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Flash back to the horse era
THIS photograph of Mr John Wells, 13 Richmond Drive, Skegness, was taken 25 years ago. He is seen delivering parcels for the railway company with a horse and dray. A few days afterwards lorries were introduced for the task.
When Mr. Wells first started the horse and cart delivery for Hydes and Son of Skegness, he had to cover the whole of the town on his own. Later his task became lighter when he worked with three agents.
Now aged 78, Mr Wells passes his time by doing a certain amount of jobbing gardening. This month sees the 25th anniversary of the replacement vehicles.

Unfortunately, I haven’t got an exact reference date for this news story, so if anyone can help please leave a comment. However, I have found John Wells on the 1901 census for Skegness, living in Mayfield Villas on Wainfleet Road, with his father, aged 57, working in the Gravel Pits, and mother, Maria. John (in the photo) is aged 21 on the 1901 census, so from the clues we have, we can date the news article to 1958. Therefore we can deduce that the picture was actually taken around 1933, which it seems is the year that the horse and cart was ousted by the railway in Skegness, in favour of delivery lorries.

If you require more research into John Wells’ family history, or any other Skegness families, please ask.

This group photo of railway employees will prove of interest.
Depicted from left to right are:
Messers. W. Holderness (Boston), W. Raynor (Skegness), J. Wright (Firsby), W. Neal (Skegness) and F. Parrott (Skegness).

The most familiar figure to Skegnessians and district travellers by rail is probably Mr. Rayner, who has acted as ticket collector at Skegness Station for the past eight years, following nearly 19 years’ service as a passenger guard at Leicester.
Possessed of a cheery and obliging disposition, “Walter” is very popular with all classes of travellers, the majority of whom usually take the opportunity of “passing the time o’ day” when giving up their tickets or having them “punched”.
It would be interesting to know how many pieces of cardboard and the value they represent have been handled by Mr Raynor during his eight years’ service at Skegness.

Mr. Parrott has also acted as a ticket collector and in other capacities on the Skegness station for several years, and Mr. Neal has a long record of service as foreman in the goods department.

Messers Holderness and Wright, who have been at Skegness throughout the past season, have now retured to duty at Boston and Firsby respectively.

1926

Source: Skegness Herald 1887

Not many people will know that there was once a tramway on Skegness beach.

The horse-drawn trams idea, which was a private enterprise, solved the problem of the soft sands being difficult to walk upon, especially by the Victorian ladies.

The tramway didn’t last that long, as it seems sand blew onto the tracks and eventually caused more problems than it solved.

We are indebted to 80 year-old, Mr Mike Richards of Skegness for providing this photograph of the tramway.

enlarged image

The ‘old ship on the sand’ referred to in the article is of course the Whale Ship Eliza.

Tramway on Skegness Beach

A tramway is being constructed on the beach by Messers. Rowley and Storr, and when completed it will afford great accommodation to visitors desirous of having a walk on our beautiful sands, which are several hundred yards from the parades.
This intermediate space consists of soft sands, which is very difficult to walk on, and which is usually, during the season, occupied with shows, swings, merry-go-rounds, Aunt Sallies etc.
Complaints have frequently been heard from visitors during the past two or three years of the difficult approach to the sea, and various suggestions have been made as to best means of providing a remedy for the same.
One of these, made to the Local Board some months ago, was the forming a wooden footpath from the Parade, opposite Lumley Road, to the highest elevation on the beach near the old ship on the sands, but the subject was not entertained by the Board.
We are glad, however, to state that private speculators have come to the rescue, in the persons of Messers. Rowley and Storr, who are now providing the accommodation so greatly needed, and which we hope, and have no doubt, will prove remunerative to them.
They are now constructing a tramway from the parade, directly opposite Lumley Road, over the soft sands, and at a distance of about five hundred yards to the sea.
The work is being rapidly proceeded with and will be completed by Good Friday, on which day it is intended to be opened for traffic.
The tramway will consist, the greater part of the distance, of two lines of rails, which are being laid on sleepers on a level with the sands.
The gauge will be 2ft 6in and four cars are being specially constructed, and each of which will carry twenty-one persons.
One of these cars will be constructed in such a manner that sedan chairs and perambulators can easily be conveyed in it.
The cars will be drawn by horses.
The starting point will be at the left hand corner of the North Parade, and here a platform about 60ft long and 22ft wide is being constructed.
The platform, which is a few feet below the level of the parades, will be approached by a slight incline, and will be enclosed with ornamental railing.
The tramway will run along by the side of the new Marine Gardens for a distance of about 50 yards.
At the entrance to the platform, adjacent to the parades, will be a turnstyle and ornamental ticket office.
It is expected that the charge will be one penny for the single, and three-half-pence for the double journey.
Passengers entering the car at the sea end, or anywhere on the homeward journey, will pay their fares at the turn-style near the parade.
We trust that this accommodation which is being provided for visitors will be greatly appreciated, and patronizes, by them.

This letter to the Editor of the Skegness Herald was published in the newspaper in response to the new tramway:

The Tramway on the Sands

Sir - I am very pleased to see the great improvements that have taken place in Skegness since my visit here last year, more particularly in regard to the tramway, which is a grat boon to the public and supplies a long-felt want.
Great credit is due to the promoters of the same.
For some years past great difficulty has been experienced, especially by ladies, in traversing the intervening soft sand, and many complaints have from time to time been made in respect of the difficulty in getting to the beautiful sands at the water’s edge, and which are firm and clean.
Yours truly
H R Shepherd

Source: Skegness Herald 9th February 1883

We have heard a great deal of late of the desirability of a fire engine being provided for Skegness, and the necessity of such a provision will, we presume, be brought home to our local authorities with very great force after hearing of what occured last week.
A fire broke out at a farm in the parish of Addlethorpe, and a messenger was despatched to Wainfleet for the fir engine which is kept in that town.
It appears that the brigade and engine were ready but no horses could be obtained to take the latter to the scene of the conflagration, and the farm buildings were consequently left to the mercy of the devouring elements.
Had the wind veered round from the direction it was then blowing it is very probable that the dwelling-house as well as the out-buildings etc would have been totally destroyed.
Our townspeople may picture to themselves the unpleasant position they would have been in had a fire occured in Lumley Road, and had they not been able to secure the services of a fire engine for want of horses to draw it hither.
This condition of things will, however, soon be remedied, and at the Easter vestry it is expected that it will be definitely decided to purchase an engine for the protection of this town.

Source: Skegness Standard 28th May 1978
Photos: Wrates Studio Skegness

A question mark hangs over the 41-year-old Drummond Road bus station at Skegness, which Lincolnshire Road Car Co Ltd have abandoned in favour of the Richmond Drive bus station.
Town councillors have already expressed concern about its derelict state.
It is seen below with one of the last buses leaving from it.