Woolly says – We’d had a sudden change of plan so instead of heading off to a wedding in my topper Jo had hurriedly placed a map in front of me and said ‘put your trunk where you want to go’. I gazed at all the amazing places that Britain has to offer and considered my best options and possibilities, scratching my ear as I pondered, I dislodged a pistachio and leant over to get it as Jo cried ‘Ok, Derby its is’. What! I hadn’t chosen, it wasn’t my fault my trunk needed to grab the nut, I peered closer and realised that not only had I chosen Derby I had actually put my trunk exactly where my bestie, Sion, had lived not so long ago.
Within minutes Jo had booked accommodation and some activities for us all to do before racing off to the bedroom to pack a bag with Alfie the Dog hot on her heels. And that dear friends is how we found ourselves going round Stoke on Trent twice and Chesterfield three times before actually getting to our day’s destination in Crich.
The National Tramway Museum (Crich Tramway Village) is a museum containing over 60 (mainly British) trams built between 1873 and 1982 and is set within a recreated period village containing a working pub, cafe, old-style sweetshop and tram depots. This in itself was exciting but even better was the opportunity to ride on a tram while we were there.
The trams at Crich mostly ran in cities in the United Kingdom prior to the 1960s, with trams rescued (even from other countries) as the systems closed. Most of the UK tram networks, with a few exceptions closed before the 1960s. The last to close was Glasgow Corporation Tramways in 1962, leaving just the Blackpool Tramway as the sole surviving first-generation tramway.
As we passed through the ticket office obtaining a map as a we went, I suggested that we walk through the woodlands and sculpture trail first which Alfie the Dog was delighted with having sat for over three hours in the car. Our first sighting was of a rather nice woodland beastie who greeted us in a friendly manner before suggesting that we follow the path to the right along where trucks for the nearby quarry would have once run. A wooden sword presented itself and I suppressed the need to try and remove it as King Arthur had, this was closely followed by a wonderful carving of a wizard king on his throne who was more than happy to have his picture taken with me.
A face in a tree trunk led me to an ogre struggling to get out of his bog, we quickly passed by and found ourselves at a life size Mr Potato Head which children could add pieces to, I gave him a mouth as my contribution to his rebuild and carried on past the biggest ant I had ever seen.
A viewing platform gave us the opportunity to admire the low clouds over the Peak District before found a rather beautiful bookcase full to overflowing with large tomes. A rock maze came next which I found fairly easy to get round until Jo pointed out that I wasn’t supposed to be on the rocks but the path, ignoring I went to inspect two lovely glass pieces showing birds flying and nesting, even Alfie the Dog was impressed.
Crossing over the Bowes Lyons Bridge which had been made of the estate of the same name I could barely contain my excitement as a tram rumbled underneath, I was eager to see how many they had in operation and choose the one that would transport us along the short line that was currently open.
A rather cute green on caught my eye and I did quite like the cream one but the winner by a mile was the blue double decker. As I clambered up the conductor shouted a jolly ‘All aboard’ before the dinging his bell and setting off. I could barely contain my excitement at the interior which had been lovingly restored with its varnished wood and leather straps. The mutt was having an even better time as one of five dogs on board who were spending the journey sniffing bottoms and completely ignoring the experience of being jolted along the track.
We arrived back in the village and I use that term loosely as I had expected something more along the lines of the Black Country Museum or Blitz Hill with all of its house, shops and re-enactment. This village contained a closed pub done in a rather fetching brown, a tearoom which wasn’t anything to look at all and had a very disappointing selection of food, a gift shop, a printers and the old assembly rooms.
The highlight was the Tardis that stood by the tram stop and a lovely red phone box that was unlike one I had ever seen before.
We did however have the workshops and exhibition hall to view. Due to social distancing the workshops didn’t really give us any as we were so far away, the tram depot however was full to brimming with rescued trams and trolly busses. Splendid examples of these tall but thin trams were packed in tightly, as Jo tried to get pictures it proved difficult to see much in the way of detail. The grandness of yesteryear was apparent at everyone we looked at.
The main exhibition hall took us through the history of the tram from the horse drawn to the electric, they were beautiful but again it was difficult to appreciate their wonder as they were so close together.
One stood alone, left as it had been found abandoned in a field in the midlands it’s faded livery and neglect gave me an opportunity to reflect on how much work had gone into all of these wonderful trams to bring them back to their colourful lives and show the world how wonderful they had once been.