In view of the current housing crisis and the high demand for so-called 'starter homes' perhaps the Government, local authorities and social landlords should consider erecting 21st century prefabs like the many built on two estates in Brigg post-war.
They are relatively cheap and don't taking long to put up.
Both estates of Brigg prefabs had been knocked down by 1973 - 45 years ago.
This fact is noted in Edward Dodd's acclaimed book about the town, produced in 1974 as the old Urban District Council was being phased out and replaced by Brigg-based Glanford Borough Council, on April 1 that year.
The prefab estates were off Elwes Street (known as Ancholme Gardens) and between Hawthorn Avenue, Brigg Town Football Club and South View Avenue (Woodbine Grove).
The post-war temporary homes were managed by the UDC, to whom the tenants paid their rent in cash - collected by an officer of the local authority on his rounds.
You can still find people in Brigg today who lived in one or more of the town's prefabs. But not many pictures from these estates seem to have survived.
If you have any at home, we'd love to share them on Brigg Blog. Please get in touch.
We grew up in one on Woodbine Grove - No 16, which was close to Hawthorn Avenue.
It had two bedrooms, bathroom (with inside toilet), sitting room (with coal fire) and kitchen, with fridge - something of a rarity in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
There were small front, rear and side gardens - ours being at the end of one of the cul-de-sacs around which the bungalows were arranged.
Other family names on this prefab estate at the time included:
- Bray
- Parker
- Kennedy
- Quirke
- Shaw
- Paisley
- Whitehand
- Andrew
- Stapleton
- Smith
In our case the move to Central Square came early in 1963 following a brief spell staying with relatives on Hawthorn Avenue.
After the Woodbine Grove prefabs had been demolished, the council created a children's play area on this sizeable site.
It's still there today - managed by North Lincolnshire Council - and known as Woodbine Park.
The original vehicular entrance to Woodbine Grove prefabs, off Preston Drive, is still present but is only used by pedestrians today.
The council provided parking lay-bys on the estate but few residents had their own cars. Some tenants used them for vans they were permitted to take home after work.
Grassy areas between the estate and Preston Drive were rarely cut by the UDC and the grass was so high at times in the summer that small children used them to make dens - an unplanned adventure playground!
Some swings and a slide were provided across the road on Hawthorn Avenue, but were rarely visited by youngsters from the prefabs. Kids "on Hawthorn" say the playground as their territory!
Blind shopkeeper Ernie Robinson, who walked to and from work with the aid of his faithful guide dog, had his convenience store just around the corner on Grammar School Road (next to the Ancholme Inn, built in 1960), and prefab dwellers of all ages provided a good proportion of Ernie's trade.
He had a small array of slot machines outside the shop, so kids could buy bubble gum, chewing gum and chocolate outside opening hours, if a few "old" pennies were burning a hole in their pocket.
Sargeant's ice cream van often visited Woodbine Grove, ringing a bell to raise the spirits of children inside the prefabs but deflate mums who knew their offspring were bound to demand a cornet or a tub.
Genial Cyril - "The Pop Man" - called on his rounds, bringing a new bottle or two of local maker LAWS' finest, and taking away last week's empties to be stacked in crates on his lorry and taken back to the Brigg factory.
Lilley's shop, on Atkinson Avenue, was also within easy walking distance, as was Mrs Gray's - opposite Brigg County Primary School, on Glebe Road.
The prefabs off Elwes Street were of a different design to those on Woodbine Grove. Ancholme Gardens was a much smaller estate.
The post-war prefabs were only meant to provide temporary housing at a time of severe shortage.
Thousands were constructed on areas of spare ground across Britain - in towns and cities.
Brigg UDC was still building brick-built homes on the Springbank estate in the late 1960s and it was decided that the prefabs had served their purpose and had to go, closing a chapter in the town's housing history.
Elsewhere, many prefab estates lived on and a few are still going today, having been refurbished several times over the decades.
PICTURED ABOVE: Prefabs on Woodbine Grove, Brigg, in the late 1950s.
Rather than returning to the old style pre-fab the council should take a serious look at the "Tiny House" movement and developments in Scotland or Bristol .
ReplyDeleteHere they are talking about building communities (some with workshops) and though some folk cannot cope with the loft and stairs young folk and smaller families can get a foothold in the rat race that housing has become.
Key point to remember is that these houses do not need to be on wheels AND a change in policy is required at high level government to stop the 4-4-2 building (four bed, four bed, two bed) houses that companies want to make to maintain shareholder profits.