Life in the Brickworks' Houses (2)-Gartcosh Square
"I was born at 203, Lochend Road, Gartcosh (yes, in the house) all those years ago.
My mother came from Glenboig (her father, my grandfather) was on the management team at Bedlay Colliery.
My father came from Mount Ellen.
Anyway, I suppose that's enough of that for the time being.
Back to me.
We Lived in Gartcosh Square, the very first house you came to was ours (well they were all joined together really). Mind you, there were four houses in each close (if that's what you call it, a 'close' I mean). When you came into the close there were 4 doors, two to your right and two to your left. Well our house was the first door on your right as you came in.
I call it a house because I suppose that's what it was in those days'. It was really a room with a couple of alcoves where you would pull a curtain to keep your dignity while one was in ones bed, mind you, my sister and I were in the one bed (overcrowding issue).
There was a small scullery where mother, as was her want, would make breakfast, dinner and supper (if one could afford them). Okay, there were a lot of pieces on jam going around in those days along with weak tea.
In our little house were, my mother, father, BIG sister and of course myself. Making a total of four. So you can imagine, overcrowding was an issue. More so, when one had to try have a bath in the old tin bath or in my case, I'd get a rubdown in the sink in the scullery.
Our time during the day was spent playing down at the old burn, where someone had tied a rope to the tree of a branch making a swing, where we would push each other as hard as we could then jump off the swing to the other side of the burn ( or mostly in my case, end up IN the burn). When we got fed up with that, we would go play in the midden (yes happy as a pig in .....). I remember the midden being emptied and that was not good news for us because, then it was empty, so we would go play in the bushes at Cowboy and Indians. I liked nights best because that was when my father would take me to work (sometimes) with him. On my birth certificate he is recorded as: Brickwork Fireman ( making fires, not putting them out).
I remember my first day at school Gartcosh Primary. My mother and sister took me along on the first day (maybe for the first few days). On that first day, I cried all the way there, all the time I was there and all the way back home.
Then I was allowed to go to school on my own and would always return home with a lump on my head. For some odd reason, I'd walk to school with my head down and manage to walk into the lamp posts but, on my way back home my head would be high so, no problem on the homeward journey.
I better stop for now just in case I'm not giving you what your looking for. However, I am very happy to list my early days in Gartcosh before moving away to join, Bridgend and Chryston Primary Schools' onwards to Chryston Higher Grade."
with many thanks to Neil P. for the above
