The cottages were backed by the New Road, (Holyhead Road). It was typical of my morning in the early hours to hear the clump of heavy, hob-nailed boots on the tarmac road. It was the miners going to work, and later the same heavy thump made by the men going to the local works. This was usually followed by more hurried footsteps and occasional greetings by men coming home from work and amongst all this would be the background noise of the cocks crowing, because many people kept fowl and eventually this would become quite a chorus. Then the hooters and whistles from the various factories would start blowing from 6 a.m. onwards. Maddocks was the loudest at ten to seven. Others followed at 7.00, 8.30, 8.55, 9.00 a.m, then at midday and finally at 4.30 p.m. One of the more pleasant and happy sounds was the clip clop of the cart horses going to the various wharves to 'draw' (take) the coal to the houses and works in the area. The strident voices of their drivers urging them to 'Get on' and 'Gee up' and 'Whoa lad' and more unprintable words!

Then one would hear a more gentle noise, the shuffling of the milk-carts bringing milk round to the houses, the creaking of the shafts and the wheels and the sound of straining harness. All these noises made such an appeal to me; the happy sound of the milk-can lid being lifted off the can, the heavier sound of it being replaced, the shuffling steps of the milkman or girl, and then the pony or horse and the 'float'(a small cart) would move on. Then about 7.30 a.m. one would hear the local train, the "Dodger" coming down the L.M.S. Wellington to Coalport line. This engine had a most distinctive sound, as though it was in a great hurry, hurridly puffing. It would make a return journey about 8.30 a.m. This continued throughout the day at regular intervals. Accompanying all this noise was the constant thud of the Snedshill Forge steam hammer.

The morning was the main time for the fishmongers to come around, shouting'Fish Alive-0', and repeating this several times for the housewives to hear them and come and buy. Then there would be the rag and bone man, collecting any rubbish you had in return for perhaps a few pins, but one of the greatest delights was the visit of the pig killer, the man who came to kill the pig.

Many houses had a sty where the pig was kept and fattened up on all types of scrap food called 'pig swill'. This was usually kept in a large barrel near the house and comprised of all sorts of waste and garden material. It was common to see people carrying 2 buckets of boiled pig wash balanced across their shoulders by a piece of wood. This wood made the task much easier. The most exciting moment was when the butcher and his helpers went to fetch the pig out of the sty. The noise of squealing was terrific as the animal was dragged out onto a bench and held down by two or more men to enable the butcher to push a huge knife into its throat. Then as the blood slowly poured out the men relaxed their hold and animal was ready to be put into the 'cooler' a large wooden type of bath, the owner having provided plenty of water beforehand. The dead animal was lowered into this and then the scraping off of his hair began, but the highest moment of expectancy for us little kids was when the bladder was cut out. With this we could blow it up into a balloon and have much fun. The cutting up of the animal was done on the spot, sometimes it was hung overnight, and friends and neighbours usually shared in a bit of pork or scratchings. The sides of the animal were for curing. Salting down was done on the setiess in the pantry or down the cellar, which many cottages had. The setiess was purpose built, standing about 2ft 6in above the floor. The base was usually red tile and just about big enough to take the side of the pig. The sides of bacon or flitches and hams would then be hung from a convenient hook in the living room ceiling.

The day began early in the average household. For the women it meant continual work. Making sure the fire was 'in' by poking up the 'raker'and renewing it with coal or wood, was one of the most important chores as having plenty of hot water depended on the state of the fire. If the fire happened to be out then this meant having to relight it. The kettle was then hung over the fire to boil and the frying pan put near or over the fire in order to cook the bacon, etc. Sometimes the bacon would be cooked in front of the fire-bars on a kind of grill. When the fire was proper 'gleady' (no smoke or flame) then this was the ideal time to make toast, a slice of bread held on a long fork.

The fragrance and sound of the first meal of the day was an appetising one; the gentle sound of the singing kettle with the steam coming idly out of the spout, the frizzling and sizzling of the bacon and the occasional sharp crackle of the hot fat, the smell of the bread being toasted (rarely burned) ...

Whilst all this was going on, the 'slops' were being emptied from the chamber pots (poes) which were usually kept under the bed till needed.

Breakfast cleared, the washing up began and then the tidying of the house was commenced. First came the shaking out of the hearth rug, usually made of rags or old clothes cut up into strips and then very cleverly fixed onto a piece of sacking. Then for the blackleading of the firegrate until it really shone. Sometimes when clearing out the ashes from the 'ess' hole little creatures, silver fish, would be seen; the dead ashes were put in the mixen (ashpit) at the end of the row of houses or some place nearby. (Dustbins for collection of rubbish by the Council had not been heard about). Then came the cleaning of the dust preventor and the fender with emery cloth, or a damp rag dipped in the 'ess'. The fire-irons, poker, shovel and tongs were briskly rubbed over and put back in place. Now for the scrubbing of the red quarried floor and also the table and chairs on certain special days. A good scrubbing brush and soda in hot water together with the floor cloth meant a lovely clean house, the pride of the ladies. Periodically the scrubbing brush did good service on the closet seat, a wooden covering with two holes, one for adults and the other for children, which covered the buckets or merely a hole in the ground. The floor would be sluiced with plenty of water and the toilet paper was newspaper cut up into convenient pieces.

Coats, hats, jackets, etc were in the main hung behind the door or on some hook between the kitchen and the living room. In many houses the stairs protruded into the living room, leaving a space called the 'stair hole' into which all sorts of articles found their way. Sometimes a door was fitted at the bottom of the stairs and this was called the stair-foot door.
Bathtime was indeed a luxury, a tin bath being used, oft times on the hearth in front of a blazing fire.

Filling the lamps with paraffin was usually done by the man of the house, together with the trimming of the wick which fitted into the burner, as failing to do this meant a poor flickering light and sometimes very smokey too. On the burner fitted a glass which could be obtained from any ironmongers shop. Going to bed, one usually had a candle, there was no other light in the bedroom.

The walls of the rooms were mainly papered, adorned by the pictures of Biblical scenes with a suitable text, while photos of relations would be in abundance. In many homes, grandfather clocks were the pride of the family and also a varied assortment of wall clocks. in my home, and in most other homes, the task of 'winding up' was done only by Father.

In addition to the table and chairs in the house was the 'squab' or 'screen', a type of wooden bench with a very high back which certainly kept you free from any draught.

Considering the small community in which I lived there were quite a few cripples and 'funny' people around. There were at least threemen with a wooden stump for a leg, and three with one leg shorter than the other and they would wear a very thick sole on their shoe in order to balance. Two more that I used to avoid, had legs badly twisted which really frightened me. One man who carried parcels for Dickens the Drapers of Oakengates, was known as'Dicken's Donkey', while another man was known as 'Whamper Pitchford' and was a real freak so far as his queer sayings were concerned.

DOMESTIC LIFE

Another feature of the old days was the delivery of goods and bread around the district. Goods wagons came from the station and also from the Co-op. Some of the wagons were called "drays", long vehicles drawn by horses, while other goods were carried in carts or vans. One family who lived nearby had a whole cart load for themselves. They were a big family - 12 children, mother, father, grandparents and an uncle. This was usually delivered by Corfields from Oakengates. Each miner had a load of coal delivered every few weeks, and it was customary for a nearby neighbour or relations to be given a bucketful or two. The miner only had to pay for the "drawing" (delivery). How women managed to cook I hardly know. An open fire. From this a kettle, sometimes made of copper, or a fryingpan would be hung to boil or cook as the case may be. "Putting the fire under the oven" meant stirring the gleady coals with a poker and pushing the hot embers under a gap beneath the oven. This was a means by which meat was roasted and cakes were baked. Also on the hearth were containers of "spills" made from long thin pieces of paper, for lighting Dad's pipe.

The cooking utensils were heavy iron saucepans, placed on the open fire. Sometimes a stew jar (a heavy earthenware pot) would stand on the hob for a night or more, stewing tough meat or softening dried peas. Many families did not have the luxury of knives and forks for every member as the children were too numerous; 3 to 6 was quite common and in some cases there were 10 to 12 children. The keeping in of the fire caused no problems. A big lump of coal with cinders or slack (bits of coal dust) put on behind the coal was called "raking" the fire. So to rake the fire meant it was time for bed.

The candle in a candle-stick or a small paraffin lamp was the only illumination for the bedrooms. There was no heating in the bedrooms in winter; may be the oven plate (a shelf) wrapped in a piece of blanket would be put in the bed to warm it, or sometimes a warming pan with a long handle would be used. This would hang on the kitchen wall when not in use Brass or iron bedsteads with straw, or flock, or feather matresses with suitable "ticks" (covering) was what most people slept on. Three in a bed was not uncommon. To sleep at the foot of the bed meant that you had the pleasant company of two other people's feet. Fleas were a very common, torment despite the cleanliness of mothers with their family. These little devils seemed to prosper and multiply no matter what you did.

The walls of many of our cottages were a hive for bugs, little dark red creatures which scurried along when disturbed in the bed. The term 'bug hunt' meant to wake up in the night sometimes and see the walls of the room seemingly alive with this vermin, they seemed to live in the brickwork itself. One of the sayings often heard was "Well I'll go and see what I can find". That meant that the mother was going to see what bugs were about in the bedroom, an after dinner pastime of the ladies. The noted methods for getting rid of these bugs was Keatings powder. I can see the huge advert now on the white enamel piece of tin. "Keatings kills bugs, fleas, moths, beetles", and to join this happy family was the constant menance of black beetles and cockroaches, making the presence of mice and rats a mere nuisance. No wonder the cats which hunted them were reputed to have nine lives. A most irritating noise was caused by "crickets" somewhere in the fireplace. I have never seen one but they were worse than the constant sound of a transistor radio.

Some help in cooking was given by a 'jack'which stood on an iron stand in front of the fire bars. The meat would be put on the hooks provided and after being wound up the 'jack'wouid gradually turn from left to right. There was also a metal grill tin (Dutch Oven) which could be placed in front of the fire on which bacon, ham etc could be cooked.

The mantlepiece was usually adorned with ornaments of brass, and with candlesticks and a clock, and the 'backwater' (back of fire place) would also have brass pieces on it.

Fresh water was available from taps placed in the brew houses but much of the water was obtained from butts (barrels) placed outside the houses. This was called 'soft'water and was mainly used for washing. The rainwater off roofs of the houses filled these butts.

The break-up of most families began when the girls reached 13 years of age and went off to 'service'. In my family, 3 of my sisters left home and never came back to live at home - they only came at their holiday times. This was the experience of many families. It was a sad sight to see one's sister leaving home with her little tin box or case, and standing on the Great Western Railway Station platform perhaps with other young girls going to service. This was to work in the houses of the wealthy in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham etc.

Copyright:  Estate of  Moses Evans