Prefabs in Gee Cross

A few weeks ago we spoke about the prefabs and steel houses that were built after the end of WW2 . Someone mentioned the ones that stood behind the Grapes pub in Gee Cross and Ken Smith very kindly sent us this newspaper cutting and some information about them.

 

Over to Ken -

 

"Looking through the blogs recently I came across a request for information regarding  the prefab estate constructed behind the Grapes Hotel shortly after the end of WW2.

I lived on the estate with my parents from its first occupation until September 1952, when I joined the RAF as an Aircraft Apprentice, with just one short break during 1951 when our house burned down!

I enclose a newspaper cutting from the time which may remind some of your readers of the occasion.

Incidentally, I now live on the plot of land almost immediately opposite that of the house that burned down !!"

 

Thanks very much for sharing , Ken. Much appreciated ! :)

Busheyfield Close, Newton.

Here we have some more photos of the Steel Houses in Busheyfield Close, this time after a flash flood in the summer of 1952.

The local children look like they are having a ball playing in the water !!
Hyde Mill can be seen in the background.
How the area has changed...




The same view taken in June 2012


1952


1952


2012


Again, many thanks to Tony Downend for sharing these wonderful photos with us.
Keep them coming, Tony! :)

Prefabs in Hyde

Prefabs were the result of the 1944 Temporary Housing Programme, and were designed to provide a quick and easy solution to the massive housing problem caused by the Second World War. They were built around a central core of Kitchen, toilet and bathroom, designed by the Ministry of Works. Prefabs were a familiar site in at least three areas of Hyde by 1950. The smallest site was at the bottom end of Water Street, where the Manchester Evening News once had a small distribution centre, with only four Prefabs. The largest two sites were at Carter Street (Tin Town) and the old Brickyard area of Godley

The two pictures enclosed where kindly loaned to me by Joe Lloyd of Hyde, they are both of Carter Street around 1946 or 1947.



Carter Street construction 1


Carter Street construction 2

Many Thanks to David Stafford and Joe Lloyd for the information and photographs!

St Stephens Church Lads Brigade 1953

 Another photo from Tony Downend showing the "Prefabs" in Newton.
This time it's a view of Whit Walks of St Stephens Church Lads Brigade, turning right from Carter into Dow Street in 1953. The "Prefabs" can be seen in the background.


St Stephens Whit Walks 1953


Comparative view 2011

Tony wrote this...

"The double deck houses were known (locally at least) as the  "steel houses". The "prefabs" came in kits, as name implies, and were single deck and those on Dow and Carter Streets were built in 1947. 

The 'steel houses'  were built at  much the same time, if not just a tad later, around the corner in Bushifield Close from the once prefabs of Dow and Carter Street.  

The refurb of the  "steel houses" was undertaken during this last year or so. 

 Hope this helps shed just a little light on Newton's  past."    

 Much appreciated as always, Tony :)

Newtons Prefabs.

The following photos were sent to us by Tony Downend.

I was particularly excited at these photos as they show the Newton "Prefabs" as they were known to us. Tony says they knew them as the "Steel Houses".
I am surprised that there aren't more photos of these houses around as they were very well known in the area.
The photos show the houses during the Coronation  of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Elizabeth ascended the throne upon the death of her father, King George VI on 6 February 1952, and was proclaimed Queen by her various privy and executive councils shortly afterwards. The coronation was held more than a year after the accession, on 2 June 1953. This followed the tradition that a festival such as a coronation was inappropriate during the period of mourning that followed the death of the preceding sovereign.

Does anyone know the history around these houses? Were these particular ones built as emergency housing after the war? What year were they erected and when were they rebuilt into the houses as they are now?


The parents and their children on Busheyfield Close. June 1953


The children on Busheyfield Close. June 1953



Busheyfield Close June 2012

Tony has sent some more photos of the "prefabs" which I will post in the coming week.

Many Thanks, Tony ! :)