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Prefabs

The last time I was down Wake Green Rd all the prefabs were occupied as far as far as I can recall. Now I'm reading that some of them are in a derelict condition. This can only have occurred since they were listed to stop Birmingham Council renovating them (cladding them in brick & tile as they did others of the same type).

It looks like we have the usual scenario with Birmingham and listed buildings. The definition of derelict is in a very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect. That describes Birmingham Council's attitude to listed buildings completely.

They must have stopped replacing the tenants as each one moved out or died I suppose, using the old excuse that they were no longer fit for human habitation and because they were listed they would cost too much to repair.
 
I forgot to add to my previous post that I hope that Birmingham Heritage are able to do something about them in situ as I wouldn't like to see them carted off to be rebuilt elsewhere.
 
I forgot to add to my previous post that I hope that Birmingham Heritage are able to do something about them in situ as I wouldn't like to see them carted off to be rebuilt elsewhere.

so do i phil...they are after all part of our history..

lyn
 
The caption on this photo says Garrett's Green and shows prefabs on the left and a walled island with a large tree. I've not been able to locate exactly where it was and I would think the prefabs are long gone and maybe the island has been altered and the tree removed. Nice car in view with the driver probably making a phone call. One child on the left appears to have roller skates and those nice wide pavements would have been ideal to skate on.
GarrettsGreen.jpg
 
The caption on this photo says Garrett's Green and shows prefabs on the left and a walled island with a large tree. I've not been able to locate exactly where it was and I would think the prefabs are long gone and maybe the island has been altered and the tree removed. Nice car in view with the driver probably making a phone call. One child on the left appears to have roller skates and those nice wide pavements would have been ideal to skate on.
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Here's how it looks now..Pic. taken from the corner of Elmay Road.
 

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Here's how it looks now..Pic. taken from the corner of Elmay Road.
Thanks Mickymoo that looks like it, so the old pic was taken looking up Barrows Lane. I notice the wall on the island has been lowered. A search shows only a few mentions of Elmay Road on the forum.
 
It was a hill that went up to the Cov road I think? My Drs office was at the corner of Cov Rd.
 
Thanks Mickymoo that looks like it, so the old pic was taken looking up Barrows Lane. I notice the wall on the island has been lowered. A search shows only a few mentions of Elmay Road on the forum.
Yes,that's right,the photographer was standing in Barrows Lane,on the corner of Elmay,looking towards the junction with Garretts Green Lane on the right and Ollerton Road going to the left.
 
Thanks Robert. I suppose that might put a different priority of preserving them, depending on how much asbestos had been used in their building. Quite ironic really, as when they were built they were intended as temporary housing. Viv.
 
When I was a lad, I remember watching my dad sawing through sheets of asbestos to build a chicken house ... :rolleyes:
 
The prefabs along the Warwick road & up Sunfield grove, in Greet, were made with flat asbestos sheets with what appeared to be shredded asbestos between,i'm amazed i'm still around after living in one for 20+ years,going to school next to the Lucas factory & working in the motor repair trade for over 50 years.
 
That old pic of Garretts Green lane really took me back. Any idea of the date. I had forgotten the prefabs.
Looking at the pic I cannot see any TV aerials on the houses so that might give some indication of the date. The Sutton Coldfield transmitter started service on 17 December 1949. As I look at the old pic I'm wondering what the cable is which sticks out on the left side of the nearest telephone pole with a thin bracket about 4ft down from the bars.
 
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That's just a support cable for the pole oldMohawk, instead of putting it at an angle it's been tensioned closer to the pole to avoid accidents.




Looking at the pic I cannot see any TV aerials on the houses so that might give some indication of the date. The Sutton Coldfield transmitter started service on 17 December 1949. As I look at the old pic I'm wondering what the cable is which sticks out on the left side of the nearest telephone pole with a thin bracket about 4ft down from the bars.
 
Lived in the prefabs in Greet opposite the greet inn for 20 years, they were made of asbestos sheets,when i think about scraping the walls to decorate & drilling to fit things think im lucky to be here to day,i have fond memories of the ice patterns on the inside of the metal framed windows during the winter & sun bathing on the flat roof in the summer,we left in 69/70 for a new life in Chelmsley wood,but soon moved on.
Ogri

Ogri

One of my best friends called Tom Jones lived with his mom and dad in a prefab opposite the petrol station close to the bridge, did you know him?
 
Hi Oldgreetboy2
we left there in 71/72 , dont recall the name but the first prefab past the bridge did have a disabled lad living there until around the 70s
& by that time i was working & getting around so probably wouldn't know a lot of people who moved in after i left school.
 
On the topic of prefabs, I lived in one of the Valley prefabs on Billesley Common for 12 years. We loved living there, even though they were very cold in the winter.
 
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