Diary: Speeding tram drivers fined

Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, July 19th, 1917.

George Street c1914

  • Tram in a busy George Street (Pictorial Record, a 1914 publication).

Yesterday Town Clerk Mr William Smith's prophecy came true. When prosecuting motor drivers at the Borough Court some weeks ago he said that the turn of the tram drivers would come next. The warning went unheeded, and yesterday no fewer than seven charges against five tramcar drivers were gone into. They were summoned for exceeding the speed limit allowed by the Board of Trade regulations.

In opening the case the Town Clerk said that for a considerable time numerous complaints had been made by pedestrians and more particularly by the people who were so unfortunate sometimes as to be passengers on the cars as to the absolute indifference and carelessness of the men who drove them. These men, unfortunately, seemed to think that the tramways existed either for their amusement or something else, but not for the convenience of the public.

In taking these proceedings he made no reflection on the tramway lessees or upon the local manager. But the men who had to be entrusted with the driving ignored all the orders and directions given them. The only way to curb these men, old and young alike, was to make them feel there was a power they had to obey.

Even the serious accident just over six months ago had had no effect on these men, who still went down High Town Road, Ashton Road and other hills just as if that accident had not taken place. One driver was said to have driven down Beech Hill at 18 mph instead of the regulation 4 mph.

Before the court were John Gunne, of 10 Church Street; Thomas Wooldridge, of 10 Regent Street; William H. Burgess, of 22 Stuart Street; William Henry Saunders, of 17 Manor Path; William Griffiths, of 18 Victoria Street. All denied the offences but were fined between 5 shillings and 20 shillings.

  • Stoker Horace Stanley BinghamStoker Horace Stanley Bingham (pictured right) had a providential escape from the tragedy that was the internal explosion that sank the battleship HMS Vanguard at anchor in Scapa Flow on July 9th. The 22-year-old seaman who resided with his sister, Mrs Franklin, at Blyth Place, Luton, had been picked out as one of a party to go on leave. On prior occasions he had always been with his chums, including Engineer Artificer Herbert Pestell, whose parents in Burr Street had received Admiralty intimation of his death. Petty officer stoker Harold Francis Armitage, of 43 Tennyson Road, Luton, was feared drowned, and it was only later that another Lutonian, Able Seaman Charles Johnson, would also be known to have lost his life.

  • An accident befell a pleasure party on the way to Totternhoe Knolls on Saturday afternoon. It was the annual outing of the Junior Endeavourers of Wellington Street Baptist Church, and the children left in three brakes. When one of the vehicles was passing under the railway bridge in Dunstable Road, a passing heavy traction engine startled the horses, which reared and plunged and got beyond the driver's control. The animals ran into the wall, the reins snapped and the shafts were broken. One of two of the frightened children tried to leap from the vehicle, but fortunately some soldiers and civilians who were near ran to their assistance and got the brake unloaded in a very short time, others securing the horses. Afterwards the children got into two other brakes and continued their journey to Totternhoe, where a happy time was spent.

  • Last week at St Matthew's Church, Plymouth, Miss Dorothy Florence Lake, of Plymouth, was married to Mr Kenneth Boutwood, son of Mr and Mrs W. A. Boutwood, of Hilldene, Hart Hill, Luton. The bridegroom is a naval ordnance officer.

  • The new platform inspector succeeding Mr Tom Burnham at the Midland passenger station is Mr Joseph Burditt, of Derby, who commenced duty yesterday. He has been with the company 25 years.

  • At the Herts Quarter Sessions on Monday, the Marquis of Salisbury moved and Sir Alfred Reynolds seconded a resolution urging upon the Secretary of State for War the strong desire of the residents of Herts that in the arrangement of the Forces after the war regular line regiments should be formed bearing the county name. Sir Alfred said half the men in the Bedfordshire Regiment were Herts men. None could have behaved more nobly and heroically, and the county should have a regiment of its own. [In August 1919 the Beds Regiment changed its name to the Beds & Herts Regiment to recognise the men from Hertfordshire who had fought in World War One.]

  • After seeing service in England, Ireland, Egypt and France, Pte Tom Bushwell, of the R.AM.C. and son of Mr Bushwell, of 22 Pondwicks Road, Luton, is making slow progress in Bethnal Green Military Hospital after being wounded while serving as a stretcher-bearer in France.

  • Military honours were accorded the late Pte Augustus George Baker, who died last Thursday at his home, 23 Collingdon Street, Luton. The deceased had a long Army career, having participated in the Boer War. He rejoined the 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment in August 1914 and served at Gallipoli the following year. He was invalided home with dysentery and, after treatment in various hospitals, was discharged from service on May 19th, 1916. He was sent home and continued suffering from bronchitis, asthma and heart trouble.

  • Two of the sons of Mrs Henman, of Breachwood Green, who were reported missing last September, have both now been officially posted as killed. One of them, L-Cpl Ellis Henman, was married and his wife lives at 46 Cobden Street, Luton. His brother, Pte Walter Henman, was single and lived with his mother at Breachwood Green.

  • A tribute was paid by Luton shop assistants to one of their former colleagues, Pte Arthur Fitzjohn, whose funeral took place at the Luton General Cemetery on Monday. He was in the Luton branch of the union and his name was on the roll of honour of Wellington Street Baptist Church, where he married he daughter of Mr and Mrs Ellingham, of 222 Wellington Street. Pte Fitzjohn, whose relatives live in St Albans, joined the Army Ordnance Corps in November but was never in good health. He was first taken suddenly ill while on leave at Luton and died at the Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot, last week. He leaves a widow and a young baby.

  • Mrs Fensome, of 100 Baker Street, Luton, has received a letter from the battalion chaplain saying that her husband, Pte Horace Fensome, was killed in action on June 28th and was buried in a little cemetery close behind the line.

  • A letter from chaplain Rev H. S. Clarke to Mrs Bransome, of 17 Langley Place, Luton, has notified her of the death of her husband, Pte J.Bransome, Bedfordshire Regiment. He was wounded on the 1st of this month and passed away in hospital on July 8th. Mrs Bransome has six children under the age of 11.

  • Mr and Mrs Priestland, of 1 Grafton Terrace, Luton, have just been notified that their son, Pte Fred Priestland, was wounded in the thigh by shrapnel on July 8th. He is now in hospital at Brighton. An employee of Messrs Wing, Arnold and Wing, he enlisted in the Beds Regiment last September and was drafted out to France six weeks ago. He is 19 years old.

  • The son of a South African veteran, Pte Percy Anderson, of 111a North Street, Luton, has been wounded through the cheek and is suffering injuries to the right eye and is now in Clapton Hospital. Before joining the Bedfordshire Regiment last November, he was employed by Messrs Hayward Tyler & Co.

  • An important sale is announced for next Monday afternoon at the Luton CattleMarket, when Messrs J. Cumberland and Sons will offer 20 pure-bred Hampshire Down ram lambs from the noted and registered Sundon flock belonging to Mr Henry Gates. Mr Gates secured no fewer than 11 prizes last year with his well-known flock.

  • The Luton Trades and Labour Council have laid claim to the vacancy which has arisen on the Luton Town Council caused by the death of Councillor Albert A. Oakley, who was one of the representatives of the North Ward. Four names have been sent in for the Council's consideration: Messrs Willet Ball, W. J. Mair, Tom Smith and Thomas Knight. With the Government extending the period of service of councillors in order to avoid elections, the Town Council have power to co-opt a member to hold the seat until 1919.