Tram Sunday has been firmly established in the rally calendar since 1985 with the event uniquely held in Fleetwood’s historic Town Centre on a hard standing surface, which forms part of the world’s first electric street tramway.
From 2011 the Event is organised & run under new management by Fleetwood Chamber of Trade & Commerce. It is a tremendous fun day with attractions for people of all ages and interests, including Classic Cars, Vintage Trams, Buses, Commercials, Motorcycles and other Special Interest Vehicles of all types, sizes and descriptions.
Other attractions planned for 2011 will be a vintage run from the acclaimed British Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland terminating at the Fleetwood rally.A Heritage Tram procession will pass through the town centre with vehicles from the famous Blackpool to Fleetwood line stock.
Also there will be an array of family entertainment with funfair, music, shops, stalls and the famous Fleetwood Market. All this in one of the UK’s most beautiful seafront settings overlooking the Lake District, complimented by a huge nearby marina and sandy beaches.
For more information please visit the Tram Sunday website here.
Another blow for Fleetwood with no Sailing to the Isle of Man in 2011 from Fleetwood.
Fleetwood is to miss out this summer when there will not be a single sailing to the Isle of Man.
In recent years enthusiasts of the Fleetwood to Douglas sailings have snapped up the tickets in days when the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has run rare trips.
Last year the company offered just one sailing with 480 places on the seacat, which was yet another sell-out.
It was hoped that with the sad demise of the Stena ferry, there may be an opportunity for more Manx trips this year as the port lies empty.
But this week the Manx company confirmed that such day trips to Fleetwood have been axed.
The Steam Packet Company has replaced the old seacat Snaefell (pictured) which undertook the Fleetwood sailings, with the newly revamped Manannan.
And the company says that with its new schedules, there is no room for Fleetwood trips, which were “not profitable”.
It means day trips to the Fylde coast are out – possibly for good.
The news was blasted as a missed opportunity by Bill McCormick, who for the last few years has been calling for more trips.
He told the Weekly News: “It just does not make any sense at all to ignore such huge demand.
“The company must have noticed how quickly the two sailing in 2009 sold out, and the one last year.
“There is huge interest and it would be a boost to not only the economy of Fleetwood and the Fylde coast, but to the Isle on Man. “With Stena going they would have the Fleetwood berth to themselves.
“I would love to see a change of heart, but I am not hopeful.”
A spokesman for the company said: “It is true, there are no plans to run day-trips to Fleetwood this year.
“In effect, as Snaefell was used for the Fleetwood trips, as she is no longer in the operational fleet, the day-trips cannot be accommodated in the schedule.”
The writing was on the wall after a New year address by Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward, who announced the return of Manannan after a refurb, and the withdrawal of Snaefel
Today was the official launch of the Fleetwood 175 Celebrations.
The first event was an event of historic footage of Fleetwood Town from years past put together by the North West Film Archive. Footage included a number of historic Royal visits to Fleetwood, including the Duke of Kent’s arrival in the 1920s, and newly-crowned King George VI’s tour of Lancashire in 1938, with Queen Elizabeth, better known to most of us by her later title of the Queen Mother. Also there was footage of the Spit Head Review in the Coronation year, in 1953. Where two Fleetwood trawlers the Red Hackle and the Princess Royal attended.
The evening was a great success with well over 400 local people attending, and im sure they all enjoyed the night as much as I did. I would like to say a big thank you to all the volunteers involved in the organising of this event.
As Fleetwood turns 175 the town has planned many great events throughout the year. The List of Events can be seen below.
A sad day for the town of Fleetwood as it loses it’s ferry service to Ireland. Click here to watch the video.
1973 – 2010
The video was created by Conwy Castle. Their channel can be found here,http://www.youtube.com/user/ConwyCastle2
CRISIS talks have begun after it was revealed Fleetwood’s ferry service to Northern Ireland is being axed, throwing 141 people out of work and raising questions about the future operation of the port.
Ferry company Stena say they cannot make the Fleetwood to Larne route pay and it will finish at the end of the year.
And talks between dock owners Associated Ports (APB), Fleetwood MP Eric Ollerenshaw and leader of Wyre Council Coun Peter Gibson are set to tak place today.
Workers have been left stunned by the shock news just before Christmas.
Of those losing their jobs around 50 are from the Fleetwood and Blackpool area. Others are seafarers who come from various parts of the UK.
Docker Phil Cook of Mersey Road, Fleetwood, said: “Rumours have been flying around for ages.
“We got phone messages to come down here to get some important news: that’s how they told us.
“I have worked here six years but as for getting another job, there is nothing round here.”
Richard Edge of Oxford Road, added: “It’s abvolsutely terrible.”
Colin Burman, of Hatfield Avenue, Fleetwood, said: “I used to be a heavy goods driver. I packed that in three years ago to do this and now I’m going to lose my job just before Christmas. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
ABP described the news as “disappointing”, but said they were still in talks with Stena.
A spokesman added: “We are confident the port of Fleetwood will continue to offer a viable facility servicing the Irish Sea roll-on roll-off market.”
Stena said the Fleetwood to Larne route had been suffering “serious losses.”
A spokesman said: “Even operating with older vessels with low capital costs it has been impossible to bring the service to profit and there is no prospect of improvement in this situation in the future.
“Investment in newer tonnage is regrettably not an option as the higher capital costs combined with the operational constraints of a shallow port in Fleetwood would make the losses even worse.”
Consultations are due to take place with staff but the spokesman added: “With no possible way of changing the fortunes of the route we have to take action to stem the losses which have become impossible to support; no business can continue to carry such losses.”
At the same time Stena announced it has acquired Liverpool to Belfast and Heysham to Belfast routes from ferry operators DFDS.
Mr Ollerenshaw said he had contacted Stena to express his anger at the decision which had come without prior warning.
As well as talks with ABP and Wyre Council, he would be meeting ports minister Mike Penning MP.
He said: “We have to look at every way we can to try to find a way through this.
“It’s going to be very difficult to reverse a commercial decision but there are other things to look at such as the employees.
“The service carried 120,000 units a year: that’s trucks and cars. A lot of these people parked up and spent money in Fleetwood so there is that knock-on effect for the cafe businesses and all the rest of it.”
Click to enlarge image
M.V. Stena Pioneer
Picture courtesy of David Forshaw
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