to a certain Miss Toward who lived in a tenement house in Glasgow ( a flat in a tenement block is called a tenement house) in Buccleugh Street and altered it little, it's now possible to visit this National Trust property and see what life was like when these were built in the late 19th century.
The poorest tenement house had only a kitchen and living room and shared sanitation facilities with several others. Miss Toward's house, where she lived with her mother until she died, had 4 rooms: kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom. I was intrigued (and somewhat horrified as I have claustrophobia) by the enclosed bed recesses i.e. a bed in a cupboard in the kitchen and in the living room, the latter even had a door to shut the sleeping occupants in. These doors were banned in 1900 as unhygienic and all had to be removed.
There is also an interesting exhibition depicting life during WW2 for the occupants of tenements. Miss Toward kept all her receipts, household papers etc which have helped to build up this picture.
Amazingly, she worked as a shorthand typist until she was 73. Aged 79 she was admitted to hospital and died there aged 89. (No bed blocking in those days!)
I just have to mention that in the kitchen of the tenement house, a National Trust volunteer was explaining the contents of the laundry cupboard and looked me straight in the face and said, 'You'll remember wash blue, of course?' (Well, I've never been SO insulted in my life!!!!)
If you've read this far and social history interests you, do visit The Tenement House, Glasgow if you are ever up here.
A very interesting story Hazel. The buildings look quite attractive. I suppose it was how they were cut up inside that made them what they were. I was curious to see if I could see the inside so I "googled" it. Here is a link (this is a nice 4 bedroom one.) http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Tenement-House/#
That's interesting you found the link - that's the tenement house we visited.
I love these social history experiences - and also feel thankful for what we have now!
Beautiful old buildings with a certain style & grandeur. Far superior to the awful descendant of these, the high rise block of flats...now there is a terrible place to live. The tenements of Glasgow had an appalling name in my childhood. We used to drive through Glasgow on our way to the Highlands of Scotland...no motor ways in those days & we used to see policemen walking two by two because it was allegedly so dangerous ....make you laugh now. A hard life but people seemed to pull together....thanks for the photo & description Hazel.
What an amazing bit of history, and the young uns think they are badly done to!! My nan had an old street house with a back yard loo but I am guessing that would be classed as sheer luxury in those days.... I quite understand you being insulted about the wash blue trouble is I am around the same age and I remember it, so who's kidding who????? !!
By seeing all those cars parked, time have chance.
It was a lot to read but very interesting ,I have finish it , and a beautiful pic. to show all about this
Great history. These are more flats/apartments than tenements I think, but same red sandstone. We saw some of the original tenements in Glasgow in 1969 - some of them boarded up, others still lived in. Grim environment too. Thanks for sharing this social history, Hazel, Tina has read a number of books by people who began their lives in The Gorbals etc. and had to do that awful sharing of toilets on the landing with at least 3 other families - shudder! One of them was 'Shoes were for Sunday' by someone quite famous at the time, can't remember her name, though I can hear her Scottish accent!
PS Tina has just read this. She says the author was Mollie Weir - maybe you remember her? (if that's not an indelicate question!) Re wash blue, this was Reckitts Blue I think, I think they still exist, I saw their works once in Surrey, can't remember where. Now - wait for this - Tina still has a couple of those blue bags! - she says she's used them for whitening table cloths, very good, she says - she's just brought them in to show me!
Must have been terrible to live in a tenement block when they were originally built. I haven't read the books but can imagine the secnario.
I understand that the correct name is still tenements although they are mostly referred to as flats. (Clare lives in one and this shot is from her living room window). I didn't know until we visited the NT property that a 'flat' in a tenement block was originally called a tenement house - giving a rather false impression! And luckily I don't use table cloths!!!
Yes they are handsome buildings. I like the rich brown. Not my memory of Glasgow tenements.. I clearly never visited the more genteel parts.. in fact mostly I only remember the bus station where the coach arrived! Then we had to get the bus to Kirkintilloch, 8 miles away. Thanks for showing me this Hazel.. see you've brought back memories for me too.
@yrhenwr I had not heard of the place you mention but found it on the map not far from Milngavie where we stayed on one of our visits to Clare. She lived then on the east of Glasgow but has now moved to the south to have a 2 bed flat instead of 1 bed. Glad I brought you memories.
December 1st, 2018
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That's interesting you found the link - that's the tenement house we visited.
I love these social history experiences - and also feel thankful for what we have now!
I think that as a child something like wash blue was not interesting to me!!!! (Perhaps my mother didn't use it?!)
It was a lot to read but very interesting ,I have finish it , and a beautiful pic. to show all about this
and you can buy it on the internet!
Must have been terrible to live in a tenement block when they were originally built. I haven't read the books but can imagine the secnario.
I understand that the correct name is still tenements although they are mostly referred to as flats. (Clare lives in one and this shot is from her living room window). I didn't know until we visited the NT property that a 'flat' in a tenement block was originally called a tenement house - giving a rather false impression! And luckily I don't use table cloths!!!