What was it like conducting on Bristol’s Trams?
George Pine’s insights into what it was it like working on Bristol’s Trams.
(Left) One month into his job, George pictured with driver ‘Smash’ Sheppard on Tram 31 on Upper Belgrave Road, Durdham Downs (Right) George, in his Tram Conductor’s uniform, poses for the camera in the late 1920s.
Despite his WW1 injuries, George Pine managed a 36-year career collecting fares between Eastville and Durdham Down on Bristol’s trams and buses between the 1920s and 40s. He experienced the changeover from trams to buses in the 1930s and survived several close shaves during the Blitz. He retired in 1956. At the request of his grandson, George jotted down 44,000 words of memories in the months before he died in 1972.
George’s story has been painstakingly researched by Clive Burlton in Trenches to Trams, the Life of a Bristol Tommy – a vivid social and military history – bringing to life the story of an ordinary Bristolian who experienced extraordinary times.
Here are some of George’s insights into what it was it like working on Bristol’s Trams.
Tram conducting experience in the 1920s
Ticket prices were 1d, 2d, and 3d, and conductors had to manage ticket sales efficiently. Discipline was strict, with penalties for mistakes such as failing to pick up used tickets or leaving passengers behind. The tram service was very busy during holidays, transporting crowds to various attractions.
Day trips and excursions by tram
The early 1920s saw a surge in excursion trips facilitated by the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company (BT&CC). The BT&CC operated over 200 trams and a fleet of 177 motorbuses and 56 charabancs by 1922.
Sports and team activities
George was actively involved in sports and team activities at the tramway company, including organizing events and participating in competitions. The tramway company had a strong football and cricket team, with players often representing Bristol Trams. George also served as Secretary of the Eastville Depot Sports Club, organizing inter-depot competitions in various sports.
Health challenges and work adjustments
George faced health challenges that affected his work, including eye problems and arthritis, leading to adjustments in his job responsibilities. He had to wear bifocal glasses due to vision issues, which complicated his ticket management. After a medical board assessment, his pension was fixed at 50% for life due to war-related injuries.
Transition from trams to buses in Bristol
The transition from tram services to bus services in Bristol marked a significant change in public transportation during the late 1930s. Tram Service No. 3, which operated from Eastville to Durdham Downs, was one of the first routes to be replaced by buses in May 1938. The changeover was prompted by the need to accommodate retiring tram drivers and the increasing popularity of bus services. The first bus service began on May 8, 1938, with 271 buses replacing the trams. The tram fleet, once the largest in the world with 232 vehicles, was gradually dismantled, with all 34 trams from the Eastville route scrapped by June 24, 1938.
Trenches to Trams is an invaluable social history of a working class Bristolian who lived through two World Wars. It contains more than 200 archive images most of them never previously published. Some of George Pine’s memorabilia is on show at M Shed and the book is supported by Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives.
September Highlights
News and events from Bristol Books this September
News and events from Bristol Books this September
Bristol Books at M Shed shop
Having recently restocked with a bumper range of Bristol Books titles M Shed shop now have one of the widest ranges of Bristol Books titles in the city, including exclusives such as Bristol and Transatlantic Slavery. Take a trip to M shed shop this September and browse their wide range of Bristol themed books.
What was it like conducting on Bristol’s Trams?
Despite his WW1 injuries, George Pine managed a 36-year career collecting fares between Eastville and Durdham Down on Bristol’s trams and buses between the 1920s and 40s. Here are some of George’s insights into what it was it like working on Bristol’s Trams.
Bristol Books at Chew Valley Nature Photography Festival
Sat 13 & Sun 14 September
St. Andrew's Church, Chew Magna
Come along to the Chew Valley Nature Photography Festival on the weekend of 13-14th September and hear Bristol Books author Lyndon Roberts discussing his new book ‘Robin Prytherch, A life with Buzzards’.
The festival provides a showcase of the amazing biodiversity found in the region and will feature an exhibition of the 500 entrants to the photographic competition. There will also be live music, refreshments including wildlife themed beers and Bristol Books will have a stand selling a range of our titles.
Author talk: Trenches to Trams
Clive Burlton
Tues 16th September, 7:30pm
Wrington Local History Society
Venue: Wrington United Reform Church Chapel, Roper's Lane, Wrington, BS40 5NF
Entry: £2.50, includes tea/coffee/biscuits.
Author talk: Maid of the Haystack
Martin J. Powell
Mon 8th September, 2pm
Uplands and District Townswomen's Guild
Venue: Headley Park Church, Bristol.
August Highlights
News, events and new titles from Bristol Books this August
News, events and new titles from Bristol Books this August
A History of the Bristol & District Cricket Association
Trevor Crouch and Edwin Morris
“An essential read for anyone interested in the history of club cricket in the Bristol area - a painstaking piece of research into what has become one of the biggest cricket leagues in the country.” Steve Hill
As a sport, Cricket has a reputation for sometimes being slow to embrace change and this seems to be true of the early years of local Bristol cricket.
With evidence of matches being played in 1752, the movement towards some form of organisation progressed somewhat sedately. It took another 140 years before the Bristol & District Cricket Association was formed by a group of local clubs, many of whom are still in existence today.
This book attempts to chart the BDCA through from its formation to the inception of league cricket in 1973. Along the way we acknowledge the support of many clubs and the efforts of so many outstanding individuals, without whose efforts the Association as we know it would be so much poorer.
Price: £24
Days Out Around Bristol, Bath & Somerset
Including South Wales & South Cotswolds
Where shall we go today? Crook Peak, the Avalon Marshes, the Wye Valley? Or perhaps Bruton, Glastonbury or Clevedon? This book is packed with ideas for great days out within around an hour or so’s drive, with suggestions to suit your mood, schedule and starting point. From the Mendip Hills and Somerset Levels, to South Wales, the southern Cotswolds, the Coast and its resorts. Quirky facts and background information provide context, while divided into micro-regions, maps provide orientation.
Pre-order only: Estimated availability from 6 August. Books will be posted to customers as soon as we receive stock.
Price: £14.99
We’re proud to support Darran’s bookhaus Crowdfunding Campaign
Bristol Books are proud to be supporting Darran McLaughlin in his crowdfunding campaign to become the new owner of bookhaus when the current owners retire.
Darran says, “Since we opened four years ago bookhaus has always ensured that we stock a wide range of books on Bristol from local authors and publishers like Bristol Books. We are part of the cultural fabric of the city, and we want to continue to be so for years to come. Please support our Crowdfunder to allow us to continue to serve the local community, and thanks very much to Bristol Books CIC for their support.”
Darran has managed bookhaus since the beginning but lacks the funds to enable him to buy the bookshop. He says, “I am determined to do this, but I lack the money to buy it. I am a working class, black man who grew up in a single parent household on a council estate, so I am not able to ask my family for money, and banks aren't keen to fund independent bookshops.”
Louise Brown special edition for Mexico
Bristol Books have produced a special edition of our Louise Brown biography "My Life as the World's First IVF Baby" for those attending the 61st Congress of the Mexican Association for of Reproductive Medicine in Tulum, Mexico. The book was updated and designed by Bristol Books with the support of South American fertility sector sponsors and printed in Mexico. Louise attended the congress spending many hours signing books with doctors, embryologists and professors queueing to meet her and pick up their copy.
July Highlights
News, events and new titles from Bristol Books this July
News, events and new titles from Bristol Books this July
Enjoy summer paperbacks from Bristol Books
Looking for a great book to take with you on holiday this summer? Why not explore our range of paperbacks and discover something new about Bristol life.
Browse our shop where you will find remarkable stories, fascinating biographies and historical fiction, all with a Bristol theme.
Luke Jerram: Of Earth and Sky
Wednesday 9 July, 6:30-8pm
Arnolfini, Bristol
£10 full price, £5 concession
Arnolfini will host Bristol-based international artist Luke Jerram to discuss his new book ‘Luke Jerram: Of Earth and Sky’, published by Bristol Books.
Of Earth and Sky describes 30 projects created by international artist Luke Jerram from 2019 to 2025. As well as providing updates on the staggeringly popular Museum of the Moon and Gaia, it also features the very latest artworks including Helios, charitable creative projects from the new Jerram Foundation, and many more, most recently relating to planetary health.
A specialist in creating visual artwork which often attracts large audiences and publicity, Jerram gives an insight into how he works in collaboration with other artists, performers, scientists, anthropologists and members of the public, right around the world, to create these astonishing projects.
Copies of the book will be available to purchase, and Luke will be available for book signing.
Poets’ Walk Book Launch
Friday 25 July, from 6:30pm
Waterstones, Clifton, Bristol
Free entry
This is the second event to launch the new Poets’ Walk poetry book, this time in Bristol at Waterstones in Clifton. Starting at 6:30pm, there will be poetry readings from the various contributors to the book.
The book features poems by 32 contemporary poets, who have responded to themes inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, associated with Clevedon’s Poets' Walk.
June Highlights
News, events and new titles from Bristol Books this June
News, events and new titles from Bristol Books this June
Poets’ Walk Book Launch
Monday 2 June, from 6pm
Riff Corner, Clevedon
Free entry
An event to launch the new Poets’ Walk poetry book. Starting at 6pm, there will be poetry readings from the book followed by an open mic session and further readings.
The book features poems by 32 contemporary poets, who have responded to themes inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, associated with Clevedon’s Poets' Walk.
The poems have also been commissioned to accompany a permanent audio walk, accessed through your smartphone. The walk follows the Poets’ Walk path and provides accompanying audio, triggered by GPS. Details are included in the book.
There will also be a guided audio walk on Mon 2 June, starting at 3.30pm at Salthouse Fields steps, by the Marine lake in Clevedon. Those attending will need to bring a smartphone and earphones.
Luke Jerram: Of Earth and Sky
Wednesday 9 July, 6:30-8pm
Arnolfini, Bristol
£10 full price, £5 concession
Arnolfini will host Bristol-based international artist Luke Jerram to discuss his new book ‘Luke Jerram: Of Earth and Sky’, published by Bristol Books.
Of Earth and Sky describes 30 projects created by international artist Luke Jerram from 2019 to 2025. As well as providing updates on the staggeringly popular Museum of the Moon and Gaia, it also features the very latest artworks including Helios, charitable creative projects from the new Jerram Foundation, and many more, most recently relating to planetary health.
A specialist in creating visual artwork which often attracts large audiences and publicity, Jerram gives an insight into how he works in collaboration with other artists, performers, scientists, anthropologists and members of the public, right around the world, to create these astonishing projects.
Copies of the book will be available to purchase, and Luke will be available for book signing.
Celebrating Independent Bookshop Week 2025: Saturday 14 – Saturday 21 June
Support your local independent bookshop this month while shopping for your next summer read. This annual celebration of independent bookshops aims to highlight the vital role independent bookshops play in their communities and Bristol is fortunate to have so many great ones to choose from.