Author Topic: brum prefabs  (Read 74103 times)

countrylad

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #165 on: July 21, 2017, 11:53:55 AM »
Does anyone remember the prefabs in West Heath: the ones off the Rednal Road? I am trying to find out whether they might have been built by POW labour. I lived close to that prefab site and, unbeknowns to my parents, used to squeeze through the hedge to talk to the men. (I also talked to the telephone operator -- until she alerted my parents.) I would then have been about 5 and I probably reminded the men of their own kids: they gave me a hand-made wooden pencil box and a "pecking chicken" toy. When I brought them home, my parents immediately forbade me to wander -- the men were "foreign". I do know that POW labour was widely used at the time. But, not surprisingly, it's hard to find official records.


Apologies, this is a bit late in the day. I do remember these prefabs, on the Redditch Road, don't recall any conversations in the past on who built them. I passed by the old site last week on one of my few visits to Brum.  They were opposite the BP petrol garage and small car showroom. They also backed onto West Heath Sanatorium and were just down from the pub - Man in the Moon as it was called back then. They were demolished 1965.  Along the side of the prefabs was a track across rough ground that we used as a short cut from the Redditch Rd to West Heath Juniors.       

Mogmeister

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #166 on: July 21, 2017, 03:48:10 PM »
Yes i also remember the prefabs , there were some on Station Road Stechford , we didnt have one but a school friends parents did , i used to go round there a lot.

countrylad

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #167 on: July 21, 2017, 05:51:33 PM »
looking through the Druids Heath/Maypole thread the prefabs on the Bells Farm estate are mentioned in posts #5 and #104 with a mention of them being built by prisoners of war.


One forum member mentions that they have a recollection of an inscription in the concrete road 'PoW 1943'. If these Bells Farm prefabs were built by PoW's there is a high probability that the prefabs on the Redditch road were built by PoW's too, as there is only a short distance (2 or 3 miles) between the two sites as they were built around the same time.       

baz

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #168 on: July 22, 2017, 04:03:24 PM »
I'm the one who posted about the "PoW 1943" inscription, sadly I can't be sure of the last digit.
What I do remember clearly though, is that the "W" was in the overlapping  "double vee" style that the Germans  used.
My mother often mentions PoWs working outside our house in Sladepool Farm Rd, they were repairing bomb damage in the road, (which was of concrete sections).
I was wondering if maybe the PoW gangs around Druids Lane/Bells Lane at that time were just doing road building and also putting in the concrete bases for the prefabs ?

countrylad

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #169 on: July 23, 2017, 08:36:06 AM »
Hi baz


I know what you mean about the 'W'. You could be right about the PoW's doing the repairs and slabs. I will try to do a bit more research.


Might seem like a daft question. Do you know if the Bells prefabs were built on bomb damaged site or green field? I do remember travelling through the area as a nipper in the back of dads car in early 60's, it seemed to be out in the country and at night very dark. as there were very few street lights.
countrylad

roy one

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #170 on: July 23, 2017, 09:24:35 AM »
how things change  and boundary's move  I remember when each corner of the maypole island was in a different county  I can not remember what  was what but I know one corner was in Warwick the other was in Worcester  I can remember the maypole has far back has 1949 when there was nothing there pub a few shop and a cinema the maypole was out in the sticks
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baz

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #171 on: July 23, 2017, 11:26:26 AM »
Yes, the prefabs were built on agricultural land, (Bell's Farm I think).
As Roy one says, the Maypole was out "in the sticks", lucky us !
I don't know about counties but I was told that when you crossed Maypole Lane to go to the shops you were in Bromsgrove.

countrylad

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #172 on: July 23, 2017, 07:07:30 PM »
roy one/baz


It is amazing the changes and the speed of change we have experienced. I lived just off the Redditch Rd early 60's. Hawksley farm was still a working farm, now Hawksley estate. As kids we would walk across farmland as far as Hopwood in one direction or Hollywood in another direction across farm land and country lanes.


I think there was a discussion on the forum recently about three counties joining on or near Prince of Wales Lane Yardley wood. 


I can also remember the controversy that started when I lived on Chelmsley Wood. It came under Meriden District Council originally and then it became Solihull.     

Jimfred

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #173 on: March 07, 2020, 11:30:41 AM »
Hi . Anyone remember prefabs in Sunfield Grove B11  ?

Spud

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #174 on: March 07, 2020, 01:53:23 PM »
Sunfield Grove ? Was that in the Warwick Rd / Tyseley area
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Ogri

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Re: brum prefabs
« Reply #175 on: March 07, 2020, 06:17:29 PM »
Yes Spud,ran off Weston lane , the Greet inn end ,i knew it well.


 

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