IN DAYS gone by householders living in terraced homes without a garden or yard hung their washing across the street.

In parts of Bradford this caused problems - the garments hanging out to dry were often at a height that did not offer clearance to traffic.

These pictures were taken in Ebenezer Street, Laisterdyke, in 1953: in the right hand picture Ernest Kent, of 9 Wood lane, Bradford - in those days the full address was printed - drives his car up the street to demonstrate the washday difficulties.

The problems caused by vehicles coming along the cobbled street while washing was hanging across it caused residents to complain to Bradford City Council.

The traffic was travelling along the road to the Lilac Grove Street day nursery.

Mr Kent, who runs a furniture shop nearby, purposely took his Morris Oxford along for the photograph to be taken. He said he had “every sympathy with the householders.”

The residents complained that they were brought out of their homes “five or six times a day” to lift clothes lines to allow vehicles to pass under. They also said that some inconsiderate lorry drivers did not stop on seeing the washing lines, but ploughed through them, dragging clothing along the floor.

In those days people, particularly in working class communities, often washed on a set day of the week, usually Monday. There was little time for anything else on that day, when all the family’s clothing would be scrubbed and washed clean then hung out to dry.

In the photograph on the right, a woman uses a prop to lift her washing up above the passing car. Another woman is pictured operating what appears to be a hoist, lifting the line of washing high above the street.

Even with this arrangement, the washing is still likely to become grubby and less-than-fresh-smelling due to dust and fumes thrown up by the traffic.

It is still not uncommon in Mediterranean countries and across Asia to see washing hung above streets. In cities like Naples and Barcelona you can still see towels, bedding and clothing on lines from window to window.

In some parts of the UK this still happens. In 2003 a row broke out over the tradition of hanging washing out in Skipton's back streets.

In years gone by it was commonplace to see Skipton's small back streets filled with washing criss-crossing between the yards.

Traditionally Monday was every family's washing day and passersby would barely have been able to tell where one neighbour's washing finished and another started.

But in a small part of Skipton where the customs still exist the offending washing has divided local residents. One resident in Thornton Street was so fed up of not being able to get his car to the back of his house because of washing lines, that he contacted the police, local councillors, his MP and a solicitor to take action.

"Having lived in this area of Skipton for 16 years I feel I'm qualified to complain about residents causing an 'Obstruction to the Highway.'" he said at the time.

He wanted to wash his car in the back street and said he was unable to do so because of the washing.Eventually the police had to be called, following which the resident sawed the washing line hooks from the rear of the three houses he owned on the street. No further action was taken by the police.