Glen tramway celebrates

7:11am Saturday 17th May 2008

Morris Men and clog dancers were descending on the Shipley Glen Tramway today to help volunteers celebrate Founder's Weekend.

Eight teams of Morris dancers, headed up by Saltaire's own Rainbow Morris Men, will be hot footing it to the historic tramway after an appearance at Bradford Industrial Museum where they were due to perform this morning as part of the Industrial Heritage Day.

At the tramway the dancers will perform at both the top and bottom platforms.

The tramway was set up by Baildon entrepreneur Sam Wilson 113 years ago and visitors originally paid a penny to ride up the hill and a half penny to ride down.

Chairman Richard Freeman said: "This is the most important weekend of the year for the volunteers who run the tram as it celebrates both the opening of the tramway and the vision of those special Victorians who saw an opportunity and took a gamble.

"Now, 113 years later, it is still going strong so the gamble certainly paid off."

The tramway will be open both today and tomorrow from 12noon and the Morris men are performing at 2pm today.

Editor's choice