GOODBYE OXFORD - BLACKPOOL LANDMARK IS GONE

A well known landmark and destination on old Blackpool trams - Oxford – is now consigned to rubble. The former public house ‘The Oxford’ which was a long familiar sight for passengers on Marton trams, and the famous tram ‘Circular Tour’ around Blackpool is no more.

From 1912 onwards the Landlord took on himself to photograph most, if not all, of the loaded open toastrack trams which ground their way slowly along Waterloo Road en route to Talbot Square - filled with behatted ladies and earnestly dressed males of all ages. Each of the glass plates was recorded with an identifying number held by an Assistant or young family relative - with the resulting prints being made immediately available for a modest charge. Ebay regularly has examples taken outside the Oxford over the ensuing fourteen years.

The Marton trams had several intermediate workings - St Annes Road, Oxford, and Palatine Road, each point having a crossover to allow trams to reverse the direction of their journey. One relatively rare example at the Oxford is seen here in 1959. Oxford remained on many of the tram destination blinds up until their replacement by obnoxious printed yellow and black versions.

The Trust’s display tram, number 290, has an old tram destination blind in its north facing front - and from time to time we have pleasure in recalling this relatively unknown terminus. Number 290 never operated on the Marton tram service. The destination blind is from an English Electric railcoach which was based at Marton depot.