Although the December weekend weather was far from ideal, plenty of people turned out to show their support for the Shipley Glen Tramway. It has provided a welcome good-news story about this unique local attraction which seems to have been lurching from one crisis to another for years.

It was only last summer that ominous warnings were again being issued by the owner, Mr Mick Leak, about its impending closure because the costs involved in running it and repairing the damage repeatedly caused to it by vandals were far outstripping its revenue. Fortunately Bradford Council, hard-up though it often claims to be, demonstrated its appreciation of the tramway's value to the community and to tourism by managing to find £20,000 for a one-year rescue package.

It was money well spent. For many people the idea of Shipley Glen without the tramway which has transported visitors up and down through the bluebell woods for the last 107 years is unthinkable.

Thanks to the thousands of people who flocked to travel on the Santa Specials during December, the charitable trust which on January 1 takes over the running of the tramway from Mr Leak (who has done such a splendid job of keeping it going since 1982, often against huge odds) will do so in a much more positive atmosphere.

The public have risen to the occasion and shown their regard for this attraction in the best way possible - by going along there and putting their hands in their pockets to provide it with a very useful funding boost with which to start the New Year.