Blackpool Standard car 147 made a brief appearance on primetime television on the evening of Tuesday 9th July. The tram appeared towards the end of the first episode of a new two-part documentary programme on ITV1, hosted by well-known actor and presenter, Robson Greene.
‘Robson Greene: How the North Was Built’ aired at 9:00pm on ITV1 and was billed as a celebration of the North of England and how it contributed to the Industrial revolution. Towards the end of the first programme, Greene was seen riding on Standard 147 along a deserted Blackpool promenade after dark. This followed a short segment on the town itself, which included some archive footage of Dreadnought trams. The main theme of the programme however was coal, and how this helped to advance public transportation which in turn led to more people visiting the seaside, hence Blackpool’s inclusion in the show. Some footage filmed at Beamish Museum was also included, although none of the trams at that location were shown.
The scenes with 147 were shot on a bitterly cold winter evening earlier this year, with the tram being hired by the film crew especially for its starring role. Unfortunately the tram only appeared on screen for a few seconds which hardly seemed to justify the effort and expense involved in hiring it – but Blackpool Transport are unlikely to be complaining having made a nice profit and gained a little bit of TV exposure!
‘How the North Was Built’ continues on ITV1 next Tuesday, 16th July at 9:00pm. The first part should be available to watch on the ITV player for anyone who missed the programme who would like to see 147 enjoying its five minutes (or should that be five seconds?) of fame!