In Remembrance

In April of this year (2026) ‘Tram 53’ sadly lost one of its oldest members. Frank Harrop was 93 at the time of his death and was a Brighton man through and through. Born and raised in Park Street he had very vivid memories of travelling on Brighton trams in the 20s and 30s. He attended Varndean Grammar school and would often take the tram ‘across country’ to school if as he said money permitted! it cost all of 1d a lot of money to find in those days! He talked of the accident which occurred at the bottom of Ditchling Road as he saw the aftermath on his way to school that day. He and his wife Queenie spoke a lot about the trams queuing up Elm Grove on race days and the sheer volume of people they conveyed back to the town. Although at the end of his life Frank suffered with Alzheimer’s he still asked after ‘53’ and how work on her was progressing. He was an avid collector of all models of trams and buses even tanks as he had served in the R.E.M.E. during WW11 and was charged with the repair of them in North Africa. His Granddaughter Julie Marriott has kindly donated some of Frank’s models to be sold in aid of ‘53’ as she feels this is what her Granddad would have wished. He was a true Brightonian and very proud of his town. Frank Harrop 1920---2013 <