Electric tramways formed the backbone of most towns and cities in the first half of the twentieth century. But when they got in the way of cars, they had to go. People loved their trams, they took them to school, to work, to go shopping, to the cinema and to football matches. When the last Glasgow tram ran in 1962, a quarter of a million Glaswegians braved the pouring rain to say goodbye. Thirty years later, trams were re-invented to help combat congestion and environmental impacts of the car. Both eras are covered in this book by an engineer who witnessed the demise of the tram and its revival, playing a major role in getting trams onto the streets of Manchester in 1992. Now trams are running again in London, Edinburgh and cities in between. This is a personal story about the last tramways in Britain and the new generation of light rail systems, a term invented to avoid any confusion with old double deckers clanking down the middle of the road. It is interlaced with stories of tramways in the UK, Europe and beyond, gained when working as an international light rail consultant.

Will she finally find her own happy ending? London, 1925 On Paradise Corner, just past the tram stop, Florence runs a pie shop, famous for miles around. Warm and comforting, just like her pies, Florence is always there as a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on, especially to her full house of family and friends. There's six year old niece Josefina, left with Florence by her wayward sister, Stella. Rose Marie, Florence's younger sister, in search of adventures of her own. And Manny, invalided out of the First World War, and in need of a job and a place to rest his head. Balancing her friends and her pies leaves Florence little time to look after herself. But times could be changing. And happiness may be just around the corner. For fans of Katie Flynn and Sheila Jeffries, Hot Pies on the Tram Car is a heartwarming novel from the Queen of family saga, Sheila Newberry. A perfect book to get cosy with during the festive period. 'So gloriously nostalgic . . . a perfect example of her talent.' Maureen Lee, bestselling author of The Seven Streets of Liverpool 'Like having dinner with your mother in her warm and cosy kitchen.' Diane Allen, bestselling author of For the Sake of Her Family

Sophie Sullivan chances to rescue Miss Euphemia Cochrane one afternoon in the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, Scotland. Miss Cochrane, a wealthy spinster, whom Sophie recognizes as living in the same small town as she, had forgotten her purse, causing a commotion in the tearooms and extreme embarrassment to Miss Cochrane. Sophie Generously pays for both their lunches, and the women strike up an immediate friendship. When Mr. Benedict Cochrane, Euphemia’s older brother, and a prestigious barrister in the Glasgow High Courts, hears of his sister’s new friendship, he is outraged and goes to Sophie’s family’s Haberdashery to return Sophie’s money. However, as soon as he sees the beautiful and impertinent Miss Sullivan, he abruptly changes his mind. The good barrister is instantly smitten by his sister’s new friend; however, it is Scotland in 1910, and he believes Sophie Sullivan, a shopkeeper’s daughter, is beneath him and not in his social class. He fights against his feelings, continually breaking promises and belittling her. However, Sophie is soon bound to join her aunt and uncle Carlisle in New York, in pursuit of a wealthy husband. She is well prepared for her new life in America, having spent her spare time and wages on elocution lessons and books on manners and self-improvement. Sophie is also immediately smitten with the good barrister; however, she mistrusts his motives and finds him unreliable and an utter snob. Her affection for him will not alter her plans for a new life in the new world, even though he is determined for her to give up her ticket. There ensues a tangle of emotions, with Euphemia Cochrane and Sophie’s brother, Jack Sullivan, often caught in the middle of the drama created by this couple who may be in love but would much prefer not to be so.