Come and join me at the published co-ordinates on Friday 14th September at 6pm until 6.30pm to celebrate my 200th cache.
Bring your TB's for discovering and moving on.
Ipswich Corporation took over the horse tram operations of the erstwhile Ipswich Tramway Company in November 1901, and continued to run horse-drawn services up until June 1903. Photographs which are incontestably from this era appear not to have survived, so it is currently impossible to state whether the corporation chose to issue uniforms to the men working these services, or whether it merely continued the policy of its predecessor, which was to have drivers and conductors wear informal but smart attire.
Staff working the new electric services were issued with double-breasted, 'lancer-style' tunics with two rows of five brass buttons, bearing the system title and Ipswich arms and upright collars; the latter bore an employee number on the bearer's left-hand side (in individual brass numerals) and system initials on the right-hand side (in individual brass letters). Caps were in a military style with a tensioned crown (top) and bore 'off-the-shelf' brass grade badges, either 'Motorman' or 'Conductor'. The uniforms remained unchanged right through to the closure of the system in 1926. Tramcar crews were also issued with double-breasted great coats with two rows of five buttons, epaulettes (with button fasteners) and high, fold-over collars; the latter do not appear to have carried any insignia.
Inspectors initially wore typical tramway inspector garb, i.e. single-breasted jackets edged in a finer material than the main jacket, with hidden buttons (or a hook and eye affair), and upright collars; the latter almost certainly bore ‘Inspector’ in embroidered script lettering on both sides. Headgear took the form of a kepi-style cap which bore the grade - 'Inspector' - probably in embroidered script lettering. At some point prior to the Great War, the jackets were changed to a rather distinctive single-breasted design with plain buttons, two breast pockets (with button closures), pleats, epaulettes (with button fasteners) and upright collars; the latter definitely bore embroidered system initials - 'ICT' - on the bearer's right-hand side, and in all probability on the left-hand side too. Caps were probably changed at the same time to a military style with a tensioned crown; these bore the grade - 'Inspector' - in embroidered script-lettering, on a hat band.
In common with the vast majority of UK tramway systems, Ipswich employed women during the Great War to replace male staff lost to the armed services. The ladies were issued with long, tailored, single-breasted jackets with two large hip-level pockets, pleats, a waist belt and high, fold-over collars; the latter bore a staff number on the bearer's left-hand side (in individual brass numerals) and system initials - 'I C T' - on the right-hand side (in brass letters). The style of the uniform jacket was subtly altered at some point through the addition of a pocket on the bearer's right breast (with button closure) and epaulettes (with button fasteners). Summer headgear took the form of a straw bonnet upon which a script-lettering grade badge - 'Conductor' - was worn; this was mounted on a hat band. In winter, waterproof bonnets were worn; these carried the usual brass, script-lettering grade badge.