The Two Pound Tram

by William Newton

"Our dream, our obsession, was to own a tram. This all started with an advertisement which showed a picture of a London tram with the words: 'Trams surplus to the requirements of the London Omnibus and Tramcar company for sale at their depot at Acton, London for £2 each.' I doubt if there was a day afterwards when the tram did not enter our conversation..."

The year was 1937, and Hitler had just walked into Austria. It was also a marvelous year for clouded yellow butterflies.

Wilfred and Duncan live in a big old house in Sussex, England. They spend their days catching butterflies and dreaming of escape, and only ever see their parents on Wednesdays for lunch. When their mother elopes and their already distant father takes up with other ladies, they decide that enough is enough. And they have a plan: they will leave home, go to London, and buy a tram, decommissioned by the bus and tram company, that they have seen advertised in the paper for two pounds sterling. Soon the brothers find that their adventures have begun in earnest-as they become proprietors of an old-fashioned horse-drawn tram service, then local celebrities whose tram advertises for a seaside merchant, and finally such heroes of the war effort that they receive a visit from royalty.

Destined to become a new family classic, The Two-Pound Tram is a bittersweet testament to youth and its triumph over hardship.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming Of Age, Book Club, Historical, Novella, War

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

"Dr Kenneth Newton, who has died aged 82, was a Harley Street doctor who treated British and foreign royalty, the aristocracy and celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn, Deborah Kerr and Dame Margot Fonteyn."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obitu...

Reviews

[redatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up on a whim in the library. It's short -- I read it in an hour or two -- and almost, but not quite entirely, fluffy.

It is a heart warming, yet somewhat sad and disturbing, tale set in the 1930s about the friendship and adventures of two brothers, who, neglected and ignored by their parents, decide to run away and buy a tram.

[Jennifer K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank God for the Salvos. And for my dear friend Mackellarhead. Who happily confesses she gives herself retail therapy every now and again by plopping down among the bookshelves and choosing a pile. How magical the day this book made the pile. This original book gave me absolute joy. To escape the pace of the online 21st century. To be transported to a time gone by with engines and tickets and catapults. To be totally immersed with loveable characters who live for the moment. What else is in that pile?

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a heart warming book. A tale of two brothers who leave their home in search of a tram worth just two pounds. What follows is also a tale of indomitable courage, high spirits and perseverance and hope. Mr Shwayder, Mr Parker, Tiger, Homer, Hattie, the King of England and all those good natured people who made it possible for the boys to achieve anything they wanted - you are all such unforgettable characters now.

It was hard for me to believe that this was a work of fiction escpecially with World War 2 looming large and bright in the pages of the book. I always feel that book categorised under 'war fiction' is not just 'fiction'. It is an account of real circumstances that took place once upon a time. And though the descriptions are just horrrifying, I am washed over and again with waves of relief that I didn't have to experience anything of that sort.

THis book brings to mind books of the old school, like 'The Citadel' by A J Cronin and books by Nevil Shute.

Really enjoyed reading this small book of 183 pages. Do read it and gift it to someone you love.

[Lizzy Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book totally snuck up on me and turned into something lovely. I was initially unsure of the slightly stilted, factual narrative and the swift pacing but once I'd relaxed into it it proved a real treat! The story of two brothers who buy a tram in wartime britain and run it up and down the seaside towns of the Kent coast, this makes for a fun, easy holiday read with plenty of cockle-warming and gun-ho, jolly hockey-sticks adventure.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Two-Pound Tram (2003) by William Newton (aka Dr. Kenneth Newton) follows the lives of two brothers, Duncan and Wilfred Scrutton, during the early years of World War II. Originally, they live in a big sprawling house in the country and spend their time catching butterflies, hiding out in an old railway carriage, and using catapults to catch their dinner (rabbits, small birds, etc.). When their parents' marriage falls apart--their mother runs off and their father takes up with a succession of women, they decide to London with the bit of money they have saved up and buy their dream...a two-pound tram. Their story leads them through all sorts of adventures from buying the tram (and a horse to pull it and the horse's dog companion, Tiger) to joining up with a young woman who loves the idea of selling tickets on their tram to serving as emergency light signalers when the war descends on Britain to a decoration of valor for Duncan from the royal family.

This is a marvelous, heartwarming little book that tells a coming of age story smack in the middle of the Second World War. Duncan and Wilfred go through rough times, but they manage to survive and thrive in the life they make for themselves. Duncan fulfills his dream of becoming a tram driver as well as being a hero and Wilfred is his loyal and supportive brother. It's a story of perseverance and loyalty and doing what you can on the home front during the war. It was a delight to read. I hate to give it such a short review--but, on the other hand, it's a short book and I don't want to give it all away.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting any review content. Thanks.

[Clara Hollands · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book reminded me of when I lived in England. Once a year at my old school we would dress up like we were from the Victorian era and the way they described there clothes reminded me of that.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely tale involving two brothers woven around those long peaceful idyllic days in the late 1930's. A time when children could go out to play and be gone all day with no one having to worry too much about them - definitely a touch of an Enid Blyton adventure here as the boys go off to London in search of a tram that they had seen advertised for £2. Having not taken into consideration how they were going to transport a tram back to Sussex they eventually purchase a horse drawn one, minus horse.
An opportunity to buy a horse (and his companion, a small dog) occurs as a 'rag and bone' man is retiring. Here begins their journey to Canterbury and then along the coast to Worthing where even more adventures befall them, some of which are a little hard to believe. Even so, a delightful, heart warming little book that is a joy to read. I wonder just how much of it is autobiographical, it certainly reads that way.

[MEK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful book is a moving portrait of WWII England and of brotherly love. The author recently died and his obituary in the Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obitu... is what drew me to this book. It's poignant, melancholy, funny, curious, sad and comforting all at once. The author penned this little book in his 70s. His obituary reads like a novel in itself. Read it on a rainy day when you don't mind being a little melancholy. It's a reflection on the passage of time and the eventuality of death; strangely comforting. PS Newton mentions Dr. Archie McIndoe, of whom see:
McIndoe's Army: The Story of the Guinea Pig Club and Its Indomitable Members by Edward Bishop.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the 1930's, Ducan loses his ability to speak after an illness and is subjected to awful treatment at school as a result. On finding that beatings do not bring back his speech he is excluded. Duncan and his brother receive no sympathy at home so when their mother walks out they decide fulfil their dream of buying a disused tram.

The story starts to read like a memoir but then parts of it seem far fetched and disjointed. It's a very short book, I felt there were gaps where I needed more information.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely short story about two brothers and the dream of owning a tram. What follows is a life they never planned but one of friendship and fortune. Set in World War II the historical references are subtle and this book has a narrative that will remind you of a favourite uncle, grandfather or father recounting their childhood and coming of age.

[Catherine Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually am not interestd in old time books ,but i didnt really have a choice so i read it. From the first paragraph i had already began to understand. I learned that how you should keep memories forever.

[sisterimapoet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really quite poor, unbelievable and hopelessly old fashioned (not the subject matter, but the fireside mode of telling). Read for local interest alone.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a heartwarming gem!

[Sarahjoy Maddeaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was, as the two-star rating indicates, 'ok'. It was a nice storyline, with several unforeseen twists and turns. There were some interesting characters, particularly Mr Schwayder (sp?) and Tiger. The morning they collected their first passengers was funny and made me chuckle.

But it wasn't great. At times the writing seemed detached, particularly at key moments. Sometimes it all worked out a bit too neatly for them. And there were a few questionable points. Why wasn't Mr Schwayder villainised during the War? Ok, he was Austrian, not German, but I understood the British public were not always so discerning. Or at least that's how it's portrayed in other wartime stories.

And also, why did the narrator at one point say that he would never again see 'that lovely upturned Gypsy face', or words to that effect, when he ended up marrying Hattie? Did they never kiss, despite producing offspring? And why did he say that he was proud of his son 'because' he was a doctor? Was that the only reason? Was he not proud of his other children, because they weren't doctors?? Poor kids.

But it's a short book, so you won't have to invest a lot of time to get through it. Good for reading on the train, where you don't have to concentrate too much.

[manatee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this whimsical book up at random from Nine Lives bookstore. I just loved it. It was charming and witty and full of just the kind of fantasy a kid would like. What kid wouldn't be enchanted by the idea of traveling England with a horse-pulled trolley and an attending dog named Tiger? It was exactly what I was in the mood for. It was a mostly light-hearted look at life around 1939 England through the eyes of a semi-orphaned boy and his extraordinary brother, their many adventures after they buy the Two Pound Tram that they see in an Ad in the paper. . The Queen Mum and Winston Churchill even make brief appearances. I was missing Downton Abbey and was in the mood for something kind of frothy and British and this was just the ticket! I was completely shocked to learn that this book was written in 2003. I just thought it was a reprint of a book from the 1940's. It reads like something from a bygone era.

[Isla · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know what... I started to enjoy it more by the end. Some would say it was semi-heartwarming. That being said - I still felt that the pace was very slow, the writing felt distant from the characters (we as the reader didn't get to see much emotion), there wasn't much dialogue and the plot was fairly mild. It was an okay read, I can see it did have some enjoyable points, there wertr some humorous occurences (though I didn't really laugh), but would I call this 'beautiful', charming' or a 'celebration of youth'? Not quite. Hats off to Mr Schwayder though, that man was too kind for his own good. Be more Schwayder.

[Kathleen Jowitt]

My mother passed this book on to me several years ago, but I'd been putting off reading it because I was concerned that something awful was going to happen to the tram. In fact there are two trams, and, while neither of them comes out of the action unscathed, this wasn't nearly such a depressing read as I feared. It's a whimsical, almost surreal, sort of a book, a quick read that touches lightly on some horrible subjects. I almost want to call it wish fulfilment, though it's a strange sort of a wish.

[Cerealflakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised to learn this book was written in 2003 because it reads like a much older book. I do not mean this as a negative.

This book starts in the 1930s and finishes after WWII but with an ending chapter that tells you what happens in the character's lives. The main characters are two young brothers who have lots of adventures and travel around with a horse and a dog.

This is a short, easy-to-read novel that's great for some escapism.

[Commander Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another left field picked up on the spur of the moment which I quite enjoyed. For the first few chapters I wondered whwhere it was going. Latterly I had the impression that there were a few base facts, i.e., there was such a tram during WW2, and that a story had been woven around that. The relationship with the parents was unconventional and could have been explored further.

For some reason the Bookshelves/tags drop down hasn't disappeared and is obscuring what I've typed.

[Zulfiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unusual book that is so many things in one. It is a coming-of-age story, and a historical novel, an interesting look at the siblings' rivalry, and so much more. It is also a tribute to so many themes and motifs in the British literature, and when I was reading it, I could not get rid of the sensation that I am actually paging through a lot of British juvenile books or the books about older children and young adults.

[Dobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the shortness of this novel, I tended to dip in at odd intervals. Didn’t engage me much and would have awarded it 2.5 stars out of choice.
I picked it up in a charity shop and it looked intriguing. The story is a sentimentalised narrative and sometimes humorous- ‘charming’ some would say. It can be all these things but sadly I may forget this little story quite quickly.

[Best_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky tale about two brothers and their eccentric childhood, tinged with illness, family breakdown and the dream (and realisation) of owning a 2 pound tram. But while there is sadness in these pages it is such an engaging tale, beautifully told and laced throughout with humour. I loved it!

[Robyn Choate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was 3.5 stars for me. Really enjoyed the historical aspect and references in this book. You could visualize the characters in the setting. Storyline was light - not a lot of in depth moments but an enjoyable book!

[Teri Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5.
It’s a fast read—I read it in a couple of hours. It’s a sweet story, never has a lull in the action, and ultimately asks us to think about how we cherish (or don’t) our own memories, and the line between memory and nostalgia.

[Ellyreynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - read in two goes

[Charlotte Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic heart touching book could not put down and stop reading

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird. I loved it though I couldn’t really say why. It read as so real even though the story was completely fantastical that I actually looked the book up to check if it had any basis in fact.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet, but slow.

[Amy Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute gem of a book. Transcendent in that it is a short, direct story, but beautifully written with many grace points.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book about two young brothers in 1930’s England and their adventures in a £2 tram. Bittersweet story.