No. 77 was a "back to back" home with a kitchen / living room and another room alongside that. Gas lighting was installed in both rooms. The kitchen had a coal-fired range and water had to be fetched from a standpipe. I think there was a sink under the window and I certainly remember an enamel bowl for hand washing. There were two bed recesses in this room and, as a child, I enjoyed being put to bed in one of them and having the curtains drawn across so that I could go to sleep and the adults could continue chatting. The other room had an open fire and one bed recess. The toilets and wash-house were in a block, somewhere behind the row. I remember being taken to the toilet by Granny so that she could unlock the door for me and make sure it was clean before I was allowed to go in - she also checked to see that I had not left any puddles behind! She was an extremely houseproud person - her home was clean, polished and tidy. It must have been very hard work to keep it like that, especially as the paths around the houses, and out to the drying green were made of ashes.
Mrs P. Charlton, Memories from visits to No. 77 Stewartfield in 1946 and 1949