Along the Coast

When Britain pretty well got rid of all it's trams in the 1950's there was one place that had the sense to keep their system, or at least the largest part of it. Yes, let's be fair, we might have a good laugh about Blackpool from time to time but here's one thing that they did right, for sure.

If you aren't British you probably don't know about Blackpool at all. It's a big old seaside resort on the Lancashire coast, a kind of 'Coney Island' but on a grand scale. They have specialised (though they would hate me for saying it now) in offering cheap, cheeerful and usually very alcoholic holidays for us working-class types for more than a century.

The trams were introduced from Fleetwood down along 'the front' and out as far as Starr Gate around 1900. What Americans would call 'inter-urbans'. More than a few of them have been blown over by the sea gales down the years but they still get heavily used to 'see the lights' at Illumination time. They have some wonderful old stock too - as you can see from these 1930's examples passing at Cleveleys Square.

Yep! Go to Blackpool to ride on the trams. You'll love it.