The Little Palaces

Developed and built out of necessity after WWII, prefabricated houses were only supposed to have a 10 year lifespan, but in 1983 there were still several estates of prefabs standing and occupied in Hull. Many of the residents were the original tenants, reluctant to move out because of the innovations of built in appliances and central heating that came with them. Others had been adapted for the elderly or people with disabilities. With meals on wheels, doctor's house calls and ongoing repairs from the council, everyone I spoke to and photographed loved their prefab, dubbing them the Little Palaces, with some even planning to brick clad them for even more permanence.