Chimney Sweeps

[Hughie]

I can recall our chimney being swept in the conventional way by lowering a brush into the chimney by the sweep - can't recall who the local chimney sweeps was though. Anyone recall their local chimney sweep? As time goes on folks are not going to understand such occupations.

This ad is from 1949 using electricity? Odd, this was back when I recall gas mantles for lighting in Kilmahew Street in Ardrossan.

[Meg]

I remember the sweep we had in Clyde terr - I think his name was Alec - but I can’t remember his surname. I think he brought a hoover into the living room but we had to get rid of the soot ourselves - it might have got dug into the garden, can’t really remember.

Edit - was his surname McCulloch?

[meekan]

Yes his name was Alec McCulloch he was also a slater. He worked at this till he was a good age before retiring. There were other guys who did it semi professionally I can’t think of their names. We used to use the soot in the garden but a lot of soot found it’s way to the inches. To save getting the sweep in it was common to set the chimney on fire. Though if caught doing this you were fined.

[Penny Tray]

Meekan,

Any type of chimney fire reported by the Fire Service to the Police was punishable with a 7/6d fine, which, if paid direct to the police at the time, avoided any court proceedings.

[Meg]

Yes his name was Alec McCulloch he was also a slater. He worked at this till he was a good age before retiring. There were other guys who did it semi professionally I can’t think of their names. We used to use the soot in the garden but a lot of soot found it’s way to the inches. To save getting the sweep in it was common to set the chimney on fire. Though if caught doing this you were fined.

Thanks Angus - I kept thinking Archie McCulloch but he was the entertainer who used to go round the country in the summer doing seaside queen beauty contests as qualifiers for Miss Scotland. Crazy what your memory holds isn’t it - couldn’t tell you what I had for my dinner yesterday.

[meekan]

Just remembered he used to travel about the town on his bike. He had a helper called Charlie whose surname I can’t remember but he stayed in Stanley Road.

[exile]

The Seggies were Stevenston sweeps - Father and sons.
They communicated down the chimney from the roof crest to the fireplace with a series of cries/noises, rather than shouted instructions, which must have meant something like "More steam, McPhail !!", or similar.

[brian f]

I can recall our chimney being swept in the conventional way by lowering a brush into the chimney by the sweep - can't recall who the local chimney sweeps was though. Anyone recall their local chimney sweep? As time goes on folks are not going to understand such occupations.

This ad is from 1949 using electricity? Odd, this was back when I recall gas mantles for lighting in Kilmahew Street in Ardrossan.

I can never remember a chimney sweep, but happy memories of the Pink Parrafin man.
Was there an art to building a good fire and if so privileged.

[Bruce]

We were in an “electric house” when I was growing up, and then gas - had coal when very young but can’t really remember it.

but can remember going to gran’s house when she “had the sweep in”, and all the furniture being covered in sheets. She and 2 of my aunts would get their chimneys done on the same day.

[Hughie]

I do remember the spare bed-sheets getting thrown over the furniture in the living room while the chimney was being swept. And yes, the odd sounding call and response via the chimney between the guy on the roof and the assistant inside the house - it wasn't any words I'd ever heard.

Some folks used to stuff paper up the chimney and set it on fire to save paying for a sweep - not a wise thing to do. If there was a crack in the masonry of the chimney the fire could catch hold in the rafters and sometimes not immediately.

My then girlfriend Betty's house in Stevenston had a chimney fire and the fire brigade was called. She threw on her coat and rushed around to her pals house - she didn't want to be there in case her Hughie came on the fire engine. Oh the shame of having a chimney fire with all the street watching. I was a retained fireman at Ardrossan at the time but not on duty.

[brian f]

My then girlfriend Betty's house in Stevenston had a chimney fire and the fire brigade was called. She threw on her coat and rushed around to her pals house - she didn't want to be there in case her Hughie came on the fire engine. Oh the shame of having a chimney fire with all the street watching. I was a retained fireman at Ardrossan at the time but not on duty.

Bettys, a good sport