The Two Pound Tram
Encyclopedia
The Two Pound Tram is a novel written by Wiliam Newton (a pseudonym of Kenneth Newton
, a retired doctor). It was first published in 2003 to great acclaim and won the 2004 Society of Authors
Sagittarius Prize
(for first novelists over the age of 60). It sold 60,000 copies in Britain and was also successful in America and Germany.
(founder of Bloomsbury Publishing) to lunch at the Garrick Club
in London. His nephew was horrified to hear that Kenneth had written a novel as publishers are swamped with new novels; and being a relative Nigel was put in a difficult position but although not wanting to get involved he did pass it to his editorial staff; and it was published to great acclaim later that year.
near Worthing
on the Sussex
coast and travel to London. Wilfred the narrator recounts how they had seen an advert in the Daily Mail
which said 'Tram
s surplus to the requirements of the London Omnibus and Tramcar Company for sale at their depot at Acton, London
for £2 each.' They pool their resources and travel to the depot where they are told that trams were indeed for sale but had to be collected and could not be delivered to Sussex. The only candidate was an old horse-drawn tram and they manage to secure a horse called Homer from a retired rag and bone man
. Unfortunately the depot had no destination board
s for Sussex but they had one for Canterbury
for which they set off via the Old Kent Road
accompanied by Homer's companion - a dog called Tiger. They gained fare-paying passengers at Harbledown
and began a regular if slow service between there and Canterbury, and also acquire a conductor called Hattie. Rival companies eventually force them to move on due to the lack of a PSV operators license and they travel back to Worthing where they gain the support of the wealthy resident of Goring Hall who inspired by their determination funds the purchase and transport of an electric tram from Acton which they renovate and put into service in Worthing town centre.
The second half of the novel concerns events during World War II
, the brothers volunteering for both the LDV and ARP
and Hattie for the VAD
.
Kenneth Newton
Dr Kenneth Newton was an English doctor who treated British and foreign royalty as well as many celebrities, after retirement he wrote the acclaimed novel The Two Pound Tram which won the 2005 Society of Authors Sagittarius Prize .-Early Life:He was born in Ealing, West...
, a retired doctor). It was first published in 2003 to great acclaim and won the 2004 Society of Authors
Society of Authors
The Society of Authors is a trade union for professional writers that was founded in 1884 to protect the rights of writers and fight to retain those rights .It has counted amongst its members and presidents numerous notable writers and poets including Tennyson The Society of Authors (UK) is a...
Sagittarius Prize
Sagittarius Prize
The Sagittarius Prize was a literary award given between 1991 to 2005 by the Society of Authors for a first novel by an author over the age of sixty...
(for first novelists over the age of 60). It sold 60,000 copies in Britain and was also successful in America and Germany.
Publication
In 2003 the author invited his nephew Nigel NewtonNigel Newton
Nigel Newton is the founder and Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, one of the largest publishing companies in the United Kingdom. Newton was joined by David Reynolds, Liz Calder and Alan Wherry, in his new venture, which was launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1986.Bloomsbury was...
(founder of Bloomsbury Publishing) to lunch at the Garrick Club
Garrick Club
The Garrick Club is a gentlemen's club in London.-History:The Garrick Club was founded at a meeting in the Committee Room at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on Wednesday 17 August 1831...
in London. His nephew was horrified to hear that Kenneth had written a novel as publishers are swamped with new novels; and being a relative Nigel was put in a difficult position but although not wanting to get involved he did pass it to his editorial staff; and it was published to great acclaim later that year.
Plot
The main story begins in 1937 when brothers Wilfred and Duncan Scrutton run away from their home at FerringFerring
Ferring is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is part of the built-up area of Worthing and is located on the A259 road west of the town. The parish has a land area of 430.6 hectares...
near Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
on the Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
coast and travel to London. Wilfred the narrator recounts how they had seen an advert in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
which said 'Tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s surplus to the requirements of the London Omnibus and Tramcar Company for sale at their depot at Acton, London
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
for £2 each.' They pool their resources and travel to the depot where they are told that trams were indeed for sale but had to be collected and could not be delivered to Sussex. The only candidate was an old horse-drawn tram and they manage to secure a horse called Homer from a retired rag and bone man
Rag and bone man
Rag and bone man is a British phrase for a junk dealer. Historically the phrase referred to an individual who would travel the streets of a city with a horsedrawn cart, and would collect old rags for making fabric and paper, bones for making glue, scrap iron for recycling, and assorted miscellany...
. Unfortunately the depot had no destination board
Destination sign
A destination sign or destination indicator is a sign mounted on the front or side of a public transport vehicle, such as a bus, tram/streetcar or light rail vehicle, that displays the vehicle's route number and destination, or the route's number and name on transit systems using route names...
s for Sussex but they had one for Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
for which they set off via the Old Kent Road
Old Kent Road
The Old Kent Road is a road in South East London, England and forms part of Watling Street, the Roman road which ran from Dover to Holyhead. The street is famous as the equal cheapest property on the London Monopoly board and as the only one in South London....
accompanied by Homer's companion - a dog called Tiger. They gained fare-paying passengers at Harbledown
Harbledown
Harbledown is a village to the west of Canterbury, Kent in England, now contiguous with the city, although still a separate village. It forms part of the civil parish of Harbledown and Rough Common. The High Street is a conservation area with many fascinating colloquial buildings either side of a...
and began a regular if slow service between there and Canterbury, and also acquire a conductor called Hattie. Rival companies eventually force them to move on due to the lack of a PSV operators license and they travel back to Worthing where they gain the support of the wealthy resident of Goring Hall who inspired by their determination funds the purchase and transport of an electric tram from Acton which they renovate and put into service in Worthing town centre.
The second half of the novel concerns events during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the brothers volunteering for both the LDV and ARP
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
and Hattie for the VAD
Voluntary Aid Detachment
The Voluntary Aid Detachment was a voluntary organisation providing field nursing services, mainly in hospitals, in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The organisation's most important periods of operation were during World War I and World War II.The...
.
Reception
- 'Rather like Daisy AshfordDaisy AshfordDaisy Ashford, full name Margaret Mary Julia Ashford was an English writer who is most famous for writing The Young Visiters, a novella concerning the upper class society of late 19th century England, when she was just nine years old. The novella was published in 1919, preserving her juvenile...
's The Young VisitersThe Young VisitersThe Young Visiters or Mister Salteena's Plan is a 1919 novel by Daisy Ashford. Ashford wrote the novel at the age of nine, in 1890, in an exercise book. Full of spelling mistakes, each chapter was also written as a single paragraph...
this is a charming, miniature oddity', Sunday TelegraphSunday TelegraphThe Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories... - 'Newton is a wonderful find, it’s my book of the year and I shall give it to everyone for Christmas', Angela HuthAngela HuthAngela Huth is an English novelist and journalist.-Personal life and career:Huth is the daughter of the actor Harold Huth. She left school at age 16 in order to paint and to study art in both France and Italy. At 18 she travelled, mostly alone, across the United States before returning to England...
, The SpectatorThe SpectatorThe Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture... - 'Goes on haunting the reader's imagination long after he has put the book down ... I loved it', Clive AsletClive AsletClive Aslet is editor-at-large of Country Life magazine, a writer on British architecture and life, and a campaigner on countryside and other issues.-Career:...
, Country LifeCountry Life (magazine)Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...