Memories of Roy Harries, Ystrad, Rhondda, South Wales

I lived in a prefab in Ystrad, Rhondda, South Wales for the first twenty years or so of my life. Compared to the local housing they were very up to date! Indoor toilet, bathroom, even a refrigerator – I didn’t realise it at the time, but they were so much more advanced than the old ribbon development terraced houses of the Rhondda Valley. However, there was a set back. In the summer they could be unbearably hot, whilst in the winter they could be freezing. I remember a number of occasions when there was ice on the inside of the bedroom window when I awoke. I recall that there was one small fire in the whole prefab, around which we would congregate. Overall, our prefab was great, and the family were sad to leave when the time came for it to be pulled down.