Living in a slum

Monday, October 20th, 2008

I lived in a slum once, 1952-1959, not that we noticed it nor even felt deprived. It was a three storey Victorian terraced house, two rooms to each floor and the boys slept on the top floor with no heating and no electricity. No hot water either and the toilet was across the yard in the dark. There was a wash house across the yard also and here I conducted my chemistry experiments, even blowing out a window one day. Many people lived like this in my neighbourhood and we all survived.

One day, we got told that the house was 'unfit for human habitation' and were moved to a new council house. Probably by some fresh new sociology graduate. The new house was, naturally, far better and it was nice to do my school homework in the warmth.

But I am not complaining. We lived on the edge of town and had the fields to play in. Happy days.