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The Removal of Restrictions on Motor Cars

The Removal of Restrictions on Motor Cars

The year 1896 was Emancipation Day, and the London to Brighton run was organized. For some time expectations had risen, though doubts continued in the local press. The Worcestershire Advertiser of April 4, 1896, commented, 'In anticipation of removal of restrictions upon horseless carriages, manufacturers are busy ...........


Family-Run Firm On The Right Track

Family-Run Firm On The Right Track

A.E.Cleggs started this family-run business in 1929, which was sited on the village green in Hallow. The business moved in 1937 to a more suitable location in Hallow and became Vauxhall dealers in the late 1950s......

 


Advert: The Conflict of the Horse and the Horseless Carriage

Advert: The Conflict of the Horse and the Horseless Carriage

A new ease of travel was brought about by the internal combustion engine. The date of the above Country Life adverts, 1901, was still the age of the bicycle, and Humbers could use the slogan, 'The Kings of Europe Ride the Kings of Cycles' Cars had started to appear in 1898, and advertisements were often novel ...


Early Restrictions on Mechanical Vehicles

Early Restrictions on Mechanical Vehicles

The notorious Red Flag Act of 1865 had imposed speed limits of 4 m.p.h in the country, and 2 m.p.h in the towns, and required all 'road locomotives' to be attended by at least three persons, one of whom was to ....


Motorist Chased with Whips

Motorist Chased with Whips

John Tangye, of Stourbridge and Birmingham, was the first man to drive across Dartmoor in a car...


The Horseless Carriage

The Horseless Carriage

In Britain the pioneers of mechanical road vehicles had made an excellent start in the 1830s, but after the Locomotive Act of 1865, British engineers lost ground. There were two main reasons for this, Parliament was filled with landowners who were horse-orientated, and viewed the presence of mechanical vehicles on the roads as a nuisance and..


The first Motor Vehicle to Reach the Top of the Worcestershire Beacon, Malvern

The first Motor Vehicle to Reach the Top of the Worcestershire Beacon, Malvern

The first motor vehicle to reach the top of the Worcestershire Beacon, Malvern. The Hon ....


The End of the Tramway Service in Worcester

The End of the Tramway Service in Worcester

In 1926, the Corporation of Worcester obtained an Act of Parliament authorising it to purchase the tramways as a going concern, and leased the undertaking to the Birmingham and .....


The Company in 1914

The Company in 1914

In 1914, the combined tram, bus and motor-coach routes were 65 miles. The weekly milage covered was 8,250 and the number of passengers carried was put at 60,000 per week, or three million per annum, and the ....


Further Innovations

Further Innovations

Another innovation was the Tramway Parcel Express in 1907. Instead of one or two deliveries each day, parcels were dispatched by each car and bus. Parcels left at various agencies en-route were delivered to a Half-mile radius from the agency. Parcels weighing 14lbs were delivered for 2d, 28lbs for 3d, 42lbs for 4d and 56lb for 5d, with an ... 


Reduction in Fares

Reduction in Fares

With electrification came the rebuilding of the horse-tram depot in St. John's, and a reduction in fares. The fare on the horse-tram was two pence (2d). for any journey, and it took 15 minutes to go half a mile. Fairbairn reduced the fares to one and half pence, and later brought in a general penny fare. In 1908, a special ...

The Worcester Electric Tramway System

The Worcester Electric Tramway System

In 1898, the British Electric Traction Company acquired a controlling interest in the Horse-Tramway Service, Service, which became 'The Worcester Electric Traction Co. Ltd, and sought powers to electrify the tramways. For three or four years the matter was discussed at stormy meetings......