Tuesday
Sunday
NOTTINGHAM TRAMS - A BRIEF HISTORY
1877 - 1900 HORSE POWER
In 1875 several prominent businessmen got together and formed the Nottingham and District Tramways Company Limited. On the 23rd July 1877 the Board of Trade confirmed they were authorized to operate tramways by animal power only in the town of Nottingham. By 1877 there were already several horse buses in operation and on the 17th September 1878 the first two horse tram routes opened. They were St Peters Church to Trent Bridge and St Peters Church to London Road. These routes were operated with eight single deck trams. A new route opened on August 11th 1879 between the Market place and Carrington and another between Market Place and Basford came into service on 5th June 1881. The depot and stables for the route were on Isandula Road and the new Tramway Station at Basford was designed by Nottingham architect Albert Nelson Bramly. On the journey to Basford two cock horses were needed to assist the regular pair pull the tram up the steep gradient of Derby Road (1 in 17).
In 1897 the Nottingham and District Tramways Company was acquired by the Corporation for £80,000 and plans for electrification of the tramways were first considered the following year. The horses days were numbered and the horse trams were finally withdrawn at the end of 1900 although the horse buses on the Carlton route carried on a further ten years. From 1908 they were gradually replaced by the motor bus and on 16th December 1910 the horse bus service was withdrawn altogether.
In 1897 the Nottingham and District Tramways Company was acquired by the Corporation for £80,000 and plans for electrification of the tramways were first considered the following year. The horses days were numbered and the horse trams were finally withdrawn at the end of 1900 although the horse buses on the Carlton route carried on a further ten years. From 1908 they were gradually replaced by the motor bus and on 16th December 1910 the horse bus service was withdrawn altogether.
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1901-2004 THE ELECTRIC TRAM
On January 1st 1901 the electric tram was introduced on the route from Market Place to Sherwood. By 1927 the number of trams peaked at 200. They were not Nottingham’s only form of transport, the Corporation also had 10 trolley buses and 45 motor buses. They ran side by side until 1936 when the electric trams were phased out. By this time the Corporation had 125 trolley buses and over 100 motor buses.
Although the trolley buses had only been in service for nine years (and would run for another 30) new routes were no longer being considered. The motor bus was the new kid on the block and the trolley buses at their peak were outnumbered almost 2-1.
When the trolley bus was finally phased out in 1966 NCT had 382 motor buses. They were to reign supreme for the next 38 years until the reappearance of the new electric trams in 2004.
On January 1st 1901 the electric tram was introduced on the route from Market Place to Sherwood. By 1927 the number of trams peaked at 200. They were not Nottingham’s only form of transport, the Corporation also had 10 trolley buses and 45 motor buses. They ran side by side until 1936 when the electric trams were phased out. By this time the Corporation had 125 trolley buses and over 100 motor buses.
Although the trolley buses had only been in service for nine years (and would run for another 30) new routes were no longer being considered. The motor bus was the new kid on the block and the trolley buses at their peak were outnumbered almost 2-1.
When the trolley bus was finally phased out in 1966 NCT had 382 motor buses. They were to reign supreme for the next 38 years until the reappearance of the new electric trams in 2004.
NUMBERS AND NAMES
Because the earlier fleet had consisted of 200 trams NET continued the sequence by numbering their new trams from 201 to 215. They are each named after famous Nottingham people.
201 0Torvill and Dean
2020 DH Lawrence
203 0William “Bendigo” Thompson
204 0Erica Beardsmore
205 0Lord Byron
206 0Angela Alcock
207 0Mavis Worthington
208 0Dinah Minton
209 0Sid Standard
210 0Sir Jesse Boot
211 0Robin Hood
212 0William Booth
213 0Mary Potter
214 0Dennis McCarthy MBE
215 0Brian Clough
Saturday
TRAM RESCUE
A 1920 Nottingham tram, which has been a house for the past 70 years, was craned out of its Lincolnshire site and transported 100 miles by road to its new home in Derbyshire on Saturday 31st March.Representatives from the Crich Tramway Village discovered the old tram six years ago in Hagworthingham Lincolnshire after a tip-off from the local postman. When the site was sold the new owners contacted the Tramway Museum to see if the tram could be saved.
Full story :-
http://www.tramway.co.uk/smx/cms/news-nottstram
http://www.tramway.co.uk/smx/cms/news-nottstram
Monday
STATION STREET
208 Dinah Minton About to leave Station Street for Phoenix Park
If you travel into Nottingham by bus (to Broadmarsh) or by train your journey along the tramway will start at Station Street. If you arrive by train there is a connecting bridge from the platforms that will take you direct to the tram station but if you take this route you will miss the first port of call, The Bentink Hotel.
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ROYAL CENTRE
Alight here for the Royal Concert Hall, the Theatre Royal and Cinema complex The Corner House. If you like real ale it is only a few yards to Langtrys or The Tap & Tumbler on Wollaton Street.
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The Corner House is Nottinghams premier Cinema and boasts 12 screens, restaurants and a cinema shop. For prices and film times click on link below.
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http://www.cineworld.co.uk/reservation/ChoixResa.jgi?CINEMA=93
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The Corner House is Nottinghams premier Cinema and boasts 12 screens, restaurants and a cinema shop. For prices and film times click on link below.
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http://www.cineworld.co.uk/reservation/ChoixResa.jgi?CINEMA=93
THE THEATRE ROYAL
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The Theatre Royal was envisaged by two Nottingham lace dressers, William and John Lambert, as a 'temple of drama'...a place of "innocent recreation and of moral and intellectual culture". After six months of building the new Theatre Royal was completed in 1865 at a cost of £15,000. The Classic facade and Corinthian columns still dominate Nottingham's city centre skyline as can be seen in the photograph above. The Theatre Royal was one of the most luxurious theatres of its day and provided opulent surroundings for the both music hall and variety. This was followed by the birth of light opera, touring opera and, by the twenties and thirties, the best Hollywood-style musicals and pantomimes. By the late 1960's the Theatre Royal had become run down and had a reputation for some of the worst backstage conditions in the country. In 1969, the city council bought it and set about restoring the theatre to its former glory. The Theatre Royal reopened in 1978, boasting elegant and airy foyers and bars, a 1,186 seat auditorium was beautifully restored in Victorian style green and gilt decor and with fully comprehensive and technically upgraded backstage facilities. The Theatre is now regarded as one of the best touring venues in the country, attracting major touring dramas, opera, ballet, West End musicals and, of course, an annual pantomime.
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THE ROYAL CONCERT HALL
The Empire Theatre of Varieties opened alongside the Theatre Royal in 1898. The Empire lasted 60 glorious years showing risqué comics, saucy ladies, mind-boggling magicians and rock 'n' roll stars, with huge billings including Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. Unfortunately it closed in 1958, and was demolished in 1969. The success of the Theatre Royal paved the way for the Royal Centre's second phase, the construction of a state-of-the-art Concert Hall on the site of the old Empire. Construction of the Royal Concert Hall began in 1980 and was completed in 1982. The auditorium seats 2,499 and is air conditioned. It has a highly complex and versatile sound and lighting system and is one of the most popular concert venues on the touring circuit, attracting leading orchestras, comedians and dance acts plus rock bands and solo artistes from all over the world. One fully computerised Box Office serves both the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall and is located in the main entrance foyer. It is open Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 8.30pm and every year handles the sale of millions of tickets .
THE ROYAL CONCERT HALL
The Empire Theatre of Varieties opened alongside the Theatre Royal in 1898. The Empire lasted 60 glorious years showing risqué comics, saucy ladies, mind-boggling magicians and rock 'n' roll stars, with huge billings including Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. Unfortunately it closed in 1958, and was demolished in 1969. The success of the Theatre Royal paved the way for the Royal Centre's second phase, the construction of a state-of-the-art Concert Hall on the site of the old Empire. Construction of the Royal Concert Hall began in 1980 and was completed in 1982. The auditorium seats 2,499 and is air conditioned. It has a highly complex and versatile sound and lighting system and is one of the most popular concert venues on the touring circuit, attracting leading orchestras, comedians and dance acts plus rock bands and solo artistes from all over the world. One fully computerised Box Office serves both the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall and is located in the main entrance foyer. It is open Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 8.30pm and every year handles the sale of millions of tickets .
For Box-office information :-
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