Mitchellhill flats (late 1970s), Castlemilk History facebook page by Jim Richardson

Jackie Muir

When and where did you live in a high flat?

Lived in mitchellhill flats as did all my family from babies I was 1 year old when my mum and dad moved in so that was 1963 we were the first family to move in and our pictures in books and the peoples palace all my brothers and sisters were born there grew up and stayed there.I even got married moved away then back again and eventually moved out in 1992 we were there when the flats were demolished.

What were your early impressions? Describe the flat if you can:

Loved the flats the times we spent there were the best of my life happy memories we only had 2 rooms and a living room and there were 5 of us kids and mum and dad when I was older I got the room that was called the boiler room as a bedroom with a curtain round the boiler and a single bed in it I thought it was amazing.

Did you grow up in a high flat? What are your memories of your childhood? Where did you play? What games did you play?

I remember my brothers playing dreepy where they would climb the balcony at side of flat and dreepy down to the next one what were they thinking of we all played rounders ball doctors and nurses and went in and out of each other's houses no doors locked in those days I only thing I hated were the lifts I used to shout eight flights up to our windows when I got older so my dad would come down in lift to get me.

Or were you a parent looking after children at the time?

After I got married and had my first daughter I moved back to the flats that was in about 1985.


Did other members of your family live nearby? How often did you seen them? If no, where did they live? When did they visit? Did you visit them?

All of my family stayed in the flats and went on to have their own children so we saw each other every single day at one point we 2 of us stayed on the one landing there were six houses on the one landing.

What were your neighbours like: In your block? In the wider scheme/area? Did relations with your neighbours change over time?

Neighbours were amazing when we were younger so much so I still see my next door neighbour who turned out a good friend of my mums and I call her my nana she's now 82 we had one gate adjoins the two houses and we used to leave our doors open to go to each other's houses we would shout yoo hoo it's me lol when I went back years later it wasn't really the same.

Looking back, are you happy that you lived in the high rise flats, or would you have preferred to have lived somewhere else?

I was the happiest I've even been living anywhere else the sense of community spirit and friendliness was second to none it doesn't happen nowadays no matter where u luve nowadays u couldn't leave ur door open I would go back to living there again in a second.

Maureen Henry

When and where did you live in a high flat?

Mitchellhill flats 1985 - 2000.

Between what ages?

22 - 37.

Did you move there from somewhere else? If so, where? What affect did the move have on you?

I moved from parents home ....still near to parents so was a good move.

What were your early impressions? Describe the flat if you can:

2nd storey 2 bedroom flat with balcony ...fire escape door in 1 bedroom led to back stairs.

Did you grow up in a high flat? What are your memories of your childhood? Where did you play? What games did you play?

N/A.

Or were you a parent looking after children at the time?

N/A.

Did other members of your family live nearby? How often did you seen them? If no, where did they live? When did they visit? Did you visit them?

Yes, all family stayed in Castlemilk.

What were your neighbours like: In your block? In the wider scheme/area? Did relations with your neighbours change over time?

Good place at the start but as time went on and houses were being left empty it became quite isolating.

Looking back, are you happy that you lived in the high rise flats, or would you have preferred to have lived somewhere else?

I have good and bad memories but I am happy that I lived there.

Isabelle Hunt

When and where did you live in a high flat?

Lived in 3 Mirchellhill Road 16 th floor from when they first opened around 1964 if I remember.

Between what ages?

I was 12 I lived with my parents and left when I was 18.

Did you move there from somewhere else? If so, where? What affect did the move have on you?

We moved from Ardencraig Street I hated it so did my mother the isolation made her ill.

What were your early impressions? Describe the flat if you can:

The flat seemed lovely it had underfloor heating instead of a fire it was a good size with a spectacular view but you never met anyone unless in the lift which were always breaking down I loathed it it was total isolation.

Did you grow up in a high flat? What are your memories of your childhood? Where did you play? What games did you play?

Played on Cathkin Braes with my friends from Ardencraig St but when they went home I was heartbroken can't tell you how much I hated that flat.

Did other members of your family live nearby? How often did you seen them? If no, where did they live? When did they visit? Did you visit them?

My brother and his wife lived in Gavanhill and visited on a Sunday but that was it.

What were your neighbours like: In your block? In the wider scheme/area? Did relations with your neighbours change over time?

Hardly ever saw neighbours high flats are lonely places not like the tenements where you met people all the time and a lot of people in those days were scared of the height and the lifts if they broke down it was 16 floors to climb with your shopping.

Looking back, are you happy that you lived in the high rise flats, or would you have preferred to have lived somewhere else?

No I look back on it as a time of depression it made my mother Ill she had a breakdown and there was no one's door to go to I could my wait to leave and got a flat at 18 my parents moved shortly after to Bogany it was so good to see them come down like a bad chapter closing.

George Inglis

When and where did you live in a high flat?

Between 1970 and 1992 at Mitchell hill Road Flats, block 7.

Between what ages:

1 and 23.

Did you move there from somewhere else? If so, where? What affect did the move have on you?

Moved from Maryhill. Didn't no anything about it as I was a baby.

What were your early impressions? Describe the flat if you can:

Earliest memories are of being able to see right across Glasgow from my veranda, as we called it. Flat had 2 big bedrooms, large living room, kitchen, bathroom and boiler room along with a long hall.

Did you grow up in a high flat? What are your memories of your childhood? Where did you play? What games did you play?

I did and remember being fairly happy  as could play out in the swings, roundabouts and climbing frames as well as make dens in the big woods. As ever we sometimes got bullied by the older boys but that is the same everywhere. Used to play football, cricket, tennis and all the usual games like British bull dogs.

Or were you a parent looking after children at the time?

No a child.

Did other members of your family live nearby? How often did you seen them? If no, where did they live? When did they visit? Did you visit them?

At one point a member of my family lived in each of the 5 blocks of flats in Mitchell hill.  Seen at least one of them everyday and my Granny looked after me after school as my Mum and Dad both worked.

What were your neighbours like: In your block? In the wider scheme/area? Did relations with your neighbours change over time?

The neighbours in our landing were generally very good, looking out for each other and helpful. The block was fine too. Got the usual numpties that you just tried to avoid if you could. As time went by block got more run down as folk changed and seemed to care less about looking after it. Area could be rough and during the eighties there was a lot of gang fighting but you just avoided them too as much as you could.

Looking back, are you happy that you lived in the high rise flats, or would you have preferred to have lived somewhere else?

I enjoyed my childhood in the flats. We had loads of space and areas to get up to 'mischief' but it was probably the fact that my Mum and Dad looked after me so well that made it happy.

Susan McAdam

When and where did you live in a high flat?

I lived in Mitchellhill Flats, Castlemilk from 1964 until 1987.

Between what ages?

From a few months old until I was 23.

Did you move there from somewhere else? If so, where? What affect did the move have on you?

We were the first family to live in that flat.

What were your early impressions? Describe the flat if you can:

It was all I knew and we were happy there. The rooms were a good size. It had 2 bedrooms, a lovely kitchen ( my mum and dad put in), under floor heating, which was fantastic but expensive. It had metal windows and the condensation was terrible in winter.

Did you grow up in a high flat? What are your memories of your childhood? Where did you play? What games did you play?

We were on the fourth floor of a 19 storey building and there were five buildings. We were lucky the flats were right at the bottom of the Cathkin Braes and spent a lot of time there. We played tennis at the garage area in summer,ball games against the walls(outside) And I remember huge games of 'kick the can' with other children from the flats.

Did other members of your family live nearby? How often did you seen them? If no, where did they live? When did they visit? Did you visit them?

My aunt lived on the same floor, I had a gran on the 1st floor and one on the 16th and my aunt, uncle and cousins on the 2nd floor! We had other family come to visit with tea and pancakes on a Sunday afternoon or a plate of mums home made soup!

What were your neighbours like: In your block? In the wider scheme/area? Did relations with your neighbours change over time?

You got to know a lot of people. I remember my mum and dad had a group of good friends and house parties were all the rage. Castlemilk had a tough reputation but I always felt safe coming in from a night out.

Looking back, are you happy that you lived in the high rise flats, or would you have preferred to have lived somewhere else?

It was all I knew and I had a happy childhood. I was thirty one by the time a got a garden and then realised how lovely that could be. Our family were near by and we had lots of friends, I dont feel I missed out on anything.

Queen Elizabeth Square flats, Hutchestontown-Gorbals, P. Jephcott and H. Robinson, Homes in High Flats, (Oliver & Boyd: Edinburgh), 1971
Gorbals flats, Glasgow, 1968 by Oscar Marzaroli
Red Road flats P. Jephcott and H. Robinson, Homes in High Flats, p. 80
Lincoln Avenue flats, Glasgow Douglas MacGregor
Royston flats, P. Jephcott and H. Robinson, Homes in High Flats

Angela Oliver

When and where did you live in a high flat?

1968-1982
Roystonhill
20 Rosemount Street

Between what ages?

1-15.

Did you move there from somewhere else? If so, where? What affect did the move have on you?

I was too young, but my mum is still alive and would likely be interested in being involved also.

What were your early impressions? Describe the inside of the flat if you can. What was the block like?

A 2 bedroom flat with an amazing view.
A small bathroom with no window and a decent sized kitchen. Livingroom was also a reasonable size with a long hall where all rooms led off from. The windows opened out with a push and could be turned all the way around, so dangerous when I think of it now.

Did you grow up in a high flat? What are your memories of your childhood? Where did you play? What games did you play?

My whole chlildhood was in a flat. In my early years it felt like a community. We had the picture bus that came and took us kids to the cinema in Dennistoun. We also had our annual trip to Saltcoats, 3 large buses full. I had loads of kids to play with, we would play block tig, balls, chinese ropes on rainy days and on dry days we'd play with a skateboard, bikes, at shops, british bull dogs, tennis tournaments, kick the can, hide n seek, beds, two man hunt, kiss cuddle torture! I was a bit of a tomboy and would play with a football also. I always recall that there weren't many trees and the ones that existed were trying to grow with cages around them. The tar would melt in the roads and pavements in the summer which would be promptly dug up. You'd sometimes feel the block sway slightly in stormy nights. We mostly played around the block but we'd wander around the whole of Royston and Sighthill. Lots of freedom although my mum was strict about my time to get home so she'd shout my name from 14 floors and I'd hide! 

From the age of 11 myself and my friend who lived underneath me and whom I am still friends today, worked in the local chipshop, we'd work 3 nights a week. We'd earn our own money and on a Saturday we'd head to town to Jack the Lad shop to buy clothes, we'd always buy Marks and Spencers chocolate and crisps. It was a happy childhood but there was also the times were people would be sniffing glue in the landing or drinking and then later taking harder drugs. The lifts were often broken so that would be quite scary. Sometimes you'd have to walk up in pitch black as lights were out also and boys would pee down the bannisters, disgusting sensation. There was a religious divide, it was mostly a catholic area, I am not a catholic, there was also knowledge about certain young men being in the IRA and the Provos, one of their dogs was called Provo. Quite often the huge bins from all 3 multi's would be rolled onto the road to stop the buses coming up the hill and there would be tricolours flowing from windows in the houses and flats, people would paint them in walls etc. I never quite understood what was fully going on at the time. The idea of a family taking on all sorts of forms wasn't new to me although my parents were married and stayed together, there was a real mix of people with every type and personality possible in amongst those 3 flats. Sometimes we'd go to Crossmaloof for iceskating, that felt like a big day out across the city.


Did other members of your family live nearby? How often did you seen them? If no, where did they live? When did they visit? Did you visit them?

My granny stayed in the Gorbals then moved to Govan sheltered housing. My mum was close to my granny we'd see her a lot she'd also watch me some days and get me back to school after lunch. We saw my parents families often, they'd visit or we'd visit. My dads sister stayed in Stepps, a lovely bungalow with a garden, it always felt posh, I loved staying over with my cousins, we'd go to chapel on a Sunday as my aunt had married a catholic and became a catholic herself. My aunt still stays there.  My mums family mostly  lived Gorbals and Govan. My mum and dad would have to work early so for a time I'd go into the next door neighbours Maureen, a single parent with 3 sons and a daughter. Id sleep in one of their beds then get up n get ready for school.

What were your neighbours like: In your block? In the wider scheme/area? Did relations with your neighbours change over time?

It was a community in the early days, my parents were sociable and they'd have ir go to house parties. They'd all have to sing a song. Us kids would play, it was great fun. People started moving away when I was around 8-10 but I was first to leave at age 15 around my friends. The lady next door passed away and a younger guy moved in, there was parties and trouble. Seeing a man holding the terraza doorstep up ready to pummel someone with was very scary. You could feel it was changing, it felt less safe. I still worked in chippy after I moved. Guy that owned chippy  would give me a lift back home at end of night he lived in Crossmaloof, I could see it was radically changing. I stopped working there from age 17.

Looking back, are you happy that you lived in the high rise flats, or would you have preferred to have lived somewhere else?

Looking back there were lots of good points and I've lots of happy memories. It's all I knew so hard to jusge what it might have been like. It gave me life experience and made me who I am. I'm now a lecturer in a College so it maybe took me longer but I don't believe it held me back. But maybe thats more down to my solid upbringing as I saw all sorts that you knew were wrong. I'm lucky I was strong and didnt fall prey to influences and some experiences around me. 

Sighthill flats, P. Jephcott and H. Robinson, Homes in High Flats
Broomhill flats, Glasgow
Toryglen flats, M. Glendinning and S. Muthesius, Towerblock (London: Yale University Press, 1994)
Mount Florida high flats, Glasgow
Maryhill flats, Glenavon Road, Glasgow

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