Liz CaldwellRIP - July 2017
Member from the end of 2015 - 2017 I lived in dear auld Glasga toon for most of my life. From slum tenements to some high living in the multies. A point of no return happened and I made a bolt for Paisley - a great wee toon. Stayed a few years but I got restless, migrated to North Ayrshire for a quiet life where the grass is greener and a myriad of stars can be seen in the inky black sky. |
School - the BIG 0 is what I learned!
Heid oot the windae - dreamin' or rioting in the class most days. However, years later I went to college and got Higher English. A high achievement for a low achiever! I wanted to learn because I wanted to write.
Click HERE to read other work ...
Heid oot the windae - dreamin' or rioting in the class most days. However, years later I went to college and got Higher English. A high achievement for a low achiever! I wanted to learn because I wanted to write.
Click HERE to read other work ...
Nae disgrace in an honest patch
This is an extract taken from research done for Govanhill Local History Group in Glasgow. I asked my mother, Helen nee O’Donnell to tell me about life in Govanhill during the 1930’s and 40’s. I have tried to retain her own voice in the writing.
We stayed in Inglefield Street fae 1933 to ’49. Seven weans and oor maw and faither in a two room and kitchen. The best dressed room was the Front Room. It doubled as a bedroom an sittin’ room. It had a big fireplace and ‘shakedoon’ settee. The walls were covered wae patterned paper and the floor was scattered wae big rugs. There was a piano in this room. Sometimes we’d have the neighbours in for a sing-a-long. One of them was a smashin’ singer and yodeller. He nearly shattered the wally dugs oan the mantle was night.
Aft the main kitchen was the scullery wae its big black sink. The walls were bare and the busy pulley hung fae a high cellin’. In the big kitchen the walls were stippled wae paint and the floor layed wae lino. There was a table, chairs, dresser, recess bed and cookin’ range. This black leaded range was aye kept workin’ for we had nae hot water. The range kept the kettle oan the boil and the hoose warm. Oan winter nights, we’d gether roon and toast muffins.
The range had other uses.my sister was fond o’ curlin’ her hair wae hot poker. She’d heat the poaker oan the range. Wan night she left it too long and when she curled her hair she singed it. She went roon for weeks lookin’ like a sweepin’ brush.
Sunday night was bath night. It was murder! We had tae carry pans wae hot water tae fill the bath. Still, we were lucky tae have an inside lavy, never mind a bath.
The backcourts were aye teemin’ wae weans. We played at shops, hooses, ropes, peever, Cowboys and Indians and held singalongs. The grown ups joined in and went as daft as us runnin’ roon and squealin’.
The backcourts were divided by railings and wash hooses. Oan wash day ye had tae ladle yer claes oot the boiler and intae the tub and scrub wae the washin’ board then back intae the boiler and through the wringer. Ye got a faur better wash then than ye dae noo wae they automatics! When the wash hooses were condemned the wimmen took tae goin’ tae the Steamie, and the rats – four legged yins – took tae visitin’ the wash hooses. We used tae see their big fat faces lookin’ oot the broken windaes.
Most weans climbed the dykes. Ah started smokin’ when Ah was 13. Ah’d climb the dyke and have a puff behind the chimney. Ah smoked mair than that lum did! In school, the weans hid among the sheds for a smoke. We couldnae walk doon the road wae fags danglin’ fae oor lips. We’d have been spotit a mile aff in oor Parish claes: gymslips, black ribbed stockings and big black laced shoes stamped EDUCATION.
Ye often saw weans runnin’ roon wae patches oan their troosers and jumpers. There was nae disgrace in an honest patch! Some wee neglected sowels looked like wee ragamuffins – aw skin and bone in claes full o’ holes.
My maw was a guid seamstress and cook. Favourite dinners were mince and totties and doughballs, or totties and sybies (stovies).
Govanhill used tae have plenty of wee shops. Cathcart Road was lined aon both sides. At the bakers, every Friday night we bought a big bag o’ broken biscuits for thrupence. In the papershops you could buy sweetlucku totties. When ye opened them up ye sometimes found a lucky charm inside.
Aye. They were hard days back then. But they had their ain special charm. And nothin’ is like whit it wis.
Liz Caldwell © Prospect Circus, Glasgow
Printed: Scottish memories Magazine (July 1996)
(All Rights Reserved)
This is an extract taken from research done for Govanhill Local History Group in Glasgow. I asked my mother, Helen nee O’Donnell to tell me about life in Govanhill during the 1930’s and 40’s. I have tried to retain her own voice in the writing.
We stayed in Inglefield Street fae 1933 to ’49. Seven weans and oor maw and faither in a two room and kitchen. The best dressed room was the Front Room. It doubled as a bedroom an sittin’ room. It had a big fireplace and ‘shakedoon’ settee. The walls were covered wae patterned paper and the floor was scattered wae big rugs. There was a piano in this room. Sometimes we’d have the neighbours in for a sing-a-long. One of them was a smashin’ singer and yodeller. He nearly shattered the wally dugs oan the mantle was night.
Aft the main kitchen was the scullery wae its big black sink. The walls were bare and the busy pulley hung fae a high cellin’. In the big kitchen the walls were stippled wae paint and the floor layed wae lino. There was a table, chairs, dresser, recess bed and cookin’ range. This black leaded range was aye kept workin’ for we had nae hot water. The range kept the kettle oan the boil and the hoose warm. Oan winter nights, we’d gether roon and toast muffins.
The range had other uses.my sister was fond o’ curlin’ her hair wae hot poker. She’d heat the poaker oan the range. Wan night she left it too long and when she curled her hair she singed it. She went roon for weeks lookin’ like a sweepin’ brush.
Sunday night was bath night. It was murder! We had tae carry pans wae hot water tae fill the bath. Still, we were lucky tae have an inside lavy, never mind a bath.
The backcourts were aye teemin’ wae weans. We played at shops, hooses, ropes, peever, Cowboys and Indians and held singalongs. The grown ups joined in and went as daft as us runnin’ roon and squealin’.
The backcourts were divided by railings and wash hooses. Oan wash day ye had tae ladle yer claes oot the boiler and intae the tub and scrub wae the washin’ board then back intae the boiler and through the wringer. Ye got a faur better wash then than ye dae noo wae they automatics! When the wash hooses were condemned the wimmen took tae goin’ tae the Steamie, and the rats – four legged yins – took tae visitin’ the wash hooses. We used tae see their big fat faces lookin’ oot the broken windaes.
Most weans climbed the dykes. Ah started smokin’ when Ah was 13. Ah’d climb the dyke and have a puff behind the chimney. Ah smoked mair than that lum did! In school, the weans hid among the sheds for a smoke. We couldnae walk doon the road wae fags danglin’ fae oor lips. We’d have been spotit a mile aff in oor Parish claes: gymslips, black ribbed stockings and big black laced shoes stamped EDUCATION.
Ye often saw weans runnin’ roon wae patches oan their troosers and jumpers. There was nae disgrace in an honest patch! Some wee neglected sowels looked like wee ragamuffins – aw skin and bone in claes full o’ holes.
My maw was a guid seamstress and cook. Favourite dinners were mince and totties and doughballs, or totties and sybies (stovies).
Govanhill used tae have plenty of wee shops. Cathcart Road was lined aon both sides. At the bakers, every Friday night we bought a big bag o’ broken biscuits for thrupence. In the papershops you could buy sweetlucku totties. When ye opened them up ye sometimes found a lucky charm inside.
Aye. They were hard days back then. But they had their ain special charm. And nothin’ is like whit it wis.
Liz Caldwell © Prospect Circus, Glasgow
Printed: Scottish memories Magazine (July 1996)
(All Rights Reserved)
L.Caldwell © 2016 (All Rights Reserved)