GROWING UP AT HEADLESSCROSS
I lived in a three Bedroomcd and Kitchen stone-built cottage at Headlesscross. Owned by Barr & Thornton, Mine-owners, I think it must have been built around 1800, or perhaps even earlier. It had stone floors and there was neither piped water nor electricity.

The chemical toils, loaded outside to the rear of the house, Work emptied and cleaned twice daily by grandfather or uncles. There were coal flies in each room and a large range in the kitchen. To me, this range was always the- heart of our home: it was the place where most of the work seemed to he done. Indeed, with all the cooking and baking done by my grandmother, it seemed to be in use all day. There was always a large pot of soup cooking and the kettle on the boil. We always had plenty to eat: in the large garden a wide variety of vegetables and fruits were grown. There were also hens and a goat. The vegetable and potatoes were stored ~or the winter in a large shed; the fruit was preserved and sonic made into jam. Our only neighbours our great friends, lived at Sutherlands farm - my second home. Our milk, cheese and butler were bought there.

There were two double set-in beds in the kitchen and in the first room. The large double brass bed, which was grandmothers pride arid joy, was in the spare room. There was also the ‘Big Room’’ —which was used only for visitors and holidays —furnished as a sitting room together with a piano and a tall cabinet gramophone record player. The three piece had a bed settee and so, when we had visitors, there were always plenty of beds.

There was plenty of storage space under the set-in beds. This, my grandmother used to its best advantage: so many crates of soap, soap powder and other household items that it would have put the Co-op to shame. An extra hurly bed was also stored under the bed. Under the beds became one of my favorite places to play.

The set-in beds were nicely decorated with curtains arid lovely white lace-edged valances. The flock filled mattresses, covered in blue and white tick - as were the holsters - were laid on wooden bases. You were always warm and cosy in these beds.

WATER
As there was no piped water supply, grandfather and uncles had to draw it from a well in the field and, in tile summer, from a fresh—water spring in Muldron Glen. There were four large water barrels which were placed around the outside of the house to catch the rain water. This was used for washing and cleaning. The washhouse boiler was filled and on the go every day so that my uncles could have a bath when they came home from the pit - Grandmother did the family wash twice a week. I loved when she washed the blankets: I had to tramp1e them in a tub of warm soapy water in my bare feet. Another job was to help her with the clothes mangle. There being no washing machines then, we had three washing tubs (BINES): one for steeping; a second for scrubbing the clothes with a washboard and a third for rinsing. The whites were boiled in the boiler. The soapy water was used by my uncles when they came home from work on washdays nothing was wasted. Every’ night I was bathed in a blue zinc bath in front of tile range fire.