My Life In Hansel Village

A Memory of Hansel Village.

Hi my name is Dorothy Crawford. I lived in Hansel from Hi til 1991. My room was a beautiful chalet, in a block called Ferguson House, it was all wooden and easy to clean. The views from my window was lovely green fields. There was a large sitting room where we all chatted before we went to bed. I worked in the laundry I had different jobs to do and it changed from week to week, one week of washing, the next week ironing and the following week of using the rolling press. We did contract work and a big van would come and deliver big bags of either clothing or bedding which had to be done then sent back out again. I loved it, it kept me busy and fit! I had to separate all kinds of clothes into piles and put into different bags. We worked normal hours, I started at 9 ( never allowed to be late) till 4 but sometimes we had to work longer if the contract jobs were running late. There was other buildings where some of the others worked. There was a building where they did pottery to make things like cups, plates and vases to sell when visitors came. In another building they made jumpers, scarfs and other things using knitting machines to sell as well. At the weekends, if I didn't have family visiting I would sometimes get the bus into Kilmarnock or Ayr. I still love going to Ayr. Or I would spend the day walking around the gardens and to a place called Ladykirk. When the work place closed for holidays we all went to our family homes to be with our families. I have 3 sisters. One older, now 60, and two younger, they are now 51 and 47. I am now 55. Eventually I was to live in a house within the village which was used to teach us how to live on our own. I think I was there for about a year then was offered a flat in Maryhill Glasgow. This was the start of my new independent life doing things for myself with a little help from Keyworkers who helped me pay my bills and helped me with shopping and housework. To this day I live a full independent life. I struggle to cook now so that's my excuse to get myself out every day! I have a great social life and know hundreds of people so I don't have a shortage of people to chat to. I still visit Hansel and I feel so lucky to have lived there early in my life. But oh how it has changed! They don't do the same things any more and there are no work buildings or contract work which I feel sad about. But at least I still have my happy memories and hope someone out there likes my story.

From
Dot xx

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