Our postcard wishes you "A Christmas Greeting". The text was originally in gilt lettering, but this has darkened with age. The location is at New Station Road, Fishponds, Bristol. It was published in around 1907 by a Fishponds photographer whose initials were L.S. Our copy, with a suitable seasonal message, was posted from Fishponds to Gunnislake in Cornwall on 23rd December 1907.
An unusual subject for a postcard, but this one features a tramway shelter. The first horse trams in Bristol were operated by the Bristol Tramways Company from 9th August 1875, electrified by the Bristol Tramways & Carriage Company in 1895. It was the horse tramway company that erected this shelter, and many similar ones elsewhere in Bristol. They had stained glass quarter-lights and as built had fancy wrought iron finials on the roof. Their original purpose was as rest rooms for the horse tram crews, but in the electric era they were used as waiting rooms or inspectors' offices.
Another example of these in Bristol can be seen in our view of Zetland Road Junction (See Postcard), where there is also a more detailed description of the tramway itself.
In Lowestoft very interesting examples of similar shelters were used where they were built actually surrounding traction poles. One can seen in our view of Harbour Square (See Postcard).
Octagonal or hexagonal shelters were not uncommon on UK tramways and a few, such as those in Huddersfield and Lytham, still exist today.
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