[Margaret Pilkington]

All those areas were really pleasant places to live. Hope St, Major St, Higher Antley St, Garbett St, Richmond Hill St.
Now a lot of them have become very run down. Don't know if it is because of neglectful residents or whether it is poor landlords...but it not very nice.
The people who lived there back in the days we are familiar with were very proud of their homes. Steps cleaned regularly and donkey stoned, fronts swept, gardens maintained.
I don't buy the excuse that people are busier these days...there were far fewer labour saving devices back then... Fewer automatic washers, dryers.
People shopped daily and cooked good meals from scratch...often they had allotments, chickens,vegetable patches.
I think it all boils down to poor stewardship of homes.