a mummeration of tram clippies

[Kate Wills]

We visited the Model Tramway Exhibition at Kew yesterday. Included was an interesting exhibition on Tramways at War, with several interesting articles concerning the recruitment of female staff. Here is an extract:

"1st January 1917

Bristol's drastically reduced tram service management remitted and a mummeration of conductresses was heard at Horfield Depot. The first batch of 25 women had arrived, aged 18 to 25, earning £1.3.0 for a 54 hour week (= 6 days and 9 hours)."

A mummeration - that figures in Bristol

The piece went on to recount the tale (elsewhere) of the male drivers who did not care to have a female inspector aboard. One used to show his feelings by applying the brakes suddenly to throw her along the car.

[Terry_Reeves]

Same sort of thing in Coventry Kate, but no such exotic word for them I'm afraid. The Trades Unions complained about their proposed employment and the Tramways Committee felt that the whole idea was not really practical as they thought womens constitutions would not be up to working on the the open top deck in bad weather. After a trial period, the committee authorised the purchase of rainproof coats having been somewhat suprised that they were up to the job after all. The unions were only pacified after the council agreed that the women would be dismissed at the end of the war, to allow the jobs to go back to returning servicemen.

Just by-the-by, a week after the outbreak of war, whistling was banned on the the top decks of trams in the city, to join a long list of other prohibited activities, including the playing of musical instruments. I had this inane vision of an otherwise law abiding citizen smuggling a double base up the stairs and giving an impromptu concert to test the system.

Obviously the top decks of trams were seen as potential dens of iniquity by the city fathers.

Terry Reeves

[Kate Wills]

Thanks for the musical snippet Terry. I can't think why those rules were imposed, though it would have prevented wolf-whistling the clippies. Did these restrictions apply elsewhere?

Can anyone think of a good reason why whistling and playing musical instruments on trams should be banned in wartime?

On the wider subject, the delays in engaging female staff on the tramways were also extended by lack of toilet facilities. The piece I read yesterday mentioned that there were no suitable conveniences on some routes, and arrangements had to be made with shops and businesses (near to the stops I imagine) to relieve the situation - well, the clippies.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Kate

I live in Hanham - officially in South Gloucestershire but essentially still a suburb of Bristol. The Hanham Tram Depot still stands - now in use by a Building Company as their garage/stores.

You may find this site of interest.

Dave

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/pipexdsl...ocs/tram02.html

[Kate Wills]

Thankyou Dave, I know Martin will enjoy roaming that site.

I think many of the pieces I read on Saturday must have been copied from Peter Davey's book.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Kate

This Hanham High Street Then & now.

[Guest wrinklyone]

A 'mummeration'! What a lovely word, Kate.

What's the collective for a group of tram buffs? A trolley, perhaps?

[Kate Wills]

Well, it could be a bogie - but I hope not!!

[truthergw]

Same sort of thing in Coventry Kate, but no such exotic word for them I'm afraid. The Trades Unions complained about their proposed employment and the Tramways Committee felt that the whole idea was not really practical as they thought womens constitutions would not be up to working on the the open top deck in bad weather. After a trial period, the committee authorised the  purchase of rainproof coats having been somewhat suprised that they were up to the job after all.  The unions were only pacified after the council agreed that the women would be dismissed at the end of the war, to allow the jobs to go back to returning servicemen.

Just by-the-by, a week after the outbreak of war, whistling was banned on the the top  decks of trams in the city, to join a long list of other prohibited activities, including the playing of musical instruments. I had this inane vision of  an otherwise law abiding citizen smuggling a double base up the stairs and giving an  impromptu concert to test the system.

Obviously the top decks of trams were seen  as potential dens of iniquity by the city fathers.

Terry Reeves

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This sort of response to employing women was also common in engineering. The sort of thing that makes a trade unionist like myself shuffle my feet and cough a bit.

I think that the double base might have been used to signal the enemy.

[MartinWills]

Kate ought to seek out a copy of "Bristol's Tramways Remembered" by John B Appleby which is the prime source on Bristol's Tramways. John was also the man who in his Cheltenham days found a job for an unemployed musician by the name of Jones working as a bus conductor. Mr Jones was not enamoured of the job and became a Rolling Stone until his early death.