Memories of living in a Prefab

[patauthor]

Hello again
I've now written three books set in Broome Park Prefab Village in the 1950s. It's an imaginary place "somewhere near Manchester". Book 3: "Christmas Roses - More Stories from Broome Park Prefab Village" is up for pre-order - due out Oct 25th 2018.
For book 4, I'm stepping a little further back in time to 1947 when a lot of prefabs were just being put up.
Has anyone got any memories to share of seeing prefabs going up - or of moving in to a brand new one?


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[Kiwi]

I went to a pre-fab school, Manor Road Primary in Droylsden, it was meant to be a temporary set of buildings but to the best of my knowledge it  lasted over 50 years, am also fairly certain that there was a lot of (shock, horror) asbestos used in the construction 

[patauthor]

Yes, unfortunately, there was a lot of the nasty stuff in some of the prefabs.

[Dannyx6]

We moved into a brand new prefab when I was 4. 1947. I too believe there was a lot of Asbestos in them. Remember everything being (sprayed/painted)  cream. Every door and cupboard door was metal plus the shelves. Kitchen Metal pantry. Metal storage cupboard and work top. Inbuilt tiny fridge. Electric cooker with thick solid hot plates. The walls used to run with condensation. A decent sized lounge room (for the day). A fireplace with two little doors on. Quite a wide hall way leading from front door. Two bedrooms with built in robes again with metal doors. Bathroom  all metal doors and toilet. Seem to remember main doors being wooden.. seem to remember a smell which could have been paint. We only lived there for about 4 months. Years later, maybe about 11 years my aunt had acquired the very same prefab and I could still smell that same paint? Smell.  Have to say how very lasting and we'll made those prefab were.  Brought on the back of trailers and assembled on the spot. How perfect they would be for tsunami ridden countries these days. They could set up factories, produce and locals set up prefab cities in disaster areas thus doing away with tents....going off your subject. I am sure these prefab served the community for over 30 years.

[KENNETHO]

nice to see  you back  on the forum  Danny cheers Kenneth O

[Joyce_in_Canada]

Sorry I can't contribute re prefabs, folks.....but it sure is wonderful to see your comments on here Dannyx6, and I certainly hope you're keeping well, and also your family.    As ever...Joyce

[patauthor]

What great memories, Dannyx6, just the sort of thing I try to capture in my Prefab Village books! Although they are fiction, I try to create the sense of that bygone time and how characters feel when they move into a prefab and the closeness formed in the community.
I'd love to know what caused your remembered smell. Thank you for sharing.

[jaywit]

Hartshead estate was planned to be prefabricated houses.
Concrete slabs made on site and then erected.The first 4 pairs of semi's on Gambrel Bank Road were built this way.
All the rest of the estate are usual bricks.
The Company was called "Beanland" I seem to think they were a US company.
I could do a bit of digging but I may be chain sawing some Walnut tree branches today which were over hanging my sons pool.Squirrel attack of the nuts stains all the pool area with almost black stains which are almost impossible to remove.

[Kiwi]

Squirrel attack of the nuts stains all the pool area with almost black stains which are almost impossible to remove.

Had the same problem in Queensland (OZ) flippin fruit bats getting into the mango trees around the pool, bat guano everywhere