15 pictures that take you back to life growing up in The Gorbals in Glasgow in the 1960s

Growing up during The Gorbals tenement clearances meant growing up hard and fast - but that didn’t stop the domineering Glasgow spirit shining through in the scheme kids.

The 60s were a transient time for Glasgow - as the city entered the dog days of its long-standing industrial heritage, accomodation saw a major upheaval as the Glasgow Corporation sought to replace run-down tenements with more modern high-rise towers - a move that changed the face of The Gorbals.

60 years ago, housing in The Gorbals was classified as one of the worst slums in Europe. Overcrowding was standard in the tenements with many of the homes not having access to toilets or running water.

Tenements in the Gorbals were built quickly and cheaply in the 1840s - to provide housing for the booming population of lower-class industrial workers. The tenements housed about 40,000 people with up to eight family members sharing a single room, 30 residents sharing a toilet and 40 sharing a tap.

Redevelopment of the Gorbals began in the late 1950s - most of our pictures come from the work of Albert McCabe, a photojournalist who worked for 25 years at the Daily Express in London - and did an excellent job of capturing life in The Gorbals in the 1960s and the realities of growing up at such a tumultous time.

By the time these photographs were taken 850 tenements had been demolished since 1920 - and you can see the Hutchesontown tower blocks mid-construction.

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