Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan J.
Overcrowding was with us a lot more recently than the 1901-1911 period. Until the council house building boom after the second world war started there were numerous places in Amble where it prevailed until the late 40's early 50's. I was brought up in an upstairs flat in Church street which was only two rooms, a living room and a bedroom. These flats are now made into complete houses but then there were several families of parents and as many as four children in those two rooms. The outside toilet in the yard was shared by both the up and down flats. The children of today wouldn't recognise these conditions.
The only council housing prior to the post war building program was Westfield Estate which had been built in the 1920's to house the people from Victoria Place which was slum clearance.
|
It's easy to look on the past with rose coloured spectacles, 'til you read stuff like that.
On the subject of Church Street, where was the Drill Hall? In the WW1 stuff we have collected it gets a mention as
the old Drill Hall. This article from Oct 1914 mentions it as well:
MUSIC HALL AT AMBLE
Mr. Joseph R. Tuck applied for a licence for the Drill Hall, Church Street,
Amble, as a music and dancing hall. The owners had been at considerable
expense in putting the pace right, so as to comply with the requirements.
Supt. Bolton said he would like some of the magistrates to visit the place. He
did not wish to take any responsibility upon his shoulders in regard to it.
The bench decided to adjourn the application till the next court at Amble on
November 13th, so as to allow them an opportunity of inspecting the place.
.