9th August 1870. Summer sun burns into the blue skies above. A new buzz fills Thompson & French. Its official: Trams are coming to Glasgow. The Tramways Act has passed and Glasgow Town Council are planning a Tramway network. The news fills the newspapers. The congested streets of horse, cart and carriage is no way for a modern city to operate. The second city of the empire demands a transportation system to meet its economic, social and progressive ambitions fuelled by the industrial revolution unfolding in front of it.
The plans will take years to complete. Our customer’s maps will need redrawn, as well as providing new opportunities including route mapping, timetabling and advertisements. It’s a phenomenal opportunity and we are meeting Glasgow Town Council to enquire further.
A week of never-ending opportunity ends. The weekend begins. Football has been all consuming and its time to get out of the city. I am sweeping the Highland lass off to Scotland’s Capital, Edinburgh. The Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway Line is the route to Edinburgh’s newest station, affectionately named after a series of novels of a literary hero of mine, Sir Walter Scott.
We steam into Waverley and alight from our train into the Athens of the North. Edinburgh is famed for its Old and New Town. Our adventure into Scotland’s capital begins.
—————————————— © Graeme Brown 2018 ——————————————-
The Hampden Collection 