SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Reminiscing the other day about when I was little to my grown up kids.They're 25,24 and 19.I was telling them how I had to push the mucky washing up to Armley Wash House on a Monday after school for me Mam.Used to pile it up in an old pram.I remember the smell of bleach and the heat as you went through the doors into the Sauna like conditions of the wash house.The women would all wear scarves tied around their heads and would be putting clothes into massive boilers and then drying them on huge hangers, a bit like the climbing frames in posh schools (we never had climbing frames at Armley Park School)The clothes used to be spotless due to everything being boil washed.Every one helped each other and although it was hard work me mam seemed to enjoy the companyand of course got to know the gossip.Seem to remember there was only one chap I used to see who was like a maintenance guy who helped the lasses if they needed owt doing.One thing bothers me though.How is it possible to get clothes clean at 15 Degrees? as advertised on telly. How many other wash houses were there in Leeds?

My Mam went to the wash house next to Meanwood Road Baths. It was known as the bagwash. Thinking back, with Monday always being wash day in those days, did anyone go in the rest of the week?    

I remember lines and lines of washing across the streets between back-to-backs. Obviously a lot less traffic in them days!

You still see that here and there in Holbeck and Beeston - pulled up higher than street level to keep it out of the way of the cars. Picture here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leedslily/ ... 937973386/

//How many other wash houses were there in Leeds?//There was a similar wash house in Holbeck - on Stocks Hill, at the bottom of St. Matthew's Street. I remember walking past it on my way to a barber shop off Nineveh Road; would have been 1961 or 62. I can't remember if it was still operating at that time. What I most remember are the green (Leeds Green) painted window frames and louvered screens. Long gone, of course, but I can still picture it ...

In the mid 1950's we lived over the 'bagwash' on Hunslet Road, my mam worked for them - we took the washing in, all rolled up and tied into a bed sheet, labelled it and sent it to the proper 'bag wash' - never found out where this was. It came back all wrapped in brown paper and sat on wooden slatted shelves untill it was picked up.It closed when the first automatic laundramat opened in the late 1950's on Hunslet Road.But we had a great times as kids playing down in the shop, in the huge wicker baskets and on the wooden shelves - poor as church mice, but happy days.

ElaineLeeds wrote: In the mid 1950's we lived over the 'bagwash' on Hunslet Road, my mam worked for them - we took the washing in, all rolled up and tied into a bed sheet, labelled it and sent it to the proper 'bag wash' - never found out where this was. It came back all wrapped in brown paper and sat on wooden slatted shelves untill it was picked up.It closed when the first automatic laundramat opened in the late 1950's on Hunslet Road.But we had a great times as kids playing down in the shop, in the huge wicker baskets and on the wooden shelves - poor as church mice, but happy days. Hi ElainetLeeds what a great place Hunslet Road was in the 1950s so full of life shops of all kinds.I have many fond memories from that time some would say looking through rose tinted glasses i would say that is not the case.But then i was young and did not have to think were the next meal was comeing from.All the best.

I'm pretty sure there was a wash house at the Kirkstall Road Baths under the railway viaduct.

BLAKEY wrote: I'm pretty sure there was a wash house at the Kirkstall Road Baths under the railway viaduct. The wash house was running in the early 60s, when we use to go to Kirky road baths. Trunks rolled up in threadbare towel and off we would go. Bovril or oxtail soup and a wagonwheel from the kiosk on the way out. Session time were in force in those days,the whistle use to go followed by the words ALL OUT.

yorkiesknob wrote: BLAKEY wrote: I'm pretty sure there was a wash house at the Kirkstall Road Baths under the railway viaduct. The wash house was running in the early 60s, when we use to go to Kirky road baths. Trunks rolled up in threadbare towel and off we would go. Bovril or oxtail soup and a wagonwheel from the kiosk on the way out. Session time were in force in those days,the whistle use to go followed by the words ALL OUT. You had to come out if your fingers had gone wrinkly as I remember.There was a play about pubic wash houses called The Steamie, it was however set in Glasgow, but I suppose it was fairly similarhttp://video.stv.tv/bc/Catch-Up/catchup-thesteamie/