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Prefabs

What a lovely photo. lived in Clements Rd, middle Rd bearing off to the left off Hob Moor Rd if approaching the Yew Tree.
I was born above the newsagents run by my Mum and Dad about half way down in 1949.I can make out the building.
The back garden backed on to the cricket club which can be seen top middle. What wonderful days as i could access the cricket field from a gate at at the bottom of the garden and play with my friends, Mick and John Rasen, are you out there. No kicking a ball in the street for me. How lucky i was but not aware at the time just like living in the countryside. i went to Hobmoor Rd infants school ,i can see it on the LH side of Hobmoor Rd as you approach the Yew Tree. I would have been 1 year old when photo taken. All those years ago, such happy days, where have all the years gone. Oh well makes me feel sad.
Yes I remember the pre fabs.
Thanks Elmdon boy - this is not rose tinted glasses simply a recollection of an overall 'healthier' time. I do appreciate there have been technical innovations that have led to progress in some sectors. However relational connections for so many, in my opinion, have deteriorated to a very sad place where some do not even know, or perhaps have time for, their neighbours. This site is a delight for obvious reasons.
 
Only a suggestion: to keep access to the canal open to bring in building supplies for the future (planned?) housing development ? Viv.
I have attached a map from around 1950 showing the 10 prefabs that were built on the site in Umberslade Road. The reason that there was gap here was that development took place different developers bought small plots, and I suspect that this one did move forward.Prefabs 126 - Umberslade Road, Selly Oak B29 7SD.jpg
 
Hi OldMohawk, looking back at one of your old photos (598566) of the Prefab (city) I was surprised to see so many on one site, I only remember seeing them around parks and a few on an island at the bottom of Warren farm road. I did a bit of Electrical repair work on a few of them which was pretty easy as the faults were usually just bad connections in the roof space near the Man hole, the connections were simular to the push on type we saw in car wiring. thanks for the Photo. Al
Most local authorities, such as Solihull (in the case of the Olton prefabs) had maybe just one or two sites for their prefab allowance. Birmingham was different, they had a couple of large sites (for instance Druids Heath) but most of the city's allowance was put on the edges of parks, playing fields etc. Birmingham had over 4,500 prefabs.
 
Most local authorities, such as Solihull (in the case of the Olton prefabs) had maybe just one or two sites for their prefab allowance. Birmingham was different, they had a couple of large sites (for instance Druids Heath) but most of the city's allowance was put on the edges of parks, playing fields etc. Birmingham had over 4,500 prefabs.
Ours was built on the edge of Billesley Common, the Valley prefabs
 
My parents first house was a prefab in Fairlie Crescent in Kings Norton around 1946/7, they had been living with my nan in one room with two babies so were very grateful to get a lovely prefab. Ours didn't suffer from condensation as many seemingly did and of course having a fridge was really unusual back then.
I was a babe in arms when they moved in but I remember how nice it was with a golf course right behind. We had the 1953 coronation party in a big marquee near the end of the crescent and all the families bought food and cakes etc.
 
View attachment 74272
I have posted this picture simply because it shows a new prefab. I have no idea where the photo was taken but look at the happiness on the faces.
The caption merely says that a young soldier is welcomed home to a new family prefab after being away at war for four years.
It's been a while since this was posted, but we use the photograph at the end of our prefabs talk called "Those Damn Tin Cans" This is what we say about the photographs and living in prefabs in the 1950s:
"This is probably the best known “prefab” photograph of the era. It’s Hector Murdoch's London homecoming, taken informally in 1946. The immediate post war period was a time of reconstruction. Hope and optimism were in the air. The nation had suffered but was glorious and victorious. There was a general feeling that everything was possible. The prefab sites became lands of opportunity for those moving from run down back to backs, or rooms they had to rent and even share in terraced Victorian houses.

With the prefabs, a new way of life was born".
 
I watched a scene like that on the Beeches Estate Great Barr. They moved the sections on rails and bolted them together. They had built-in sink units and fridges.
The prefabs in these photographs were the AIROH – which stands for Aircraft Industries Research Organization on Housing. One of Churchill’s objectives was to use factories that had been engaged in the war effort to help create the new Temporary Houses. So, the aircraft manufacturers were enthusiastic about being involved and this is what they designed. As their skills involved the construction of aircraft out of aluminium, it will come as no surprise that the AIROH prefab was made from aluminium. By all accounts there were over 54 thousand of these – making them the most numerous of the 1940s prefab types.
There is one at the St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff.
This was the only one that came in four sections on the backs of lorries. All the other types came in what we would call now "Flat Packs" and were assembled on-site.AIROH prefab at the St Fagans National History Museum 2.jpgAIROH prefab one centre section being delivered (the kitchen & bathroom).jpgAIROH prefab under construction 1 - Ferry Lane, Wakefield.jpgAIROH prefab under construction 2 - Ferry Lane, Wakefield.jpgLenton Croft, Yardley - AIROH prefab [Patricia Harding on facebook].jpgPrefabs 252 - Fordrove Lane - AIROH prefab, one of 33.JPG
 
This first pic dated 1945 shows the area north of Perry Barr Park. The area enclosed by yellow lines shows the pre-assembled prefabs. They laid rails from Hassop Road to enable the sections to be pushed into position. I watched them being assembled in a week on our playing field. In the area enclosed by green lines were different prefabs built from corrugated material. They were all built very quickly. I have pics on the forum showing the field before the pre-assembled prefabs were built.
BeechesEstate1945.jpg

A similar aerial view today and the M6 motorway now runs through the area.
Now.jpg
 
I lived in one exactly the same as that in Selly Park.... 4 Selly Avenue to be eaxct
For the record. This is the prefab originally built in Moat Lane in 1946 which now resides at the open air Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove. Viv.

View attachment 146324
My husband lived in one exactly like that in the 1950's till we got married, they were quite spacious inside. It was in a lovely spot in Bickley Grove , Sheldon it backed onto open ground we used to call The Baggies. During our childhood improvements were made, a kids park and tennis courts , it is now called Sheldon Country Park.

Wendy
 
I watched a scene like that on the Beeches Estate Great Barr. They moved the sections on rails and bolted them together. They had built-in sink units and fridges.
oldMohawk They look like the prefabs on Beeches Road by the allotments and maybe Delhurst etc (?) down to the other side of Hassop Road. Trehurst (and on Beeches by the school) was a different design and they had no fridges. DJRVST
 
oldMohawk They look like the prefabs on Beeches Road by the allotments and maybe Delhurst etc (?) down to the other side of Hassop Road. Trehurst (and on Beeches by the school) was a different design and they had no fridges. DJRVST
Not Delhurst Desford I think
 
I have attached a map from around 1950 showing the 10 prefabs that were built on the site in Umberslade Road. The reason that there was gap here was that development took place different developers bought small plots, and I suspect that this one did move forward.View attachment 149242
I lived at number 86 Umberslade road for eleven years which was a prefab. We had a lovely park opposite with a football pitch and swings. The park had an area for dancing ( The Dell) which included live bands and groups, it also put on displays and shows. I loved living there, now 71 I still miss the place. Thanks for posting.
 
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although i have never lived in a prefab i have been inside one at the outdoor avoncroft museum (loved it) and i could easily see why so many people loved them..i believe they were only meant as a temporary fix but most people just did not want to leave...i wonder if they will ever come back.....not a bad idea considering the massive housing shortage...

lyn
 
oldMohawk They look like the prefabs on Beeches Road by the allotments and maybe Delhurst etc (?) down to the other side of Hassop Road. Trehurst (and on Beeches by the school) was a different design and they had no fridges. DJRVST
As mentioned below I watched the prefabs south of Hassop Rd being assembled. They pinched half of our play field! The prefabs south of Hassop Rd had refridgerators because the lady in end prefab once gave us some glasses of pop with ice cubes in them ... we were amazed! I'm not sure about the prefabs north of Hassop Rd.
See previous posts below ... click expand to see pics ...
Hi Andrew
Thanks for the photo - nice open spaces I remember - a field with a brook with Hawthone Bushes and white blossom.

Shown below is a picture from Google Earth 1945 ca. The letter A in the aerial shot is where I watched those prefabs being assembled. The brought the prefabricated sections in along rails and they already had all the internal fittings in them.
Prefabs.jpg


Also a photo of our gang standing in the field about where the letter A is before the prefabs were built
Grindleford_Bike_Gang.jpg

Another photo in that field showing a pylon, the wires of which, can be see in the photo in the quote below
GrindlefordRdKidsBikes.jpg

oldmohawk

Here is the pictures of the prefabs on Desford Avenue with some unknown family members from the 50's.
index.php
 
As mentioned below I watched the prefabs south of Hassop Rd being assembled. They pinched half of our play field! The prefabs south of Hassop Rd had refridgerators because the lady in end prefab once gave us some glasses of pop with ice cubes in them ... we were amazed! I'm not sure about the prefabs north of Hassop Rd.
See previous posts below ... click expand to see pics ...
According to my notes this photograph in Desford Road is of the Hope Family and was taken in the late 1940s. To the best of my knowledge all the post war prefabs that were supplied under the Temporary Housing Programme had refrigerators.
 
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