Flophouses in Leeds

[Leeds Hippo]

I recently watched a Chaplin picture (I think it was The Kid) and it showed an example of a "flophouse". The most striking feature of this was the fact that a rope was stretched across a room and men would sleep by "flopping" over the rope with their arms while standing. Many years ago someone mentioned to me that a flophouse existed near Kirkgate market in the past. Does anyone know if documention of such places existed? I know there were plenty of doss houses but a flop house seemed to be "down market" (no pun intended) from this.Update on this ....Came across another reference that stated"When people got very drunk and passed out, they were slung over the rope, hanging by their armpits. When morning came, the rope was uncerimoniously cut and the hapless, no doubt very hungover individuals “flopped” to the floor!"I can imagine one of the benefits of sleeping in an upright position may prevent drunks choking on their own vomit!    

[Johnny39]

Leeds Hippo wrote: I recently watched a Chaplin picture (I think it was The Kid) and it showed an example of a "flophouse". The most striking feature of this was the fact that a rope was stretched across a room and men would sleep by "flopping" over the rope with their arms while standing. Many years ago someone mentioned to me that a flophouse existed near Kirkgate market in the past. Does anyone know if documention of such places existed? I know there were plenty of doss houses but a flop house seemed to be "down market" (no pun intended) from this.Update on this ....Came across another reference that stated"When people got very drunk and passed out, they were slung over the rope, hanging by their armpits. When morning came, the rope was uncerimoniously cut and the hapless, no doubt very hungover individuals “flopped” to the floor!"I can imagine one of the benefits of sleeping in an upright position may prevent drunks choking on their own vomit!     As far as I'm aware the saying "I could sleep on a clothes line", was derived from this form of sleeping arrangement in doss houses.

[Chrism]

The definition in the dictionary of flohouse is basically a doss-house. I think the rope thing is just for comedy in the film. There was a doss-house on Wharf Street (just further down from The Duck & Drake). The Grove it was called, it burned down, I can't remember when. I used to work at Bramley Steam in the mid 70's and we used to do their laundry. I have never seen anything like it in my life. The place was a stinking mess, with tramps laying drunk and peeing themselves. These were the proper tramps not like the 'homeless' chavs of today.

[Johnny39]

Chrism wrote: The definition in the dictionary of flohouse is basically a doss-house. I think the rope thing is just for comedy in the film. There was a doss-house on Wharf Street (just further down from The Duck & Drake). The Grove it was called, it burned down, I can't remember when. I used to work at Bramley Steam in the mid 70's and we used to do their laundry. I have never seen anything like it in my life. The place was a stinking mess, with tramps laying drunk and peeing themselves. These were the proper tramps not like the 'homeless' chavs of today. There is a picture of men sleeping on a rope on the "Phrase Finder" website and a mention of it in one of George Orwell's books.

[Crazy Jane]

I've seen the rope thing in some movie set in Victorian London, called the 'penny hang', which isn;t to say that it necessarily actually existed.

[Crazy Jane]

After a quick google, the movie may have been The First Great Train Robbers.Wikipedia mentions the similar penny sit-up, though tbh the only cite for that is Orwell, which has already been mentioned.Looks pretty grim, but i guess it beats the heck out of freezing to death in the street.

[Leeds Hippo]

Found these lyrics from the depression eraTUPPENCE ON THE ROPE(P. Graney/G. and V. Aspey)A hobo's life is brave and freeI've often heard folks sayBut I know better now I've trudgedAll through a winter's dayI've slept in barns and garden shedsAnd in the haystacks tooTramped the road from coast to coastIn ragged clothes and shoesBut when you're down and nearly outImpossible to copeYou can shelter from the long, hard nightFor tuppence on the ropeTuppence on the rope, me boysTuppence on the ropeI've been in spikes the country roundMet workhouse masters manyMost of them are harsh and sternAnd kind ones hardly anyIn dosshouse I've had many a kipA sixpence for a bedBut in these days of povertyA tanner's hard to begBut when you're down and nearly outImpossible to copeYou can shelter from the long, hard nightFor tuppence on the ropeTuppence on the rope, me boysTuppence on the ropeIn Glossop spike, there's bread and scrapeBut oh their work is hardIt's five hours spent just breaking stonesOut in the workhouse yardIn Rochdale I was gi'en a shirtIn Backup got new bootsBut Blackburn's beds are hardwood boardsAnd full of hungry cootsBut when you're down and nearly outImpossible to copeYou can shelter from the long, hard nightFor tuppence on the ropeTuppence on the rope, me boysTuppence on the ropeOh evil day when a man cannotGet to a spike in timeAnd in a dosshouse spend his penceTo wind up on the lineWhen workhouse masters disappearIt's not too much to hopeThat we shall never see againThose men hung on the rope But when you're down and nearly outImpossible to copeYou can shelter from the long, hard nightFor tuppence on the ropeTuppence on the rope, me boysTuppence on the ropeWords by Paul Graney and tune by Gary and Vera AspeySource: transcription from Gary and Vera Aspey 'From the North' Topic LP 12TS255 [1975]Note on record sleeve: During the depression of the 1930s, thousands of unemployed men were obliged to take to the roads. At this time, attached to every parish workhouse was a casual ward or 'spike' which gave shelter for one night, after which the tramp would have to move on to the next town. In exchange for a meal of cocoa and bread and scrape (margarine), he was expected to work for a few hours. Because of this, he often found there was too little time to reach the next spike and so, unless he slept under a hedge or in a barn, he could try to beg a few coppers to go into a dosshouse and obtain a bed for about sixpence. If he failed to raise this sum, he could sleep on the rope for tuppence or, in some places, a penny. The rope was stretched across the width of the room and a man could hang with his arms over it for support. It was customary to untie the rope in the morning, and the whole row of men would collapse to the ground.[Vera Aspey]I think the expression "We don't know we're born ..." is appropriate.

[Steve Jones]

These type of dosshouses were called Rowton Houses after the founder.I'm not sure whether any were in Leeds although as a charity they were quite active.

[Chrism]

I think I'd just rather kip on the floor. Wouldn't the rope stem the flow of blood?

[Leeds Hippo]

Not the image I was after - this one from 1930's Germany - they had the luxury of sitting down!