LONDON'S LAST

TRAM

CROWDS' FAREWELL

The London tram is no more. The last one groaned to a stop outside New Cross depot early yesterday after a midnight run from Woolwich and had to be assisted on the last short lap of its historic journey. It was a busy day for the tram crews, for crowds piled on to all available cars, and souvenir hunters stripped everything that was eastly removed.

The tram selected to make the lasf journey of aU was No. 1951, a route 40 car from Woolwich to New Cross, via Charlton and Greenwich. Great crowds gathered also along the way of the last remaining six services connecting the Embankment with Abbey Wood, Plumstead, and Woolwich, and from Woolwich to Eltham in one direction and to the City in the other.

AU along its five-mile route from Woolwich to New tross, the people of south-east London crowded to wave and cheer the 30year-old tram on its way. It was driven at first by Driver Albert Fuller, of the New Cross dep't, but at Greenwich the controls were taken over by the Mayor of Deptford, Mr. F. J. Morris, who piloted it through his own borough. Later, Mr. John Cliff, deputy chairman of the London Transport Executive, who began his career 52 years ago as a tramwayman in Leeds, drove it on its last rattle to New Cross depot. Here it became stuck on the point of turning into the depot, and to the delight of the crowd, another tram was brought out to help it over the dead spot.

Earlier, Lordc Latham, chairman of the London Transport Executive, with Mr. Edwin Bayliss, chairman of the L.C.C. and other guests, including the mayors of the nine Lqndon boroughs affected by the conversion, arrived at New Cross in another tram. Wben No. 1951-it was labelled " London's last tram "-arrived at the dep8t, Lord Latham said that trams had taken an honourable place in the history of the metropolis and had given the Londoner " seven-league boots."

* Picture on page 10.