CELEBRATION TRAM ON DISPLAY!
WE FINALLY MADE IT ! John and Gail Woodman pose in front of unveiled Football Tram on Friday evening 18 September. A hard year's slog to bring Centenary 641 into the public domain as a celebration of Blackpool's Football Club's History .... READ MORE
Above: Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, the Creative Curator with Blackpool’s famous Illuminations stands alongside FHLT Trustee Colin MacLeod.
This picture was taken with the Trust’s contribution to the media launch of this year’s Illuminations display at Lightworks, the headquarters of Blackpool Illuminations.
Many sectors of the local community backed the Blackpool FC Celebration Tram project, summed up by the visit of a group of youngsters from the BFC Community Trust. About a dozen young people and their team leaders enjoyed a day of working on Tram 641 as it continues its makeover in readiness for display as part of the 2015 Illuminations season. You can read a full report in John Woodman's blog post.
Plans for the Celebration Tram were part of the Illuminations Season Preview at Lightworks. The Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust have worked closely with Richard Ryan and his team for a number of years and this project promises to be the most succesful yet. In all over ‘tangerine’ 641 was installed on the special display track opposite the Pleasure Beach, South Promenade.
Sponsors shared their reasons for donating, here are just a couple of them:
Sisters Sue Clifford of Bispham and Sharon Baldwin of Anchorsholme have made a donation to the project in memory of their mother Hazel Cooper who passed away in March 2014, aged 82. Hazel was a loyal Seasider who attended the Club's three FA Cup Finals and the two Championship play-off finals. Sue and Sharon said, "What could be a better memorial."
Members of the Blackpool Art Society also decided to sponsor the Blackpool F.C. Celebration Tram. They felt that this was a fitting way for two important local groups to support one another. Their president Susan Pugh added, "In the group are ardent supporters of Blackpool F.C., we are all proud of our Town and our heritage."