The Ten Year Plan (1945) - extract

At the end of WWII, the need to replace housing that had been damaged or destroyed in air raids was so acute that prefabricated houses - known as 'prefabs' - were investigated as a short-term alternative. The post-war housing minister, Nye Bevan, dismissed them as "rabbit hutches" but, curiously, the prefab came to be one of the most popular forms of council housing because of its size, its garden and the privacy it afforded.

Directed by the prolific British director Lewis Gilbert ('Alfie', 'Educating Rita') early in his career, 'The Ten Year Plan' stars 'Carry On' actor Charles Hawtrey as a louche young writer sent to report on a range of prefabs, discovering with some surprise that many of them look like "real" houses. (Lynsey Hanley)

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[BasilFawlty4444]

@RichardElden No, they gave us the Welfare State.

The election of the Attlee government in 1945 with a 159-seat majority demonstrates the thirst for change, the desire to build a society better for everyone, to begin the process of decolonisation and make the world a better place.

[chanctonbury63]

It is very clear that there was a desperate need for new housing at this time. The real damage to our towns and cities was caused by the town planners of the 50s and 60s. What they did to many of those places was nothing short of criminal.

[wiffybiffy]

The moustache on the man at 0.44 went on to play the moustache on Wing Commander Rushford in "They Gave for You" (1947) and the moustache on Charles Grebil in" Is that My banana" (1976)

[andyhowpog]

@incongra Ha ha, very well spotted! Sounded like he said "public arse" when he said "public house" because of the way he was sizing up Charlie's arse cheeks!

[incongra]

@andyhowpog I always laugh at that meaty builder type, "checking out Charles' buns" at 05:22

[andyhowpog]

@incongra Ha ha, very good point! Still, after this was filmed he know doubt had plenty of time to quaff huge quantities of brandy in Soho bars and pick up a sailor,

[incongra]

Ha ha... how come the guy says "erection" at 00:49 but Charles doesn't say "ooOOOoooh!"

[ThePaperboy1973]

The girl at 5.25 is Patricia Driscoll, who, over ten years later, went on to find fame playing Maid Marian in the TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood.

[kafcan]

Many prefabs were still going fifty years later.

[LOCOMOTIONNUMBER1]

And we still had an Empire then as well. Look at the crap state of the UK now....just TV celebrities, overpaid footballer and lower class morons poncing of the state.