1940s Prefab at Chiltern Open Air Museum

[@anyaharris5617]

Fascinating historical content. Amazing how different life was just only one generation ago.

[@kenstevens5065]

As a teen in the sixties I had a school friend who lived in one. It was kept in immaculate condition by his parents. He used to say he didn't have a spare key, he just kept a tin opener in his pocket.

[@manichairdo9265]

My family moved into a 3 bedroom prefab in 1978 which had been renovated internally - added central heating though 30 years ago it was renovated externally to an amazing standard. Beautiful house. Concerned about asbestos though.

[@PeteLewisWoodwork]

As a child born in 1962, I grew up with my grandparents in two prefabs in Pantyrawel, Ogmore Valley, South Wales. I still remember every inch of their layout. Our last one was demolished to make room for new housing in 1974 and we moved into a new house at the other end of the street, where the other prefabs had been knocked down to rebuild on the street. Going from two bedroom prefab to three bedroom house with central heating and so many rooms was like being being given the keys to Buckingham Palace - but I still have fond memories of our prefabs; they are where I played as a kid. I also loved the Utility Furniture that we had - so much so that I now reproduce it!

[@susanweston6931]

I lived in a prefab when I was 8 yrs old till I was 11yrs old and we had a lovely big garden and an old war shelter in the back garden 8 loved it being a Tom boy beautifull memories THANKYOU councilxx

[@beegee22]

They had quite a lot of amenities, most notably the central heat and hot water. Interesting! It's wonderful that the museum took the care to preserve one as close to original as possible.

[@soniawoodley7805]

Prefab s were not normally centrally heated . Ours was very cold . We had a living room fire and nothing more. Water would drip on the inside walls but we loved our home. properly fenced off garden and a shed. Marvellous! It was a condition when tenth g one that the garden was kept in a respectable condition

[@lewisner]

I was born in a prefab in 1959 and my earliest memory is waking up in the bedroom with condensation running down the window. It still exists and is valued at £107,000.

[@douglasthompson296]

In my home town the prefabs were made from aluminium sheeting walls and roof. Timber framed, and metal (Critall) style windows. 'Central heating' was warm air ducting and hot water was from the solid fuel fire back boiler. I think they were pulled down in the 1980's

[@helenhughes9420]

I saw this museum prefab with allotment on an episode from call the midwife! I remember it well bc i was more interested in the pre fab than the story line

[@sandylaws8648]

I was born in a prefab, and tghey were still prevelant as I grew up.

[@maggiesamuels2937]

I was born in a prefab house in 1961 in east Sussex when I was 8 months old the council moved us out and in a council house, so I don't really have any memories of the prefab only what my dear mum use to tell me. She said they infested with mice and very cold and damp she was glad when they moved us out.😀

[@stephenguppy3466]

I was born in the 1960s, there were quite a lot of them around then, and they remained around well into the late 1980s /early 1990s. I was always fascinated by them, though I only ever went inside one once.

[@asa1973100]

Still better than the council houses they throw up in the 50s and 60s

[@susanweston6931]

My two brother and sister was born in the prefab I was livi g 8n in the late 50 we never had heating but we had a fire in the living room my mum a d dad love that prefab lovely memories for meto grow up with xx

[@borderlands6606]

Some were replaced by virtually identical buildings in modern materials, as the tenants/owners liked them so much.

[@TheRobtrident]

i grow up in a prefab in the 1950s now retired live in a posh new prefab they called park homes these days .

[@aprilblossom9268]

Amazing! Love the ‘Hilda Ogden’ doings on the wall. Thank you 😊

[@timcolledge3732]

Always enjoy these videos 😆👍

[@RobertParton-y8c]

When I was kid .There was some on hobmoor road Birmingham. Our family lived in small heath. There was only one room that was warm. We had to had to put coats on the bed too keep warm. 😊

[@Stratoszero]

I’ll be coming to visit primarily because of this!

[@colinsmith7576]

Built by governments who were creative and focused on problem solving. Unlike today when it would never get passed the GREED and red tape. Very interesting and important video - thank you.

[@grantlindberg5635]

I was born in a Prefab in 1970.

[@kerryjames6312]

They might just come back in fashion with inflation high rentals

[@elizabethsamson5591]

I took my parents to see the prefab at Chiltern open air museum. They had a great day and liked comparing the prefb that tehy started mrried life in, in Kent in the late 40's to the one there-it was also an eve opener for us gorls to see how they started marrid life- it was quite modern for its time- they had a laundry shute in teh bedroom and a fridge in the kitchen.

[@paulmorris5166]

I lived in one as a child in 1959, it even had a fridge built in.

[@karenlauricella4976]

They should start building them again

[@lewisner]

Not with Asbestos though.

[@pamelamckenzie2685]

I love them

[@QueenAmethyst55]

Me too. Always wanted one ❤️

[@georgebright6491]

That was very interesting and it makes me laugh a little to think baby boomers are now Museum pieces😂.. in the 1970s as a Young Man I had a job with a demolition company taking these apart some of them we sold to Farmers for sheds announcers for administration buildings at Caravan parks and some people just wanted them for rentals. The buildings were constructed out of wood frame filled with asbestos straw sprayed with concrete on the outer skin of the frame were two sheets of asbestos everything was made of it . Even the heating ducts the floors were made of oak I think they were 3 ft wide by the length of the building. From the way they were constructed you could easily put one together in the day.

[@petersimpson633]

Central heating in 1940s Britain would have been quite a luxury

[@cyngaethlestan8859]

a couple of people mention them being cold with condensation running down the windows well I think condensation down the window was just normal pretty much everywhere if it was cold. Double glazing and central heating were rare even in the mid 1970's. We got a rather nice terraced council house, (built in 1929,) it had a fireplace in the living room, back room and two of the three bedrooms. My mum had to pay to have the gas fires installed in about 1975-6 she had three gas fires put in living room, back room and the big bedroom, (for nan.) this was fairly normal and if it was very cold then upstairs was cold - perfectly normal. BTW the house we came from in 1970 was built in the 1840-50s still had gas lighting an outside WC (only) and we used a tin bath, getting less common by then but not rare - the entire street was knocked down in 1970. Lots of people would have regarded a prefab as a big improvement.

[@Ravenswalk]

Is this the house used in Midwives watching Season one episode 5 and remembered seeing your video a few months back and thinking how similar the house and garden was to this house . If it isn't it's brought me back to rewatch anyway.

[@carolineinch9409]

I lived in one of these until i was 5

[@maryharris8939]

How many people got asbestos cancer through these buildings including perineal mesothelioma

[@juliebrooke6099]

Perhaps in the factories that made the panels but as long as the panels remain intact they are not a danger to the occupants or passers-by.

[@simongee8928]

Might need to explain what a 'copper' is to the younger viewers who may think it's the old slang for a policeman- ! 😅

[@anyaharris5617]

You are right - I had to Google it. I realized from the context that "copper" was something of the household utilities, but to understand exactly what it is, I had to do some research lol. Very interesting how different life was just only one generation ago!

[@simongee8928]

​@@anyaharris5617And the lass may have still used a dolly or a posser to do the laundry - ! 😊

[@karenlauricella4976]

Micheal Cain grew up in one

[@jemmajames6719]

Prefabs we’re still in use in the early 90s.

[@independentpuppy7520]

I want one.

[@marybedward9381]

Me and my brother born in one 1952/55

[@cyngaethlestan8859]

I feel like saying thank you and blast you at the same time! Most importantly THANK YOU for putting this short and rather ruined video online. I live next door to a prefab and it is nice to see how it would have looked early in its life . . but Blast you for the tinny quality of you naration, the horrible la, la, la whistling, (WHY!) and worst of all completely ruining the video by putting the text of your narration in large letters all over the video in in such a bad way. Please consider uploading another version of this using the video before you added the whistling and text. If you really want the text to be on the video put it where it belongs BELOW the video not over it. Rant over. I am glad someone has saved at least one prefab and you were sensible enough to take some 'spare parts' when they were available. I hope you are able to preserve it for many more decades and you can get some sort of grant to help with the costs.

[@tomkent4656]

Asbestos!

[@joanware6473]

Oh dear, asbestos!!!!!