Newsletter – January 2014

January 16th, 2014 by JCope

The first two decades of the twentieth century saw a ‘Golden Era’ for Trams in the Black Country and surrounding areas. This was clearly illustrated by the speaker for our January meeting, Dr. Paul Collins, a lecturer and broadcaster for over 20 years with a lengthy list of books to his credit. His subject was ‘By Tram from Dudley’.

He portrayed a period when, for the first time, working people who had the leisure time and wherewithal could briefly escape the daily grind and smoke of our industrial heartland and breathe in the fresh air of the countryside. He took us on a photographic double-decker tram journey from Castle Hill, Dudley via the Turk’s Head in Brierley Hill and then along Brettell Lane to Stourbridge Town. Having arrived in Stourbridge intrepid travellers then had the opportunity of an onward tram journey, via a ‘Light Railway’, to Kinver which was then a well established holiday resort.

By the end of the 1920s the tram era came to an end, to be replaced by that of the Motor Omnibus. However, if you look carefully, you can still see faint evidence of the Kinver Light Railway running between the Stewponey and Kinver alongside the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal.

Please note that our March meeting will not be on the first Tuesday but on the following Friday, 7th which sees Colin Wooldridge presenting ‘Reminiscences of Hagley and the Surrounding Area’. Visitors are most welcome at all our events – see website for details and contacts.

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