'Unbelievably unique' 50-year horse tram career

A horse tram driver who is celebrating 50 years working on the Isle of Man's heritage railway said the "unbelievably unique" experience was "just good fun".

Peter Cannon started out on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway as a tram conductor on 6 July 1975 when he was 17 years old.

First launched in 1876, the historic trams now operate as part of the government's heritage railway offering.

Mr Cannon said he enjoyed being able to work outside alongside the horses and could not imagine doing any other career.

The horse tramway is one of the oldest horse-drawn tram services in the world, operating along the Manx capital's promenade from the Strathallan Terminal to the War Memorial.

While the tramway has been in operation for 149 years, the service have not always been continuous.

In recent years refurbishment works on the promenade and the coronavirus pandemic put the service on hiatus respectively.

And the changes to the service, and its use, were things Mr Cannon noted had changed considerably over the years.

Looking back to 1975 he said: "They were obviously a big tourist attraction but they were also public transport.

"There was a better horse tram service along the promenade than there was a bus service."

"In the height of the season there would be a tram every two and a half minutes," he said. "It was seriously busy, it was like TT week now, every week."

Mr Cannon said although he is now celebrating 50 years on the trams, it had simply begun as a summer job after he finished his O-levels.

However, he said it had become a lifelong career he would not trade.

"Most people who have worked here over the years will tell you it's the best job they've ever had," he said.

"It's out in the nice weather, you're dealing with animals, it's a unique thing to do, unbelievably unique."

"And just good fun."

The heritage railway will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2026, something Mr Cannon said he was looking forward to.

"When I first started I didn't appreciate the history of it, a lot of people back then who lived here just took it for granted."

He said he had no current plans to stop driving the horse trams, but would "have a think" after next year and might consider "winding down".

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