"Back to Backs"------ What is that?
When Henry suggested we go to visit 'Back to Backs' at the Birmingham city centre, I was asking him this question. Even though I am the one who have stayed in Birmingham for almost 12 months, and he is the one just arrived in Birmingham for less than few hours.
After struggling through the city centre looking for the location, we finally located the small shop entrance at a quiet site of the town (we have walked around the Chinese Quarter to get to Hurst St, where the 'Back to Backs' situated, when it is literally next to the Chinese Quarter).
After 12 months in Birmingham, I have just learned that, 'Back to Backs' is basically a term devoted to describe the back to back housings which were built in Birmingham around 19th century.
At the beginning of 19th century, Birmingham as a new industrial town had a rapidly increasing population due to the industrial revolutions. Thousands of houses were built to accommodate the flooding of labours from all over the country. The houses were built, literally, back to back, around a courtyard, in order to maximise the used of lands. Hence, this is the origin of 'Back to Backs'.
The Birmingham 'Back to Backs' located at Hurst Street is the last surviving court of back to back housing since 19th century. It has now been fully restored by the Birmingham Conservation Trust and the National Trust.
Four houses have been restored to reflect four time periods: the 1840s, 1870s, 1930s and 1970s.
During the tour, we were exploring the houses by moving through four different periods of time. The design of each interior reflects the varied cultures, religions and professions of the families who made their homes here. From house to house, we also listened to the recordings of people who lived and worked there.
For example, the house reflected the 1930s was occupied by George Saunders before its closure in 2002. George, a tailor from St Kitts, came to Birmingham in 1958 and was the last person to occupy Court 15. We also visited George's shop and workrooms, full of clothes, materials, old fashioned sewing machine etc (the tailor's workshop actually brought back some memories of my aunt's house who used to be occupied by a tailor shop at the front...)
The houses in that period of time were very small with low ceilings. There is very little space in the house. A big family with 10 children is very common at that time. Even though each house has basically three storeys, sometimes parents still have to share room with the children.
Downstairs is the main room, and for almost everything. It is the kitchen, cooking is normally done next to the fireplace, with just small pan and pot. It is the dining room, with a table and chairs occupied the large area of ground floor. There is only one room in each storey upstairs. Each room of a single bedroom size nowadays might occupy up to 6 children. The room is just for sleeping, if it is not time for bed, everybody is rather staying outside than in the house.
That is why the court yard served as communal facilities. There is washing room at the courtyard, because there might be six or more families sharing the facilities, washing is only done once weekly with roaster to use the washing room. There are also 2-3 toilets in the courtyard to be shared among all the people staying around the courtyard.
p/s: no photograph is allowed in the houses, so only photos of the courtyard
photo 1 - backyard of 'Back to Backs'
photo 2 - look like a 'normal' house from backyard, but it's very small inside
photo 3 - guess what is this?
