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Crown Street tenements were originally built for the middle classes at the end of the 1800's and as such had the luxury of inside toilets. These were no more than small windowless cupboards with a toilet and a light bulb. There was no sink or bath but it afforded privacy and more importantly cleanliness. Other less well built tenements originally had toilets in the back courtyards which were shared by hundreds of tenants. Brick toilets were later built onto the back of each tenement block, between each storey. Tenants still had to share but with only two other families instead of hundreds. For the first three years of my life I lived at 315 Crown Street until like most of our neighbours, we were decanted to Castlemilk. This was due to the Corporations drive to 'regenerate' (demolish) the Gorbals. . I have few memories of Castlemilk and that was probably because we didn't stay long. Our house was a ground floor tenement in Doogery Drive which, was conveniently opposite the new modern shopping centre. Despite having a low doon hoose with a proper bathroom and having nearby shops and schools as well as lovely green grassy parks, my faither couldn't settle. Castlemilk should literally been a breath of fresh air but instead my faither was increasingly unhappy. Frequent fights broke out not only in the street but even in our close. People may have thought the Gorbals was rough and I suppose it was if you were an outsider but my faither knew everyone and felt secure in that knowledge. Rehousing people in Castlemilk resulted in neighbours and friends being separated and strangers taking their places. Unwritten rules about what was acceptable behaviour were discarded and life became unpredictable and disordered. Residents may have benefited from newer houses with larger bedrooms and fitted baths but poverty and its causes were still prevalent. After only a few weeks my faither had already made the decision to return to the Gorbals where he grew up. This was thought to be an impossible task as the Gorbals was being cleared in preparation for full scale destruction but my faither was determined to try. A few months later we returned not just to the Gorbals but to the very street we left. Before moving we lived in 315 Crown Street and we then flitted back to 316 Crown Street, directly across the street. I never knew how my faither achieved this miracle until my brother divulged the long kept secret. The factor, it was alleged, accepted a gift of fifty pounds from my faither, in return for a top storey tenement in or around Crown Street. This was a huge sum of money and I have no idea where my faither would have got it from. Whether or not this story is true or has become embellished with time, I'm not sure but I am sure that not many people could say they moved back into the Gorbals, let alone paid for the privilege. The only tangible evidence that we ever lived in Castlemilk is the address printed on one of my brother's birth certificate. |
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