I used to develop and print my own photographs, back in the day. I used a Patterson Developing Tank where you`d wind the film on to a plastic spool. You`d hold the spool in one hand, then, with the other hand you you twisted it through the spool using a back and forward motion until all the film was wound in. This had to be done in complete darkness, by touch and feel because of course you couldn`t see what you were doing. Then you placed the spool into the tank, added the developer, screwed on the lid and waited until the six minutes, or whatever time was up whilst `agitating` (shaking) the tank every minute until the six minutes were up. Then the developer was poured out of the tank, the tank was given a quick rinse, and then the fixer was added. After the alloted time, the fixer was poured out and it was then safe to unscrew the lid of the tank and, with the spool of film still inside, the tank was placed under running water for a half hour, after which the film was taken off the spool and hung up to dry! Simples! I should add that the developing and fixing solutions all had to be a certain temperature - anything above or below the required temperature, would effect the end result, eg, too warm and the film would appear over exposed or grainy, same when agitating the tank. Timing, temperatures were (are) all important.
Then, there`s the producing of the prints, the best bit! but maybe I`ll leave that for another time, suffice to say I used a Gnome Beta 2 Enlarger - and Oh, what fun I had! Watching, as the image slowly appeared on a blank sheet of bromide as if by magic - and the plunging of the finished 10 x 8 print into the stop bath. All done! apart from the washing of the print, another half hour, or ten minutes with the new resin coated papers.