Up The Pole In Norwich (3, one Pole)

So Where IS This Pole?

This is looking west on Castle Meadow in Norwich, a place where local buses congregate. Travel a little further east, you come to the junction with Bank Plain ...

... which leads to more of the city's ancient bits. A short stroll along Bank Plain and you come to the pole of all poles!

We have already met the top and its twiddles but the base is very ornate as well.

Just "up the pole" is the site if some past brackets ...

Nearer the top is a rest for a ladder, quite a long ladder. 

Might the street lamp have once been gas powered?

Here is that article that prompted this series of blogs.

Well, it doesn't quite say that the picturesque pole is undoubtedly part of the tram technology but it implies so.

So, finally, we must check whether trams actually ran past this perishin' pole!

And yes they did! We zoom in to the detail of the map/

The BROWN  line terminated here ...

... at the main entrance  of Norwich Cemetery; and ran criss city to Thorpe Road.

The modern equivalent at the grave yard is First Bus 25 and 26!

Here is a tram quite close to the city centre and even closer to the pulchritudinous pole.

The tram (far right) is on a piece of toad which did nit exist until the tramway led to its creation. Here is the road jumction today.

To see what happened here is a map BEFORE the tram; with the "break through" being shown in RED.

Until the new piece of road, the way forward from Bank Plain was straight ahead ...

... too narrow for trams. Then at the light building at the end of the narrow road ...

... is a left turn, too tight for trams.

Hence the new cut!

So even in the 1900s the new fangled electric trams caused major disruption in the narrow streets of Norwich.

If you want to find the pole with the light, it is shown above by the red arrow. Visits are FREE!

Conclusion?

1. There is strong evidence that

the pole is unique

in today's Norwich streets

2. There is strong evidence that

 the pole is very old.

3. There is no doubt that trams

 trundled past the pole.

4. No other similar poles feature

 in any historic tram photos.

5. It is not mentioned in

any on-line ream articles.

Ergo ...

It is historic but NOT part of tram historic!

Unless anyone knows better!

===========================

For fbb, A New Taste Sensation

Yesterday was fbb's big day out! The events of the day will feature in future blogs; but after a ride on one of these ...

... passing one of these ...

... and spotting one or two of these ...

... fbb would normally have visited one of these ...

... for s sumptuous (?) evening meal.

But, after a long day,  the old bloke felt a little, well, old!

So he returned to the hotel in self-catering mode. It seemed quite simple ...

... well within the skills of an octogenarian.

There was much encouragement on the packet ...

... and much hype about the contents.

Yes, you guessed it - fbb prepared and consumed his first ever pot noodle! 

`

It is probably fair to say that such a menu might not feature regularly on the old bloke's list of degustatary delights.

Perhaps Colonel Harlan Sanders will be a source of today's romantic dinner for two on the return of his beloved from her prayer and bible study "conference"?

fbb really knows how to treat his spouse to something special!

===========================

 Next 'Days Out In Sheffield' blog : Thurs 26 June 

Up The Pole In Norwich (2, The Poles)

 Short But Sweet

Trams came to Norwich in 1900, quite late for a tram system. Electric trams largely replaced horse buses direct without following through the horse tram phase. The network was fairly comprehesive ...

... but the cost of extending into the post WW1 suburbs proved too much. Possibly, the lack of enthusasm for development was garnered round the Directors table of the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company who took a controlling interest in the tram company.

It was easier, cheaper and more profitable to run buses into the new suburbs. As we take a look around the network, fbb will try to show some of the tram locations as they appear in today's city.

Here is Gentleman's Walk on the east side of Market Place ...

... and you can see why there would be pressure to remove the trams in favour of the more flexible infernal combustion engine!

Modern arboriculture has obscured most of the frontages in the old picture and buses no longer take gentlemen to "their" walk.

This splendid shelter, for the patrons of the electric trams, no longer stands on Red Lion Street at the end of Orfotd Place.

The shelter included a timekeeper's office. Nothing now stands at this junction ...

... but buses still pass that way.

Have you yet spotted any tram poles with very decorative street lights attached?

fbb hasn't.

They mostly look very ordinary ...

... with pole decorated but lamp very ordinary indeed; certainly nothing like the street lamp which was part of a "news" item which sparked fbb's interest.

Was this once part of tram overhead as the article suggested? Did trams actually tun past this very decorated pole?

We may discover the answer  tomorrow 

=============================

Rear Window?

But not the classic thriller starring Jimmy Stewart. This heading refers to the rear window of fbb's hotel room in Sheffield. Actually there isn't a "rear" window, there is only one! But a trip to sheffield a year ago gave the fbbs one of the least enjoyable views from a modern hotel window.

It was a memorable view of the proud city of Sheffield, but for the wrong reasons

But back to this visit.

The view was across to the bottom of Commercial Street and the street's ramp leading to the famous delta tram junction.

Here is an aerial view of the junction.

The hotel peeps in top left, the arch girder bridge is distinctive and the eastern side of the triangle is only used by scheduled garage workings from Halfway or Herdings Park to the depot.

But as fbb gazes from his "rear" window, it seemed that only a few trams were in "fleet livery".

The pictures are of poor quality but here are some more, not all of which may be current.

When the supertram system opened the livery was a very boring grey.

Stagecoach then took over the management of the system and their very own stripes appeared.

The most recent standard paint job has been a quality livery in Stagecoach colours.

fbb feels that the increase in vinyl "wraps" cheapens the whole system. Historically a Sheffield tram was a well known blue and cream image, clean, distinctive and very recognisable.

But now!

Add the tram's messy image to the even messier image of Sheffield's buses and the City's transport looks in very poor shape.

Once upon a time ...

The Sheffield Transport livery was quality with a clear message of stability and reliability.

But today???

fbb will be collecting bus pictures tomorrow for a future "messy" blog.

 Next Up The Pole blog : Weds 25 June