Prefab residents coming together to relive old times
HAVE you ever lived in a post-war prefab?
If so, you may well be interested in an event which takes place next month at Smethwick Heritage Centre.
Organisers are trying to bring together as many people as possible who once called one of those prefabs home, as Ron Camwell told the Bugle:
“There were 108 prefabs all together in Summit Crescent, not far from Galton Bridge, and I lived in one of them in my younger days.
“Quite a bit of research has been done into them, and we have a list of residents, but we would love to see some of them at the meeting on November 10.”
Luxury
The prefab may well have been a quick and relatively cheap answer to the post-war housing problem, but many of those who lived in them have nothing but fond memories. As Ron told us:
“Compared to my grandmother’s house in Pool Road, which had an outside toilet and a bath hanging outside the kitchen window, our prefab was luxury. There was an inside bath, loo, and a fully fitted kitchen.
“In the living room of the prefab there was a dark brown leatherette three piece suite, a table and chairs, and sideboard, a mirror over the fireplace, a ten inch black and white television (BBC only) and a mains radio, both on a square table.
Ashes
“There was a coal fire which also heated the water, and Dad used to take the ashes from the fire each day to the bottom of the garden. There was a ridge all the way along with dirt and grass on top, making a nice edge bank over time. With the lawn at the back we had a five-hole mini golf course.”
If you have similarly fond memories of living in a Smethwick prefab, you can be sure of a warm welcome at the meeting on November 10.
It takes place at the Dorothy Parkes Centre, on Church Road, opposite Smethwick Old Church, from 10.30 to 4pm. Call 0121 555 7278 for more details.