The Crich Tramway Village was turned into a seaside resort for a nine day event from Saturday 23rd to Sunday 31st May as the annual “Beside the Seaside” event took place once again. This family oriented event saw a fun fair at the museum alongside another visit from Woodies Wings and their collection of birds. There was also a beach for the children to play in and a visit from a band playing in the bandstand in Victoria Park. And of course there was a tram service for each day mainly utilising Blackpool trams but some other towns and cities were also represented, particularly when the weather prevented the use of the open Blackpool trams!
Over the course of the nine days eleven different trams ran in passenger service (plus access tram Berlin 223 006-4) with Blackpool Standard 40 seeing the most using being used on seven of the days. Other trams to see use were Blackpool cars 166, 167, 236 and 762 alongside Sheffield 74, Oporto 273, Leeds 399, Sheffield 510, Glasgow 1068, London Transport 1622. At least three trams were in service on each day with a high of a five tram service over the Bank Holiday weekend.
On day one of the event, Saturday 23rd May, Blackpool cars from two very different eras are seen in Toastrack 166 and Jubilee 762.
Blackpool 167 passes the fun fair at the entrance.
As the band plays on Blackpool 762 glides past in the background.
At Town End terminus Blackpool 762 features alongside Berlin 233 006-4 and a visiting steam engine.
Boat 236 and Toastrack 166 rest at Stephenson Place.
On Saturday 30th May and a view from Bowes Lyon Bridge showing the fun fair in full swing and Boat 236 heading back down to the town. (All Photographs by Hazel Quarmby)
I wonder why they haven’t got rid of that horrible allover vinyl on Blackpool 762
Probably because removing it would be a difficult job and would no doubt leave the car in need of a full repaint.
Yes – and recent experience with vinyl wraps shows that water is often trapped beneath them, meaning that repaneling is often required when the advert comes off. Plus in any case, adverts are part of the history of trams, so why not keep one in that condition, at least in the short term?
Its “horrible” (personally quite like it) advert seems rather popular with their target family demographic. Sponge Bob & Friends seems to attract lots of positive attention. Just grateful that Peter & co got it operational. Would have been very easy to stuff and mount it…
Would take quite a bit of money to restore back to more original scheme (assume like all critics you will be first in line). With positive news surrounding 761 emerging perhaps its even less pressing to return both to original condition.
Whilst obviously some of the car choices departed from the theme which less than ideal. Really is the right way forward for Crich Tramway Village going forward. Creates the atmosphere and attractions the modern visitor expects. Their isolated location compels them provide other sources of entertainment. Think events like this are on the right track
Personally I don’t like it however when I took my 6 year old son to the seaside event the first tram he wanted to ride on was the “Nickolodeon tram” which for me proves that it will appeal to younger generations and who knows a hook like that could be the start of a lifelong hobby.
You’re absolutely right, the children love 762. The response of a boy, of about 7 or 8, when the car was being delivered was “Wow! That’s cool!” said with absolute enthusiasm. Our love of trams is a generational thing and we tend to relate to the cars that we were brought up with; for me nothing compares with 1858, the HR2 at Carlton Colville. All heritage tramways are doing their bit to interest a new generation who will, hopefully, be tomorrow’s volunteers.
Whilst 762 is appealing to children, does it make people visit? How many come specifically to see it and therefore pay to get in? On the other hand it is the only surviving example of the very end of the British double decker – in its November 2011 condition. (761 still retains older features and is to lose its advert soon). So each to their own. personally its the contravision I have issues with rather than the livery!
Q1 Yes! Q2 is harder to answer, visitors have specifically come to see 762 in service, but how many paid on the day, and how many were using their 12 month re-entry it is impossible to say. It is equally impossible to say how much the re-entrants spent on ice-cream, coffee etc.