Legacy lighting wiring - inherited in old house -safety advice please

[JimboMarimbo]

1900s terraced house has a double light switch at the foot of the stairs, for hall light which works ok and (supposedly) first floor landing - which flickers but does not. The trouble centers around someone who has replaced the upstairs double switch with a single on/off type.
Looking at the wiring downstairs, I see that there are two multi-cables supplying the switches - a yellow, blue and red one and a red and black one - both with sleeved copper earths. Its hard to get my camera in there but I've got a few shots to establish which wires go where. I'm assuming this must have worked ok at some point in the last 100 years.
It's a different story upstairs - the wiring makes no sense at all, as you will see from my photos - the two multi cables from downstairs emerge ok and then seem to be randomly screwed into the three sockets.
I'm worried that the flickering of the landing bulb may be a warning of something bad, and I would like to replace the stupid single switch with a double one, like downstairs.
Could someone familiar with the correct way to go about this advise me please - should I duplicate the way the downstairs double switch is wired or is that all wrong as well?

 

[EFLImpudence]

1900s terraced house has a double light switch at the foot of the stairs, for hall light which works ok and (supposedly) first floor landing - which flickers but does not. The trouble centers around someone who has replaced the upstairs double switch with a single on/off type.
Looking at the wiring downstairs, I see that there are two multi-cables supplying the switches - a yellow, blue and red one and a red and black one - both with sleeved copper earths. Its hard to get my camera in there but I've got a few shots to establish which wires go where. I'm assuming this must have worked ok at some point in the last 100 years.

That all seems good.
The Red/Black will come from downstairs light and
the Red/Blue/Yellow will go to upstairs switch.

It's a different story upstairs - the wiring makes no sense at all, as you will see from my photos - the two multi cables from downstairs emerge ok and then seem to be randomly screwed into the three sockets.

No, just the one R/B/Y from downstairs switch.
This Red/Black will come from the upstairs light.

The switches are not top and bottom but two triangles.

Your pictures are not clear enough b to be able to advise.
We need to be able to see where each wire is connected.

I'm worried that the flickering of the landing bulb may be a warning of something bad, and I would like to replace the stupid single switch with a double one, like downstairs.

Could be a loose wire or faulty switch..

Could someone familiar with the correct way to go about this advise me please - should I duplicate the way the downstairs double switch is wired or is that all wrong as well?

Not really, two switches are wired differently than one.

 

[ericmark]

1) swap the bulb, just in case.
2) test each wire in ceiling rose is fixed.
Vibration over time can cause screws to come loose, that is the second test after changing the bulb.

Nothing stands out as being wrong, between the 50s and 60s we moved to PVC cables from rubber, so clearly the house has been rewired in the latter half of the 20th century.

I agree with @EFLImpudence can't see wiring well enough to advise further.

 

[JimboMarimbo]

Oh, OK, thanks guys: so one step at a time - change the upstairs light bulb bul then check the ceiling rose screws.

Interesting that you say the red and black cable on the landing switch is from the upstairs light - nothing to do with the similar cable downstairs.
That makes a lot more sense - I'm guessing the downstairs red and black cable will be doing the same job i.e. running to the downstairs light bulb.
Sorry about the photos - I guess you would need to see the actual back of the switches to ascertain what each of the connection sockets do, model/manufacturer etc., just not enough room to get my Nikon in there!