Graphic 4 1940 Back-To-Back Cottage

Bradford’s Industrial Revolution – Information Sheet

1940 Back-to-back cottage

The next home is an example of the inside of a back-to-back cottage in 1942.

Downstairs had much more furniture than the 1875 cottage with the addition of easy chairs, bureau/china cabinet and a kitchenette. There was always lino (which was polished regularly) on top of the stone floor. During the 1930s the cast iron range in this house was replaced by a black enamel one. The oven in the range was kept for nearly all the cooking, including stews. The gas ring was used for boiling water and for frying (usually potatoes and onions together or corned beef hash).

The gas jet lighting was replaced with gas mantles, upstairs and downstairs, which were much brighter. People covered their windows with curtains, sheets or boards to keep out the light. They did this every night so that enemy aircraft could not see any towns. This was known as the blackout. The local Air Raid Warden would make sure that every bit of light was hidden.

‘I never ventured far from home because it was frightening’

Resource provided by: www.mylearning.org © Bradford Museums, Galleries & Heritage The re-chargeable radio (or wireless) was an essential source of information during the war. Wartime families frequently made it an evening ritual to sit round the set with a cup of watery cocoa or Horlicks, listening to the nine o’clock news.

Glass window panes were covered with sticky tape to prevent the glass from shattering if a bomb landed nearby.

The bedroom in this house was shared by the parents and the children (two to a bed). The father would have been away fighting in the War.