A museum is bidding to save a piece of television history – by offering a new home to the Blackpool tram which knocked down and killed Coronation Street villain Alan Bradley. A remarkable 27m people watched the 1989 episode when Bradley chased his long-suffering partner Rita Fairclough into the path of the tram on Blackpool prom.
Blackpool's Tramtown Museum needs to raise £2,500 by end of the year to rescue the tram. The double decker vehicle, which is known as tram number 710, is owned by the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust and currently based on land at Fleetwood Docks.
Trustees have just 30 days to save it from eviction and relocate it to Tramtown, where it would become a static exhibit.
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Coun Paul Galley, lead volunteer coordinator at Tramtown, said: "This is a unique opportunity to save a bit of Blackpool's history. We know it will be popular as 'where is the tram that killed Alan Bradley?' is the most popular question we get asked by visitors to Tramtown."
Bryan Lindop, head of heritage at Blackpool Transport, said: "Tramtown continues to be a huge success with over 2,000 visitors so far this year and this tram will attract even more visitors to discover the various trams we have at Tramtown. The potential for volunteers to undertake its cosmetic restoration will also create lots of exciting volunteer opportunities for the people of Blackpool.
"We know that not only can we save this unique tram, but tram 710 can work for Blackpool in a different way over the years, to become an attraction in its own right."
The tram is one of seven acquired by the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust but its hopes of opening a transport heritage centre on the docks as a tourism attraction for Fleetwood failed to work out, forcing it to find new homes for its vehicles. So far £650 of the £2,500 target needed to transport the tram from Fleetwood to Blackpool has been raised.
Anyone who would like to contribute to the fund can do so here.
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