Part Ibiza Uncovered, part The Sims, Beach Life is the latest "reality game" to hit our PCs courtesy of Ian Livingstone of Fighting Fantasy fame....... more

Part Ibiza Uncovered, part The Sims, Beach Life is the latest "reality game" to hit our PCs courtesy of Ian Livingstone of Fighting Fantasy fame. Beach Life is basically a god sim which lets you create the holiday resort of your dreams, whether that's a resort full of beautiful people living "la vie de loca" or drunk Brits trying to grope the Reps, is up to you. There are two modes to play through: the campaign mode in which you work your way through a set of scenarios and the sandbox mode. The campaign has just the right balance between serving the needs of your guests and lining your pockets--you have to tackle anything from protecting your visitors from Shark attacks, spiking their beer so they get amorous on the beach or just providing them with the right balance of fun, food and respite. It's very pick up and play and you won't find yourself getting bogged down with too much detail. Yes the game is all about providing your guests with what they want, but as long as the beer is flowing, the nightlife swinging and there's a 24 hour burger joint to hand, you won't go far wrong. That's not to say that you can't refine your pleasure island into the most beautiful, high class establishment you can afford; it's just you will probably want to rack up the beer strength, employ a few security guards and then watch people stagger about the island throwing up in bins. Graphically the game looks fantastic particularly the weather effects. Up close though it's rather pixelated and looses some of the detail, but as with all god sims you will spend most of your time playing in the mid-isometric view so it's not a real problem. It's the sound where Beach Life really comes into its own. It comes with a built-in MP3 player which not only means you can skip between the cool ambient tracks that come with the game, but that you can also import your own tunes.Beach Life isn't really ground-breaking stuff and might not appeal to the god sim fanatics, but what it lacks in depth, it makes up for in tongue-in-cheek, stylish and above all fun gameplay. --Kristen Bowditch

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The Bristol VRT has had a long association with the south west of England. First examples entered service with Western National as long ago as 1969. In 2005,...... more

The Bristol VRT has had a long association with the south west of England. First examples entered service with Western National as long ago as 1969. In 2005, some 36 years on the final vehicles were in their 'Twilight Days'. In the summer of 2004 our cameras made a visit to Plymouth and Cornwall to record these fine vehicles in everyday service. The programme starts in Plymouth at the Torpoint Ferry and follows the VRs' running on the ferry between Devonport and Torpoint. Some of these VRs' have now been replaced by new Dennis Tridents. We then move south to Penzance and visit the bus station and observe the VRs' going about their duties, mainly on route 1 and 1A, the scenic route to Lands End. A visit to the picturesque Sennen Cove to see them climbing the steep hill out of the bay is followed by an encounter with the open-top variety running the 300 circular service. Back at Penzance we board 38908 (VEX 288X) a former Eastern Counties vehicle for the route to Lands End and back. Sit back and enjoy the ride, with stereo sound you feel as though you are on board! From Penzance we move to Newquay and have a ride on 38871 (LFJ 871W) on route 305 to Tregustick. Then we observe other VRs' on the 305 passing Porth Beach. To conclude the programme we have the pleasure in presenting footage from the video camera of Allan Macfarlane. Allan made a visit to Truro exactly 5 years to the day in 1999! Filming many VRs' in service in the city together with some belonging to the company of Truronian in their distinct red livery. It is possible that the closed top Bristol VRT will finish running in Cornwall during 2005. This programme is a reminder of the twilight days of these excellent vehicles and what will be the end of the 'Bristol' bus in the west country. We will be following up this programme with a further one charting the last days of the Bristol VRT.

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At three brief hours, Fellini's cynical, engrossing social commentary, La Dolce Vita, stands as his timeless masterpiece. A rich, detailed panorama of Rome's...... more

At three brief hours, Fellini's cynical, engrossing social commentary, La Dolce Vita, stands as his timeless masterpiece. A rich, detailed panorama of Rome's modern decadence and sophisticated immorality, the film is episodic in structure but held tightly in focus by the wandering protagonist through whom we witness the sordid action. Marcello Rubini is a tabloid reporter trapped in a shallow high-society existence, as extraordinarily played by Marcello Mastroianni, a man of paradoxical, emotional juxtapositions: cool but tortured, sexy but impotent. He dreams about writing something important but remains seduced by the money and prestige that accompany his shallow position. He romanticises about finding true love but acts unfazed upon finding that his girlfriend has taken an overdose of sleeping pills. Instead, he engages in a ménage à trois, then frolics in a fountain with a giggling American starlet (bombshell Anita Ekberg), and in the film's unforgettably inspired finale, attends a wild orgy that ends, symbolically with its participants finding a rotting sea animal while wandering the beach at dawn. Fellini saw his film as life affirming (thus its title, "The Sweet Life"), but it's impossible to take him seriously. While Mastroianni drifts from one worldly pleasure to another, be it sex, drink, glamorous parties or rich foods, they are presented, through his detached eyes, as merely momentary distractions. His existence, an endless series of wild evenings and lonely mornings, is ultimately soulless and facile. Because he lacks the courage to change, Mastroianni is left with no alternative but to wearily accept and enjoy this "sweet" life. --Dave McCoy, Amazon.com

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Fans of Laguna Beach will love the first season of The Hills, which follows Laguna's Lauren Conrad as she attends fashion school in Los Angeles and...... more

Fans of Laguna Beach will love the first season of The Hills, which follows Laguna's Lauren Conrad as she attends fashion school in Los Angeles and works as an intern at Teen Vogue magazine. OK, so that's the premise for this quasi-reality MTV series. But in reality, the show is an excuse to watch pretty young people make out, break up, get back together, and break up some more. The show has more in common with a daytime drama than a documentary; none of the subjects worries too much about paying rent for their glamorous apartments or designer clothes. But when it comes to dating, the Geneva Convention could learn a thing or two about negotiating from these gals. Lauren fans may be dismayed to learn that Jason, the monosyllabic Lothario who cheated on her in the second season of Laguna Beach is back. And instead of going on dates with the thousands of young men who would love to have a pretty blonde on their arms (and get the opportunity to appear on TV to boot!), Lauren allows Jason to get back into her good graces--even though he hasn't matured since high school. Or figured out how to treat a woman. Or learned how to talk better. It's actually heartbreaking watching her struggle with a relationship that we can all see is doomed. Or is it? The season finale ends with the kind of dilemma we all wish we could've faced when we were 19 or 20: spend the summer working in Paris or move into a beach house with your boyfriend and frolic on the beach for three months. Paris? Jason? Hmmmm. You'd think that'd be a no-brainer. Also on hand to offer support are Lauren's friends Heidi and Audrina. The cast always looks chic and freshly made up (even after getting out of bed) and the cameras somehow always manage to be in the right place to capture romantic moments (and drama). It's easy to make fun of this show because of the preposterous setup that this sun-kissed life is reality for a group of kids who don't seem to have to work that hard for their privileged lives. But therein lies the guilty pleasure. We know it's a fantasy created by MTV. And while we would kill for the rocking apartments, cars, and clothes, there is no way most of us would endure being publicly humiliated to get 15 minutes of fame. --Jae-Ha Kim

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Featuring - the popular Dorset seaside destinations in the company of a pleasure boat skipper, a gardener, the warden of Hengistbury Head, mackerel...... more

Featuring - the popular Dorset seaside destinations in the company of a pleasure boat skipper, a gardener, the warden of Hengistbury Head, mackerel fishing, a land train, salmon netting in the estuary, beach huts, the Life Boat crew, a ferry pilot and seaside fishmongers. (Duration approx. 50 mins.)

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At three brief hours, Fellini's cynical, engrossing social commentary, La Dolce Vita, stands as his timeless masterpiece. A rich, detailed panorama of Rome's...... more

At three brief hours, Fellini's cynical, engrossing social commentary, La Dolce Vita, stands as his timeless masterpiece. A rich, detailed panorama of Rome's modern decadence and sophisticated immorality, the film is episodic in structure but held tightly in focus by the wandering protagonist through whom we witness the sordid action. Marcello Rubini is a tabloid reporter trapped in a shallow high-society existence, as extraordinarily played by Marcello Mastroianni, a man of paradoxical, emotional juxtapositions: cool but tortured, sexy but impotent. He dreams about writing something important but remains seduced by the money and prestige that accompany his shallow position. He romanticises about finding true love but acts unfazed upon finding that his girlfriend has taken an overdose of sleeping pills. Instead, he engages in a ménage à trois, then frolics in a fountain with a giggling American starlet (bombshell Anita Ekberg), and in the film's unforgettably inspired finale, attends a wild orgy that ends, symbolically with its participants finding a rotting sea animal while wandering the beach at dawn. Fellini saw his film as life affirming (thus its title, "The Sweet Life"), but it's impossible to take him seriously. While Mastroianni drifts from one worldly pleasure to another, be it sex, drink, glamorous parties or rich foods, they are presented, through his detached eyes, as merely momentary distractions. His existence, an endless series of wild evenings and lonely mornings, is ultimately soulless and facile. Because he lacks the courage to change, Mastroianni is left with no alternative but to wearily accept and enjoy this "sweet" life. --Dave McCoy, Amazon.com

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At three brief hours, Fellini's cynical, engrossing social commentary, La Dolce Vita, stands as his timeless masterpiece. A rich, detailed panorama of Rome's...... more

At three brief hours, Fellini's cynical, engrossing social commentary, La Dolce Vita, stands as his timeless masterpiece. A rich, detailed panorama of Rome's modern decadence and sophisticated immorality, the film is episodic in structure but held tightly in focus by the wandering protagonist through whom we witness the sordid action. Marcello Rubini is a tabloid reporter trapped in a shallow high-society existence, as extraordinarily played by Marcello Mastroianni, a man of paradoxical, emotional juxtapositions: cool but tortured, sexy but impotent. He dreams about writing something important but remains seduced by the money and prestige that accompany his shallow position. He romanticises about finding true love but acts unfazed upon finding that his girlfriend has taken an overdose of sleeping pills. Instead, he engages in a ménage à trois, then frolics in a fountain with a giggling American starlet (bombshell Anita Ekberg), and in the film's unforgettably inspired finale, attends a wild orgy that ends, symbolically with its participants finding a rotting sea animal while wandering the beach at dawn. Fellini saw his film as life affirming (thus its title, "The Sweet Life"), but it's impossible to take him seriously. While Mastroianni drifts from one worldly pleasure to another, be it sex, drink, glamorous parties or rich foods, they are presented, through his detached eyes, as merely momentary distractions. His existence, an endless series of wild evenings and lonely mornings, is ultimately soulless and facile. Because he lacks the courage to change, Mastroianni is left with no alternative but to wearily accept and enjoy this "sweet" life. --Dave McCoy, Amazon.com

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Twin car 272+T2: Following a repaint into all-cream livery Twin car 672+682 returned to service in September. Renumbered as 272+T2, see the tram on its first...... more

Twin car 272+T2: Following a repaint into all-cream livery Twin car 672+682 returned to service in September. Renumbered as 272+T2, see the tram on its first journey, running to Little Bispham. Illumination Tours 2012: With a new operating procedure for 2012 and with tours now starting from Pleasure Beach each evening the first day of operation on Saturday 1st September is featured. See the four Illuminated cars arrive, load up and depart Pleasure Beach plus 733+734 on the complicated triangle shunt move outside Rigby Road depot prior to service. Also, footage of the final night of the 2012 season with 717 on tour duty. Moving Home: The remaining six trams from the LTT collection were moved from Rigby Road depot in September. All six moves are shown featuring 304, first Coronation car to be built, OMO 8, one of only two OMO cars still in existence, Balloons 704 and 715 and Brush cars 259 (624) and 632. Half Term week: Highlights of the chaotic Monday of the October half term week with double deckers 700, 709, 711, 718 and 719 on Little Bispham specials plus the Flexity2 trams on Fleetwood service. Thornton Gate to Fleetwood Ferry: Part three of a detailed look at the new tramway and the tram stops, plus more footage of the Flexity2 trams in service.

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By 2011 traditional trams have operated in Blackpool for 126 years. They have always been a familiar sight running along the promenade and past the world famous...... more

By 2011 traditional trams have operated in Blackpool for 126 years. They have always been a familiar sight running along the promenade and past the world famous Blackpool Tower. At Easter 2012 a new fleet of Flexity2 trams start operating in place of the traditional tramcars we have grown to love. There will still be some of the existing trams operating, having been modified to suit the new system with new doors and other features. At certain times of the year some historic trams will also still operate. So 2011 was the final year of the old order. Over the last few years there has been a good deal of reconstruction along the promenade to accommodate the new trams, and a lot of this is in evidence on the programme. During April trams were only operating from the Pleasure Beach to North Pier. By November this had been extended to Little Bispham. Our cameras made three visits to Blackpool during 2011 to capture the action and record it for posterity. The first visit was on Easter Monday, 25th April 2011 where we capture the action along the Promenade, North Pier and at the Pleasure Beach. 'Balloons' 711, 715, 717, 719 and 723 are seen in service alongside 'Centenary' cars 646 & 648 as well as 'Boat' 600 and Jubilee car 762. Our next visit is on the 17th August 2011 where we see all double deckers in action! Trams 709, 711, 713, 715, 718 & 719 are seen along the Promenade together with Jubilee cars 761 & 762. Our third visit is over the weekend of 4th & 5th November 2011. It was the last weekend for the Blackpool Illuminations, and the final weekend of the traditional tram service before it closes for the winter. Filming locations are along the promenade, North Pier, Pleasure Beach, Manchester Square, Bispham and at the Rigby Road tram depot. We also take rides on Railcoach 632, Centenary 644, Millennium 718 and Jubilee 761. We film during the day and night recording plenty of action. Next Easter a new one will begin.........but THE TOWER WILL NEVER FORGET.

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After the winter closure the tram service resumed at Easter running between Pleasure Beach and North Pier. See the first trams leaving depot on...... more

After the winter closure the tram service resumed at Easter running between Pleasure Beach and North Pier. See the first trams leaving depot on Good Friday, some odd moves at North Pier in the temporary headshunt and trams running into and out of the caged worksite! There is a ride on 717, car 600 makes an appearance and 648 and 762 run with their new advert liveries. Footage continues on the May Day Bank Holiday weekend with 632 on specials and 672+682 on a private hire. At the end of May the tramway reopened as far as Little Bispham. See various trams in service on a busy Bank Holiday weekend. During April, Manchester 765 departed for Beamish museum. See the tram being loaded up and then running at the Great North Steam Fair. A photo shoot for a charity calendar took place in late May which saw the Western Train make a rare early season appearance and not only that, it crossed at Foxhall and ran backwards to Pleasure Beach! The following day, six trams were lined up outside the tram depot for more photos and these included long-withdrawn car 625, 680 in all over cream, 708 with its snowplough, 710, OMO 8 and 605. This was a rare opportunity to see many long forgotten cars. While the photo shoot was taking place modified double deckers 700, 713 and 720 passed the camera in their white liveries. As the tramway upgrade continues at a great pace there is footage of various completed jobs from the spring with the new track layouts at Starr Gate, North Pier, Bispham, Cleveleys and Fleetwood as well as the work in progress and platform construction at various sites.

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This special edition of the Blackpool Tram DVD looks at the final days of Heritage tram operation in Blackpool. Starting on 22nd October, we pick up the action...... more

This special edition of the Blackpool Tram DVD looks at the final days of Heritage tram operation in Blackpool. Starting on 22nd October, we pick up the action at the start of the busy half-term week with various trams in service. The day starts with Centenary cars on Little Bispham service, filmed at Norbreck and Bispham and as the day moves on, double deckers come into traffic. As darkness falls, 715 makes an appearance on specials, joined by Twin Cars 672+682 and 675+685. 147 and 733+734 work Illuminations tours. Full coverage of the final weekend of the old fleet starts with the first trams on Saturday morning at North Pier. 632 and the hit-listed Centenary cars get the day going and 147, 600, 715 and 717 are used on enthusiasts tours. As the sun sets, the trams are filmed from the newly opened prom at Tower with 761 and 762 (last day of service) on specials and all the Illuminated cars. Coverage of the final day (6th Nov) begins with a bath for 672+682 prior to working an enthusiasts tour and all the morning service cars are filmed leaving the depot at Rigby Road - the final time it will used for this purpose. Many of the trams are in service for the last time with footage from Pleasure Beach and then Little Bispham in the afternoon including 715 and 675+685 on a tour. As darkness falls, the cameraman moves to The Metropole, recording some of the Centenary and Brush cars on their final journeys to depot. Unexpectedly, 672+682 take over from 711 at Foxhall at 21.15. See the Twin coming into service, over the crossover and to Pleasure Beach. After this, 715, 675+685 and 761 run into depot for the last time, filmed on Lytham Road. With just a handful of trams left in service, 672+682 provide the highlight of the evening and are filmed on their final journeys. Just before midnight, it's back to Manchester Square as cars 718, 672+682, 709 and 720 make their way to depot. As midnight strikes 707 is last tram in and after 126 years, it's all over!

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The Blackpool Tramway - In 1885 it was Britain's first electric tramway - 125 years later, it is now Britain's last traditional tramway and all this will change...... more

The Blackpool Tramway - In 1885 it was Britain's first electric tramway - 125 years later, it is now Britain's last traditional tramway and all this will change in 2012. To mark the 125th anniversary a series of special events were held over a week-long period in September 2010. With a running time of 100 mins this DVD takes a day-by-day look at the events from this memorable week. Starting with a full introduction to all the visiting Vintage cars, coverage begins on 23rd September with cars 304, 632 and Liverpool 762 on enthusiasts tours; on Friday cars 31, 513 and 715 were running and then it's the main Saturday event. See the various Vintage cars and normal cars on specials. Rack 2, Stockport 5 and Fleetwood 40 are all featured plus 147, 513, 706 and various Twin cars and Balloons. An open day was held at the bus and tram depot on the Sunday and with various vehicles on display it was a fantastic opportunity to see behind the scenes. The Vintage tram tours continued on the Monday with cars 2, 40 and 31 running between Bispham and Pleasure Beach and on the Tuesday, daytime and evening tours saw cars 5, 66, 762 and Manchester 765 in action with 147, 513 and 706 out and about. The final day - 29th September - was the official 125th anniversary day which saw thousands of enthusiasts lining the promenade to see the procession of tram cars run from Pleasure Beach to Bispham. Headed by the 1898-built Rack 2, the eight car cavalcade showed the development of the Blackpool fleet through the years including Boat car 600 and Coronation car 660. At the rear of the parade was OMO car 8, making its debut at the event and duly becoming the first OMO car to run in Blackpool since 1993. Filmed from a superb vantage point on the top of an open top bus, the cavalcade is seen twice, firstly on south promenade and then on its way back at Cabin. The 125th anniversary of this world famous tramway was marked in spectacular style and this official souvenir DVD tells the story.

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This special edition of the Blackpool Tram DVD features the launch of the first Flexity2 tram from 8th September 2011. Emerging from the new depot at Starr Gate...... more

This special edition of the Blackpool Tram DVD features the launch of the first Flexity2 tram from 8th September 2011. Emerging from the new depot at Starr Gate in a blaze of glory, tram 001 is seen by the public for the very first time. With specially invited guests it then ran two journeys to Pleasure Beach and back. Included on this DVD is the launch itself, a look around the new depot at Starr Gate and a detailed look at tram 001, inside and out including a ride filmed from behind the driver. The summer of 2011 was an interesting one with the widened Balloon cars making their debut, various new advert liveries and 715 repainted into the green and cream livery. Boat 600 is used in a charity tram pull, 733+734 make a rare daylight outing and there's a look at the new tram and road layout around the Metropole. The summer concludes with events on Illumination switch on night, 2nd September, as the busy autumn period gets underway. Away from Blackpool itself, a former Blackpool icon, Marton VAMBAC 11 made a special appearance at Beamish Museum for their 'Power from the Past' event. On loan from the East Anglia Transport Museum, see this magnificent tramcar in a special night shoot and then in normal service on the museum circuit. Other Beamish cars are included alongside ex-Blackpool cars Marton 31 and Balloon 703. Quality guarantee: The programme is professionally produced with a stereo soundtrack, informative commentary and digital editing.

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RAILSCENE NO. 12 - Summer 1987. Contents: Diesels in Decline - Class 45 Our tribute to the 'Peaks' showing them at work on the Midland main line, at Derby, in...... more

RAILSCENE NO. 12 - Summer 1987. Contents: Diesels in Decline - Class 45 Our tribute to the 'Peaks' showing them at work on the Midland main line, at Derby, in the Peak district, in Yorkshire and at Gateshead. Eastern Electrics - 86s and EMUs on the Norwich Main Line, over the new Trowse Bridge, at Elsenham, changing over at Cambridge, the electrification train on the Royston line and NSE at Peterborough. BR Today - Lincolnshire and Humberside Our 'modern archive' slot visits Syston Junction, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Scunthorpe, Brocklesby, New Holland and Littlefield to see 47s, 37s, 31s, 20s and DMUs in action against a background of semaphores and signal boxes. Cambrian Steam - BR's summer programme of steam along the Welsh Coast, featuring 7819 Hinton Manor, 75069 and 46443 bringing the Cambrian back to life. Scenes include Aberystwyth and V of R locomotives, Barmouth Bridge, Tywyn, Pwllheli and Machynlleth shed. K1 on the West Highland - Long lingering shots of the NELPG's K1 No 2005 at work in the West Highlands amidst unparalled scenery. News - Includes Green Arrow on Tay Bridge, ECML to Marylebone, 35028 and 4472 on Salisbury-Yeovils, 6998, 6000, 6201 on Welsh Borders, 7F, 4498, Green Hastings unit, 506 on Mid-Hants, IoW, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, 27, Lord Kyle saloon. Approximately 120 minutes

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This special edition of the Blackpool Tram DVD covers the summer months of 2010 as the countdown to the 125th anniversary of the tramway continues. As the...... more

This special edition of the Blackpool Tram DVD covers the summer months of 2010 as the countdown to the 125th anniversary of the tramway continues. As the disposal of the tram fleet continues, cars 619, 626 and 716 all left Blackpool during the summer and for the 125 events, Manchester 765, Lisbon 273 and Standard car 143 all arrived. There's full coverage of all the moves. On the tramway, the highlight of the summer was the return to service of Brush car 632 in the 1970s green and cream livery following six years in store. See the finishing touches being made to the car and then its debut in June, running alongside Coronation 304 on enthusiasts tours. The following day the annual Totally Transport event took place and 632 plus other 'trams of interest' were used. Highlights from this superb weekend in glorious sunny weather are included. With the line to Ash Street Fleetwood reopened in July, double deckers and Twin cars returned to regular service. A typical day is featured with Balloons on Ash Street service, Twins on the new Pleasure Beach - Thornton Gate service and Boat cars on specials. See 719 and 723 in their new advert liveries plus 720 makes its first outing following a major overhaul. As the 'Supertram' system gets closer, the third report on the upgrade looks at the track renewal in Fleetwood, new poles and wires at Rossall, tram stop platforms at Cabin and the new tram depot and track layout at Starr Gate. Fully updated footage.

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Rocket to Gynn Square: After ten years in storage, the Illuminated Rocket tram, 732, is extracted from Rigby Road depot to be restored as a space-themed...... more

Rocket to Gynn Square: After ten years in storage, the Illuminated Rocket tram, 732, is extracted from Rigby Road depot to be restored as a space-themed centrepiece attraction on the roundabout at Gynn Square! See the tram moving from Rigby Road, being placed on the roundabout and then lit up for the first time. Also, Brush car 627 has become a static display at Pleasure Beach for the 2012 Illuminations. See the tram off-loading and lit-up in its 'Diamond Jubilee' livery! Heritage Trams: Boat car 604 returns to service, renumbered as 230 and Balloon 700 is painted in Flexity livery. Brush car 631 also returns to action with 147, 600 and 717 on the Heritage tram service. A Typical Day: Using Starr Gate depot as a base, a typical day of operation for the Blackpool Tramway from summer 2012 is shown. See trams leaving the depot and performing the shunt move, 003 is on driver training and 012 is towed onto the headshunt by 'The Crab'. See departures to Fleetwood and Cleveleys, various trams in their new advert vinyls and in total, 14 of the 15 Flexity trams are featured. Moving Home: Centenary car 647 and Twin car 674+684 all departed Blackpool and into preservation in July. See all three being loaded up and leaving the Rigby Road depot. Cabin to Thornton Gate: Part two of a detailed look at the new tramway and the tram stops, plus more footage of the Flexity2 trams in service.

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Saturday/Sunday 7th/8th November 2009 was the final weekend of tram operation to Fleetwood prior to a three year closure and upgrade for Supertrams. Not only...... more

Saturday/Sunday 7th/8th November 2009 was the final weekend of tram operation to Fleetwood prior to a three year closure and upgrade for Supertrams. Not only was it this the last opportunity to see, ride on and photograph the old fleet as we know it, it was also the end of the very last traditional street tramway in England, where passengers simply stood in the road to board a tram car! Prior to this, on Sunday 6th September 2009, the line between Pleasure Beach and Starr Gate was also closed for upgrading to Supertrams. Opened in 1926, this was another piece of tramway operation coming to an end with the traditional double deckers and Railcoaches running for the last time. This DVD looks at the final weekends of operation to the Starr Gate and Fleetwood ends of the tramway. Starting with a brief history, various trams are featured over the last 20 years including Vintage trams on tours, service cars, specials, Illuminated cars, Twin cars, Boats and rare workings in summer, winter and in the snow and there s an open top tram ride filmed from the top deck of 706 Princess Alice. As well as service cars and specials, to mark the closures a series of farewell tours took place including trams such as Sheffield 513 and Coronations 304 and 660 which rarely run to Fleetwood. 147 was the last tram from Starr Gate and at 01.30 on the Monday morning, Brush car 627 back in service for one day only - was the last tram from Fleetwood Ferry.

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Flexity2 Service Begins: The tramway reopened and the new trams entered service on Wednesday 4th April. See footage of 006, the first tram, on the first journey...... more

Flexity2 Service Begins: The tramway reopened and the new trams entered service on Wednesday 4th April. See footage of 006, the first tram, on the first journey at 5am from Starr Gate and then an hour later, the same tram derailed in sand at Fleetwood! Also includes action from the first few weeks of operation with a look at the new layouts at Fleetwood and Broadwater and of course, many of the Flexity2 trams in service. The Heritage Service: As well as the new Flexity2 trams, a brand new limited-stop Heritage service commenced between Pleasure Beach and Little Bispham at Easter. See trams 147, 600, 717 and F736 in action, plus the return service of Box 40, Bolton 66 and Princess Alice 706 after an 18 month lay-off. Box 40 and 713: These both ran to Fleetwood during the spring. See car 40 on what was an historic first journey for a Vintage car, all the way to Fleetwood Ferry, plus modified Balloon 713 is sent from Starr Gate to Fleetwood in normal passenger service. Starr Gate to Cabin: Part one of a detailed look at the new tramway and the tram stops, plus more footage of the Flexity2 trams in service.

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The entire 60 minute, 11.5 mile tram journey from Starr Gate to Fleetwood, filmed from the top deck of open top Streamliner 706 'Princess Alice' on a fine sunny...... more

The entire 60 minute, 11.5 mile tram journey from Starr Gate to Fleetwood, filmed from the top deck of open top Streamliner 706 'Princess Alice' on a fine sunny day. This non-stop journey passes all the points of interest along the prom in Blackpool and through to Fleetwood. See numerous other trams pass by as we work our way north. Bonus features: In addition to the main journey there are 55 minutes of bonus features: Additional journeys Travel over parts of the route not normally used in passenger service including: Little Bispham loop Pleasure Beach loops In and out of the tram depot. A detailed look at Balloon car 706 Includes: See how a tram is driven Have a look around the driving cab Watch the trolley arm and trolley wheel Destination blind wind-through And some odd but interesting things underneath which nobody ever sees! Four extra journeys: Broadwater to Thornton Gate filmed from the lower saloon Little Bispham to Bispham at track level - filmed on a superb low 'bumper' camera Bispham to North Pier filmed from a fixed camera inside the drivers cab One final journey from South Pier to Tower filmed from the top deck but instead of looking ahead, the camera takes the tourist's view and faces the sea, capturing the piers, sandy beaches and incoming tide. /LI> Bloopers! It wasn't easy to make this DVD - as you will find out! HOW THIS DVD WAS MADE We hired 706 'Princess Alice' for two days during early May and filmed the entire tramway twice, from south to north. The best journey (the second one) made it on to this DVD. With a video camera on a tripod - to ensure a smooth and steady journey - we filmed from dead centre of the top deck, right at the front. The camera carefully follows the line around the various curves and loops with smooth panning to stay on track. 706 was not in passenger service so the tram only stopped at the required road junctions and traffic lights.

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France released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: Silent ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), Silent ( Dolby Digital Stereo ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive...... more

France released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: Silent ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), Silent ( Dolby Digital Stereo ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Short Film, SYNOPSIS: There won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time. There may be snow in the UK, depending on how wrong the Met Office's assurances of a mild winter prove. There is, however, a guaranteed snowstorm at the South Bank until the early new year, courtesy of Russian clown Slava Polunin and his not-so-merry men. First created in 1993, Slava's Snowshow famously climaxes in a man-made blizzard: tons of ticker-tape blasted into the audience using a wind-machine, to the rousing bombast of Carmina Burana, complete with dazzling head-on beam. Those near the front may need to avoid oohing and aahing to escape asphyxiation by shredded paper. No theatre or circus finale quite compares with this - and as an added communal pleasure, Polunin and co release into the auditorium a batch of giant coloured balls that slowly bounce off up-stretched arms, as if everyone had been invited to play a slow-motion, slightly ominous game of beach-ball. That crowd-pleasing send-off sits at odds with most of the preceding hour or so - apart from the web-like membrane that's fast-trailed over the spectators' heads to bring the first half to an abrupt end. The rest of the show is oddball in a far more contained way - a procession of artful, wordless vignettes which conjure - to the strains of birdsong, forlorn fairground echoes, electronic bleeps, ghostly train whistles and bass rumbles - a landscape that bobs between dream and nightmare. ...Slava's Snowshow ( Slava's Snow show )

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