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Prefabs

Charlie Watts of The Stones was brought up in a prefab and I was. Ours was in West Heath in Redhill Rd and there was a farm behind it. Prefabs were only supposed to last five years as emergency housing after the second world war but nearly 70yrs later there are still many around. I live in wolverhampton now and there is a big colony of them just down the road!

This in reply to an old post I just came across in the prefabs forum. I lived in Sir Hiltons Road, West Heath when young and remember watching the workmen erecting the prefabs in Redhill Road in about 1947. They went up very quickly, in a day or two, as I remember. The farm referred to was probably the one known as Browns Farm half way up the 'Man in the Moon' hill. All gone now.
Trevor B.
 
A 1946 view looking south shows prefabs in Olton with Rodney Road and Highwood Ave top right.
View attachment 116739
Enlargement of part of the pic shows that iron sheds were provided and some gardens appear to have rows of vegetables planted.
View attachment 116740
images from 'britainfromabove'
All these prefabs were in alpha Oder named after flowers my Nan lived Dianthus Lane we lived in Highwood Avrnue
 
A 1946 view looking south shows prefabs in Olton with Rodney Road and Highwood Ave top right.
View attachment 116739
Enlargement of part of the pic shows that iron sheds were provided and some gardens appear to have rows of vegetables planted.
View attachment 116740
images from 'britainfromabove'
Just what I was looking for! If I remember rightly there were also some shop prefabs on the corner of Castle Lane and Lode Lane. Does anyone else remember them, or even better, have any photographs?
 
Just what I was looking for! If I remember rightly there were also some shop prefabs on the corner of Castle Lane and Lode Lane. Does anyone else remember them, or even better, have any photographs?
I remember two shops there. They had a brick front wall but behind they were just a shed made of curved corrugated sheeting. The only time I remember going in one was when my mum bought some fabric from a roll with multiple prints of union jacks across its width. When she got home she cut them out, hemmed them and stitched them to white tape. They were then hung from the front of our house to celebrate the coronation in 1953. I expect mum bought other fabrics from there over the years as she made her own curtains and dresses.
 
Have wonderful memories of the prefab shops at Hobs Moat, "Hall Green Hardware" had tin baths hanging outside, Chadwicks (not sure what they were now!), a sweet shop/tobacconist (Dillons?) a little post office. Had a friend who lived at 2 Candytuft Rd/Lane off Rodney Road - a blast from the past!
Exactly what I was searching for. I needed confirmation that there were shop prefabs on the corner of Castle Lane and Lode Lane. You are tight about Dillons. Owned by Tony Dillon who moved to the new shops built at Hobs Moat that are still there. I believe that they did grow into a big chain of Newsagents throughout Birmingham. When the prefab shops were demolished around 1960, I remember rummaging around in the rubble and finding a few old toys left behind.
 
I think that the "prefab shops" on Castle Lane & Lode Lane were Nissen Huts. The prefabs on the rest of the site were of the Arcon MkV type that were clad with asbestos. This is the same type as the one that is now preserved at Avoncroft Museum near to Bromsgrove, that originally was sited at 85 Moat Lane in Yardley. The sheds in the back gardens were made from “Andserson” air-raid shelter components.
 
I think that the "prefab shops" on Castle Lane & Lode Lane were Nissen Huts. The prefabs on the rest of the site were of the Arcon MkV type that were clad with asbestos. This is the same type as the one that is now preserved at Avoncroft Museum near to Bromsgrove, that originally was sited at 85 Moat Lane in Yardley. The sheds in the back gardens were made from “Andserson” air-raid shelter components.
I would agree about the shops. Our neighbour in Coalway Avenue had a garage made of the larger Nissen-style curved sheets. I think they had flat sheets in the cente of the roof to make it wider.
 
So, more than 60 homes demolished that could have been lived in today! The prefabs here were clad with bricks. There is one for sale at the moment
 
That must be by the junction of Warwick Road with Weston Lane, and the building would be the Greet Inn
 
A 1946 view looking south shows prefabs in Olton with Rodney Road and Highwood Ave top right.
View attachment 116739
Enlargement of part of the pic shows that iron sheds were provided and some gardens appear to have rows of vegetables planted.
View attachment 116740
images from 'britainfromabove'
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
 
post 299 nice looking property middle left of the black and white photo..wonder what it was...gone now of course what a shame

lyn
I think that you are referring to the Greet Inn pub. Yes, it's been gone now for over ten years. No one living around there to use it! This was it in 1988.

The Greet Inn - Warwick Road - 1988.jpg
 
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Sorry - just realised it is the Wake Green Road ones which are there. Yardley Wood went a while ago but some of the bushes from their gardens remain.
Wow, just decided to 'search' prefabs on this fab site. I lived in a prefab as a child in about 1958 for a few years, in my mind now that was an enchanting time (for me as a child). Mum, dad, sister, Caroline and me. We lived in the ones on Yardley wood Road ours was directly opposite the doctors. I recall my first doctor there was a wonderful Dr Caddigan. The doctors surgery is still there but it is now a health centre AND I am still registered there - not strictly allowed as I do not live in area now, but I agreed to no house visits if a problem so allowed. I wonder if I am the longest serving 'patient'? In fact there is still the old wooden rocking horse still there that was in the original building - it is kept on view but out of reach to children now due to age and need to protect it.
As I recall our prefab had a beautiful lilac tree in garden, garden, ha. As a family we would walk to Trittiford Park on a Sunday and take out a rowing boat. I have 1 picture left of us four on a boat with my dad rowing he took pic so not in pic. I went to Our Lady of Lourdes School. I also notice that there is no mention of either of my schools, the already mentioned OLOL or Arch Bishop Ilsley in Acocks Green - 1966 to 1970. No mention in the schools section either. Cant believe no one on site did not go to one of those schools - it cant have been so boring....Paul H setting fire to the annex building of school..so he had to leave school early...permanently.
 
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hi peter you may be interested in this thread

 
hi peter you may be interested in this thread

I have posted this before. The one at Avoncroft, was next door to the Howells on Moat Lane, Yardley, we lived across and down the street, June Howell. their daughter was my FIRST girlfriend ever!! Often wonder what happened to her.
 
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