Just wondered if anyone could answer this question for me.
In the early 60's my oldest sister had a house on the top flat in Moffat St. The access to the outside toilet was a sight I had never seen before. It was like a wooden gang plank you had to go up (quite high up) and it kind of curved around the outside wall. As a kid I loved going up and down on this gang plank. I can't remember what the number of the close was she lived in but I'm wondering was this typical of the tenements in the Gorbals or would it have been just this particular close? The only outside toilets I had seen in the Oatlands were all on a landing that the people went down one flight of stairs to, (including people who lived on the top flat) so this one in Moffat St had me fascinated. Thanks for any info on this.
Cheers, Sheila
Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Hi Sheila I lived in 438 that 2nd last close before you came to Caledonia Rd, we had an outside toilet but it was in the back used to go up to my auntie Maryanne toilet she stayed up 450 and used hers, don't remember any toilet that you spoke about. 
Amelia
Amelia
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Hi Sheila, I remember the toilets being on the stairs with a nail in the wall and news paper cut up in squares stuck on the nail, can't remember this walkway in moffat street but I have seen a photo in one of the sites of this type of outside loo. My God how did we survive without the warm bathrooms haha
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Hi Gang
Well talking of outside toilets [it seems century's ago now !!], I cant say I remember the type of toilet you mentioned Shelia but as Tweedlie5 says there's a mention of it somewhere, Jimbo would have been the man to get us a photo or link for that but sadly he seems to have left our site. I remember when I was at wee Bonnies school and my class mate Dennis Smith lived in Moffat st [almost opp St Mungo's] and when I used to visit him they had an inside toilet[Oh Toffs I thought]. Yes going downstairs to the "stairheid lavy" was a trek especially in the dark Winter nights, then you might have one or two of your neighbours waiting in a queue to use it, so if you couldn't hold on well that's where the old "Po" under the bed came in handy !!!!. It really does seem ages ago but we'll never forget the outside toilets that's for sure, nowadays we have central heating etc in our houses/flats and the Inside toilet
. I'm glad we have photos on the internet to show our Grandchildren of the toilets we used to have to share and can you remember the joy when you were moved out to the new housing estates with your very own inside toilet and a bath !!!; but for saying that I loved the aul Tenements with it's close knit community where everybody knew each other and I loved my upbringing there. I think I said a while ago in one of my posts that 2 years ago I went back to visit the soo-side for the first time in 45 years and the Gorbals and Oatlands had changed so much that I felt like greetin, yes the new houses look grand but that community spirit sadly seems to have gone. Anyway take care folks will speak to you all later.
Regards.
Danny
Well talking of outside toilets [it seems century's ago now !!], I cant say I remember the type of toilet you mentioned Shelia but as Tweedlie5 says there's a mention of it somewhere, Jimbo would have been the man to get us a photo or link for that but sadly he seems to have left our site. I remember when I was at wee Bonnies school and my class mate Dennis Smith lived in Moffat st [almost opp St Mungo's] and when I used to visit him they had an inside toilet[Oh Toffs I thought]. Yes going downstairs to the "stairheid lavy" was a trek especially in the dark Winter nights, then you might have one or two of your neighbours waiting in a queue to use it, so if you couldn't hold on well that's where the old "Po" under the bed came in handy !!!!. It really does seem ages ago but we'll never forget the outside toilets that's for sure, nowadays we have central heating etc in our houses/flats and the Inside toilet
. I'm glad we have photos on the internet to show our Grandchildren of the toilets we used to have to share and can you remember the joy when you were moved out to the new housing estates with your very own inside toilet and a bath !!!; but for saying that I loved the aul Tenements with it's close knit community where everybody knew each other and I loved my upbringing there. I think I said a while ago in one of my posts that 2 years ago I went back to visit the soo-side for the first time in 45 years and the Gorbals and Oatlands had changed so much that I felt like greetin, yes the new houses look grand but that community spirit sadly seems to have gone. Anyway take care folks will speak to you all later.Regards.
Danny
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
You're right Danny about the community spirit, more so in the upper class places as everyone have cars so you don't see anyone walking in the streets to stop and get a blether. Remember Cumberland St. it took you all day to go from one end to another hardly anyone went over the town as we had everything on our doorstep.
Were OK up in Castlemilk as you meet people in the shopping center if you want to call it a shopping centre, it's a dump. They have upgraded some of the houses and built new ones but haven't touched the shops, £ shops 3 bookie shops 2 funeral parlours and charity shops
If you want a decent shop you either jump into the town or go over to Silverburn in Pollok even East Kilbride isn't as grand as it used to be.
Right that's my moan over for the day Hope everyone well.
Amelia
Were OK up in Castlemilk as you meet people in the shopping center if you want to call it a shopping centre, it's a dump. They have upgraded some of the houses and built new ones but haven't touched the shops, £ shops 3 bookie shops 2 funeral parlours and charity shops
If you want a decent shop you either jump into the town or go over to Silverburn in Pollok even East Kilbride isn't as grand as it used to be.Right that's my moan over for the day
Hope everyone well.Amelia
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Hi ,Sheila Danny & Gang ,
I was lucky that we moved away from the "soo side" so this particular
situation never came on my "Radar" Overcrowding was the main issue here but not only did we have the luxury of an inside toilet but within about 6 months we had a copper immersion heater installed but the downside was very high electric bills.!I can assure soaking in a hot bath was sheer luxury.
But getting back to outside toilets , when i bought my first house in the early seventies and it was an
old terrace one like you see in the "Coronation Street "soaps.
It had an outside toilet and the wooden toilet seat was riddled with Woodworm .!!
There was a lady who lived on her own who had rented this property for over 50 years and there was no running hot water either. This property was in a time warp with old sash windows and Gas Mantles ,and original wallpaper from when the lady first moved in.I did find out that sometimes she got stuck on the outside toilet due to athritis until a neighbor helped her .My son was about 7 months old
when we took on this project . I had passed my driving test but could not afford to buy a car.
We were staying in rented accommodation at the time and in order to get one bedroom ready we used to walk about one and a half miles to the new house<wreck> and using my sons Silver Cross
pram with him in it we would take out an upstairs "Sash Window " out and take it to our rented house to
work on . It is only when you think back you realize the daft things you did but it was worth it in the end
and we also carried a kettle on that pram.!
Best regards Reg
I was lucky that we moved away from the "soo side" so this particular
situation never came on my "Radar" Overcrowding was the main issue here but not only did we have the luxury of an inside toilet but within about 6 months we had a copper immersion heater installed but the downside was very high electric bills.!I can assure soaking in a hot bath was sheer luxury.
But getting back to outside toilets , when i bought my first house in the early seventies and it was an
old terrace one like you see in the "Coronation Street "soaps.
It had an outside toilet and the wooden toilet seat was riddled with Woodworm .!!
There was a lady who lived on her own who had rented this property for over 50 years and there was no running hot water either. This property was in a time warp with old sash windows and Gas Mantles ,and original wallpaper from when the lady first moved in.I did find out that sometimes she got stuck on the outside toilet due to athritis until a neighbor helped her .My son was about 7 months old
when we took on this project . I had passed my driving test but could not afford to buy a car.
We were staying in rented accommodation at the time and in order to get one bedroom ready we used to walk about one and a half miles to the new house<wreck> and using my sons Silver Cross
pram with him in it we would take out an upstairs "Sash Window " out and take it to our rented house to
work on . It is only when you think back you realize the daft things you did but it was worth it in the end
and we also carried a kettle on that pram.!
Best regards Reg
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Hi Reg +gang,
Talking about the wooden seats in the toilets, my Ma [God rest her] always told me if you go and sit on anybody else's toilet always be sure to put newspaper on the seat as you don't know you'll get !!!. Fair play to you Reg for buying your own house in the 70's and pushing your son in the Silver Cross pram [that's the same make of pram my ex-wife and me bought when our Susan was born, we seem to run on parallel lies Reg lol]. I often think back to the tenements in the "soo-side" and the stairhead toilets and think my self so lucky nowadays living here in my sheltered housing flat with a heater in my bathroom and my walk-in shower which helps the arthritis in my knees no end as I don't have to try and climb over and into a bath. Although in those far off days I never knew any different about the stair landing landings till we moved to the new housing schemes, ah yes happy days, not much money but very happy.
Regards.
Danny
Talking about the wooden seats in the toilets, my Ma [God rest her] always told me if you go and sit on anybody else's toilet always be sure to put newspaper on the seat as you don't know you'll get !!!. Fair play to you Reg for buying your own house in the 70's and pushing your son in the Silver Cross pram [that's the same make of pram my ex-wife and me bought when our Susan was born, we seem to run on parallel lies Reg lol]. I often think back to the tenements in the "soo-side" and the stairhead toilets and think my self so lucky nowadays living here in my sheltered housing flat with a heater in my bathroom and my walk-in shower which helps the arthritis in my knees no end as I don't have to try and climb over and into a bath. Although in those far off days I never knew any different about the stair landing landings till we moved to the new housing schemes, ah yes happy days, not much money but very happy.
Regards.
Danny
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Hi Danny & Gang,
Thanks for your reply on my reply . that Silver Cross "Perambulator" cost at the
time 35 pounds and it was the the " Rolls Royce " of prams so it probably was a bit too good for the
transporting of old "Sash " windows.! But to buy that first "Wreck" of a house I had to put down 10 per cent of five thousand pounds <500>. Now that would sound very straight forward but I initially got " Gazumped" which would not happen in Scotland . But this other person put in a cash offer after getting
5000 pounds compensation from an industrial injury at work . So I was blown away in trying to get my
foot on that first rung of the ladder and it was only a "wreck".
I went to see the Estate Agent. i even went and pleaded with the owner to no avail.
I thought that was it until a phone call 4 weeks later from the Agent to say that the cash buyer had pulled out.! Anyway this was the third Gazumping that I had happen to me .But on the bright side I learned a lot of skills very Quickly in order to renovate that house from top to bottom.. Danny I did not use that
outside toilet more than twice as I converted one of the three bedrooms into an upstairs bathroom.!!
Anyway i have no regrets and would do it all again.!
Best regards Reg
Thanks for your reply on my reply . that Silver Cross "Perambulator" cost at the
time 35 pounds and it was the the " Rolls Royce " of prams so it probably was a bit too good for the
transporting of old "Sash " windows.! But to buy that first "Wreck" of a house I had to put down 10 per cent of five thousand pounds <500>. Now that would sound very straight forward but I initially got " Gazumped" which would not happen in Scotland . But this other person put in a cash offer after getting
5000 pounds compensation from an industrial injury at work . So I was blown away in trying to get my
foot on that first rung of the ladder and it was only a "wreck".
I went to see the Estate Agent. i even went and pleaded with the owner to no avail.
I thought that was it until a phone call 4 weeks later from the Agent to say that the cash buyer had pulled out.! Anyway this was the third Gazumping that I had happen to me .But on the bright side I learned a lot of skills very Quickly in order to renovate that house from top to bottom.. Danny I did not use that
outside toilet more than twice as I converted one of the three bedrooms into an upstairs bathroom.!!
Anyway i have no regrets and would do it all again.!
Best regards Reg
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Hi Danny & Gang,
Thanks for your reply on my reply . that Silver Cross "Perambulator" cost at the
time 35 pounds and it was the the " Rolls Royce " of prams so it probably was a bit too good for the
transporting of old "Sash " windows.! But to buy that first "Wreck" of a house I had to put down 10 per cent of five thousand pounds <500>. Now that would sound very straight forward but I initially got " Gazumped" which would not happen in Scotland . But this other person put in a cash offer after getting
5000 pounds compensation from an industrial injury at work . So I was blown away in trying to get my
foot on that first rung of the ladder and it was only a "wreck".
I went to see the Estate Agent. i even went and pleaded with the owner to no avail.
I thought that was it until a phone call 4 weeks later from the Agent to say that the cash buyer had pulled out.! Anyway this was the third Gazumping that I had happen to me .But on the bright side I learned a lot of skills very Quickly in order to renovate that house from top to bottom.. Danny I did not use that
outside toilet more than twice as I converted one of the three bedrooms into an upstairs bathroom.!!
Anyway i have no regrets and would do it all again.!
Best regards Reg
Thanks for your reply on my reply . that Silver Cross "Perambulator" cost at the
time 35 pounds and it was the the " Rolls Royce " of prams so it probably was a bit too good for the
transporting of old "Sash " windows.! But to buy that first "Wreck" of a house I had to put down 10 per cent of five thousand pounds <500>. Now that would sound very straight forward but I initially got " Gazumped" which would not happen in Scotland . But this other person put in a cash offer after getting
5000 pounds compensation from an industrial injury at work . So I was blown away in trying to get my
foot on that first rung of the ladder and it was only a "wreck".
I went to see the Estate Agent. i even went and pleaded with the owner to no avail.
I thought that was it until a phone call 4 weeks later from the Agent to say that the cash buyer had pulled out.! Anyway this was the third Gazumping that I had happen to me .But on the bright side I learned a lot of skills very Quickly in order to renovate that house from top to bottom.. Danny I did not use that
outside toilet more than twice as I converted one of the three bedrooms into an upstairs bathroom.!!
Anyway i have no regrets and would do it all again.!
Best regards Reg
Re: Outside toilet in Moffat Street
Hi gang
Thanks for all the comments/stories.
I have tried searching for a photo of the type of toilet I posted about, but so far no luck. Although I loved clattering up and down that gangway as a kid, when I think of it now these days I would be terrified as it seemed to be perched rather precariously and very high up to.
You're right Danny, Jimbo probably could have found this for me. Haven't seen him on here for a while, so if you're out there Jimbo, I need your help with this. (Please and thanks)
Tweedlie5 if you see this photo again that you mentioned can you please post it here or let me know about it? Thanks.
As some of you said the luxuries today in bathrooms are something else, guess we have a lot to be thankful for in that regard, but we lost a lot too when it came to growing up in tight knit communities and then things never being quite the same with new neighbours once everyone moved to different areas. Glad we still have great memories of the old days though.
Hope you all have a great week-end. Cheers, Sheila
Thanks for all the comments/stories.
I have tried searching for a photo of the type of toilet I posted about, but so far no luck. Although I loved clattering up and down that gangway as a kid, when I think of it now these days I would be terrified as it seemed to be perched rather precariously and very high up to.
You're right Danny, Jimbo probably could have found this for me. Haven't seen him on here for a while, so if you're out there Jimbo, I need your help with this. (Please and thanks)
Tweedlie5 if you see this photo again that you mentioned can you please post it here or let me know about it? Thanks.
As some of you said the luxuries today in bathrooms are something else, guess we have a lot to be thankful for in that regard, but we lost a lot too when it came to growing up in tight knit communities and then things never being quite the same with new neighbours once everyone moved to different areas. Glad we still have great memories of the old days though.
Hope you all have a great week-end.
Cheers, Sheila