IMAGINE the excitement of a new tramcar service in Oswaldtwistle. As this photograph sent in by reader Sharon Houghton, shows, the arrival of the first into the village had young and old crowding to watch at the new terminus.

Trams had been running round Accrington since 1886 and the service had already transferred to electric power before a double track to Church and then a single track to Oswaldtwistle were opened in 1907.

On that August day there were five trams in the grand procession for the official opening, three from the Accrington Corporation Steam Tramways Company and one each from Blackburn and Darwen.

Until passenger services could start, a railways inspector had to walk the whole route to ensure all was correct.

Not these this crowd, gathered on the cobbles bothered about that; the young lads with their uniform of cloth caps, collars and clogs and the girls, with their heads and shoulders wrapped in shawls, were bothered about that.

They waited patiently, standing on the church walls, along with women in their large flowered hats and flat capped menfolk to catch a first glimpse of this new transport age.