Celebrate 70 Years Of The Prefab

By Londonist Staff Last edited 94 months ago
Celebrate 70 Years Of The Prefab
Photo by Andrew Smith in the Londonist Flickr pool

Knocked up hurriedly after the end of the second world war, London's prefabs were supposed to be a temporary solution to the housing shortage.

But then, a funny thing happened; people fell in love with them. After all, these 'palaces for the people' had hot running water, indoor toilets and electricity — all the mod cons that many Londoners never had before the war.

Seven decades on and London still has many of its prefabs — something that the Prefab Museum is celebrating later this month, when it invites all prefab enthusiasts dwellers to visit the Excalibur Estate in Catford, bring along photos and memorabilia or simply come to discover the history of these tenacious buildings. There's also a guided prefab walk around the estate, and there'll be tea and cake.

The Prefab Museum — now online only — is the project of French writer Elisabeth Blanchet, who has also written a book on the subject.

The exhibition takes place at the Excalibur Estate, Catford on 21 May from noon-4pm. Entry is free, walking tour is £5

Last Updated 17 May 2016