Blackpool’s heritage trams are to take centre stage over the Platinum Jubilee weekend with a parade due to take place on Thursday 2nd June. Described as the “largest tram parade the resort has ever staged” around a dozen trams will be involved running between Pleasure Beach and North Pier.
Full details of the plans for the Parade are to follow but it will feature a selection of the operational heritage trams in the Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours fleet. Its obviously far too early to predict which trams may be involved with several on the road to a return but not yet commissioned for service but it is set to be a spectacular sight as they travel along the Prom!
In the publicity released so far its been described as the largest tram parade ever seen in Blackpool although going back to 1985 there was a 20 tram cavalcade to mark the centenary of the tramway so we must presume they either consider a parade and cavalcade as different things or have forgotten what happened before!
The Platinum Jubilee weekend sees two bank holidays in the UK on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd June and the whole weekend in Blackpool will be a celebration of 70 years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the throne. As well as the tram parade there will be a giant outdoor picnic, beacon lighting and a fireworks display at the Pleasure Beach.
There was a discussion on facebook where it was pointed out its not the largest parade ever! That was 1985.
Its good they are doing this though – spot on.
I expect it will have been well planned to avoid service disruption and most likely the trams involved will run closely spaced in order to achieve this. Hopefully the weather will oblige so that 600 with its Royal connections can participate. Maybe 634 will be ready, as this would be ideal having being specially painted in 1977 for the Silver Jubilee (a variation of the 1976 Blackpool Civic Centenary livery). It’s doubtful a Coronation Car will be available but we managed without in 1977 and a Brush Car is a favoured candidate to mark such occasions as the introduction of this class coincided with the Coronation of King George VI. We saw 634 in 1977 of course and 627 on show at the Pleasure Beach in 2012. It seems probable that Balloons will play a major role, which is something keenly anticipated.