Wash houses

[Guest Desy]

Daniel Hill wash house was used by my Mother,Auntie and Gram on a weekly basis a wednesday for washing the clothes. Initially my mother would use my old pram or pushchair loaded with dirty washing wrapped up in a blanket and push it the half mile down Addy street to the wash house opposite the chippy at Daniel hill for 6.00am in the morning and meet up with the rest of the relations for a family wash and get together. The clothes would be left in a holding area not under lock and keep but left expecting knowone would steal them for one of the men to come down by car to pick all the washing and the women up for about 7.30 am run them home to get ready for work.

One day my father arrived to pick our clothes up only to find the bundle had been stolen(This was very unusual as most people had respect at the time because knowone was really rich or could afford expensive clothing). The police were called in after several other ladies also complained that there washing was missing also. about a couple of weeks later the Police raided a house on Horam Road and found the lady who had stolen the clothing and it was scattered all over the house. My mother had to go and sort through the clothing to identify ours.

On some occasions it did not go to time and was left nearer to lunch time. The washing was done in huge washing machines and then layed onto huge pull out driers and pushed back in.