SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Does anyone remember the pre-fabs at Cottingley. I knew someone who lived in one and visited it from time to time, for me who came from a back to back with no bathroom and an outside toilet they seemed the height of luxury. There were also a few in Churwell and down Albert Road in Morley (I think) But as emergency post war housing they seemed great. I believe there are still a few surviving at Sowerby Bridge.

didn't there used to be an estate of them in meanwood too, off stonegate road? where the woodside estate is now

Even more running the length of South Parkay between the 'up' and the 'down' sides. Mostly asbestos sheet outer construction weren't they?Had to pass between them to get too and from school each day.They knocked them down to build masonettes, flat roofed, timber clad and they were a disater, I don't think they lasted as long as the pre-fabs before they were refurbished and even then were recently demolished.

Went out v. briefly with a girl who lived in one of the Cottingley ones. Felt a bit of empathy as I'd lived in a prefab in Leicester, 1947-51. Didn't have much else in common with her, though, so apart from feeling a bit of stocking top & suspender during a showing of "Espresso Bongo" starring Cliff Richard at the Majestic Cinema, I don't remember much else about her.There are still occupied prefabs in Sowerby Bridge, right hand side on main road in Ripponden direction. Not bad for structures with a designed lifespan of 10-15 years.

There were two estates of prefabs near where I live,Westfield just off the A65 at Yeadon and another Shaw lane in Guiseley,I think they were built to house workers at the AVRO factory and were demolished in the early 60's to make way for new housing. They were known locally as "flat tops" or "t'piggerys"

Lilysmum wrote: There were two estates of prefabs near where I live,Westfield just off the A65 at Yeadon and another Shaw lane in Guiseley,I think they were built to house workers at the AVRO factory and were demolished in the early 60's to make way for new housing. They were known locally as "flat tops" or "t'piggerys" My mum worked at Avro. Her job was to stretch the fabric skins over the airframes of Ansons and Lancasters, lace them up tightly, and then coat the fabric with dope. She was never offered a prefab - she lived in Farsley, and I'm pretty certain she and other women had to walk to Greengates before any transport was laid on. She had been "conscripted" to work in munitions, but I never heard her complain about having a long walk either side of long hours.My father came from Leicester, so in 1946 we moved there after his demob. In 1947 we were allocated a prefab on basis of his war service - they were called "homes for heroes". By the standards of the time they were little palaces, having fitted kitchens and gas-powered fridges. We were allocated a larger council house in 1951, but altho' it was a new house it didn't have a fridge; in fact, it was about 1972 before I had a fridge. The prefab was finally demolished in 1973 - by chance I had gone on a trip down Memory Lane and just managed to see it before it was razed. Went to look at the other council house as well. Wouldn't want to live there now!

Lilysmum wrote: There were two estates of prefabs near where I live,Westfield just off the A65 at Yeadon and another Shaw lane in Guiseley,I think they were built to house workers at the AVRO factory and were demolished in the early 60's to make way for new housing. They were known locally as "flat tops" or "t'piggerys" Are the houses opposite the retail park (McDonald's, Focus, Next etc) in Guiseley pre-fabs?    

Uno Hoo wrote: My mum worked at Avro. Her job was to stretch the fabric skins over the airframes of Ansons and Lancasters, lace them up tightly, and then coat the fabric with dope. She was never offered a prefab - she lived in Farsley, and I'm pretty certain she and other women had to walk to Greengates before any transport was laid on. She had been "conscripted" to work in munitions, but I never heard her complain about having a long walk either side of long hours. You might be interested to know that there is a book about the Avro works at Yeadon, called 'Mother Worked at Avro' by Gerald Myers. I picked it up from Air Supply on the High Street as my Dad did his National Service as an engineer on Lancasters at the end of the war and we worked out that he had received and commissioned quite a few built at Yeadon at Thetford, including the one that became 'City of Lancaster'.

A complete demolition of a prefab estate is far more recent than you would think - I should say about two years or so !! These were the ones in Jarvis Walk at Robin Hood just off the A61 Leeds to Wakefield Road. I have a friend who lived in one for a long time and like many residents she was sad to see it go.     The tenants were evacuated one at a time into a "spare house" while their particular prefab was demolished and a beautiful new bungalow built. She is very happy now in the new one, which is virtually in the very same position as her prefab was.

[quotenick="simong"] Uno Hoo wrote: You might be interested to know that there is a book about the Avro works at Yeadon, called 'Mother Worked at Avro' by Gerald Myers. I picked it up from Air Supply on the High Street as my Dad did his National Service as an engineer on Lancasters at the end of the war and we worked out that he had received and commissioned quite a few built at Yeadon at Thetford, including the one that became 'City of Lancaster'. Thanks for the info. I'll have to see about getting hold of a copy. My father's still alive at 89, but he doesn't really know much about it as he was away on war service elsewhere. He says that my maternal grandfather always maintained that my mother "engineered" her pregnancy that resulted in my elder sister being born in 1943 in order to get out of Avro, but Dad denies this, saying that this was never discussed between Mum and himself.By complete coincidence my first ever flight was in an Anson, from RAF Church Fenton, followed by several more in similar aircraft. Just missed, by about 10 minutes, a flight in the RAF's last Lincoln bomber, which was a later derivative of the Lancaster.