Blackpool Balloons
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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I feel a bit of a transport fest coming on. Trawling through some of last year's photographs I came across this Blackpool tram. I was up there to photograph the Tower for what will be Built for Britain, due to be published in June, and whilst tucking into a large cod 'n' chips in Harry Ramsden's I kept noticing the trams humming by on the promenade. Many of them were in unspeakable liveries, as you might imagine, but every now and then a good old original careened up to tram stop. I think the only thing I knew about the trams was that a character in Coronation Street was run over by one, so I positioned myself carefully to get this shot of what I hope is a 1934 Balloon Car in its original colours. The rails extend from Starr Gate in Blackpool to the ferry terminal at Fleetwood, mostly running up the Fylde coast, and on its opening in September 1885 was the first practical electric tramway in the world. Most double deck trams are now only to be seen in places like the wonderful National Tramway Museum in Crich, but non-heritage examples still only run here in Blackpool, Hong Kong and Alexandria in Egypt. I only wish I'd had time to run up to Fleetwood on this one, perhaps sitting at the front with a melting ice lolly, looking out for death-defying leaps by dodgy soap stars.
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