Jenny Coumbe

"Lovely Little Places!" - the Story of the Prefabs at Stewards Green, Epping. Jenny Coumbe

The story of the prefabs at Stewards Green, Epping, has been compiled from local newspapers, Council minutes, and most importantly, the memories of the residents themselves, in their own words. They have also contributed over 30 wonderfully evocative sketches and photographs. The book begins in the war years, with eye-witness accounts of air-raids and the damage they caused in Epping. Then we eavesdrop on Committee meetings, as local councillors struggled to provide post-war houses for all those couples who were married but had no home of their own. We learn about the Government's Temporary Housing Programme, and discover how and why the "Tarran"-type prefabs came to be at Stewards Green. Next we hear the reaction of the residents themselves, as they explain how thrilled they were with their new prefabs and all the "mod cons," which even included gas refrigerators. They recall how they made ends meet during times of shortages - potato-picking, rabbiting, back-garden hens, making rag-rugs etc. Those who were children at the time talk about playing on the central green and in the fields. Events such as the Coronation Party and the prefab that went up in flames are remembered. The corner shops and local characters are described, and much, much more! The story concludes in the mid 1960s with the demolition of the prefabs and the re-development of the area. This Local History book not only describes the Stewards Green prefab estate, but also provides a glimpse of a way of life in the middle of the Twentieth Century.