It Happened in Norwich. Operation Prefab

1947 , Norwich (Norfolk)

The arrival and construction of 'prefab' housing as a solution to the post-war housing shortage.

The arrival and erection of a 'prefab' in the Heigham Road area of Norwich just after World War II. There are interior scenes as well as exterior shots of the building process. The film begins with the arrival of the 'prefab' and its positioning by crane on a pre-prepared base. The fireplace and a modern fitted bathroom are shown to be in place before the 'prefab' arrives. The sections are slotted together. The chimney is dropped in and the roof is fixed. Interior scenes show family activities, including washing up and putting the baby to bed. The film gives a good idea of the general layout and furnishing.

Featured Buildings

St. Philips Church, Heigham Road

Keywords

Building construction; Housing; Post-war economics; Prefabs

Background Information

2,000 Norwich homes were completely destroyed by the bombing campaigns in World War II. 30,000 were damaged, some beyond repair. The City Council launched an ambitious scheme to build 2,000 new homes in 5 years. This they managed. However, people could not remain homeless for that length of time.The prefabs were designed as short term accommodation. The first of 350 'prefabs' to be erected in Norwich was put up in 1946. They were designed to last for 10 years, but the last one, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Miller in Magpie Road, wasn't dismantled until 1976. This particular example is believed to have been in Belvoir Road.

Manifestations

It Happened in Norwich. Operation Prefab

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    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:01:32
    Modification Date
    27/09/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    729845
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    Parts
    Reference
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    Canonical Title
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    Carrier Type
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    Duration
    0:01:32
    Modification Date
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    Parts
    Reference
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    Parts
    Reference
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    Canonical Title
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    Carrier Type
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    Dimension
    Duration
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    Modification Date
    23/09/2024
    Modification Time
    14:13:03
    Parts
    Reference
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  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV167639
    Canonical Identifier
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    Carrier Type
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    Dimension
    Identifier
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    Reference
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    Canonical Title
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    Identifier
    Modification Date
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    Parts
    Reference
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  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV295163
    Canonical Identifier
    B-199
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour Type
    bw
    Duration
    0:01:36
    Has Sound
    N
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    positive
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
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    Sound
    silent
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    Barcode
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    Canonical Identifier
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    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour Type
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    Has Sound
    N
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
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    Modification Date
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    Parts
    Reference
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    Sound
    silent
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV??0646
    Canonical Identifier
    A-634
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour Type
    bw
    Has Sound
    N
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    negative
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    560717
    Sound
    silent

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