A streetcar named desire

Not only can Birkenhead lay claim to having Britain's first public park but, thanks to American businessman George Francis Train (yes, really!), it also had the first street tramway in Europe. Train, a passionate Unionist, was involved in the the founding of the Union Pacific Railroad during the American Civil War and styled himself 'Citizen Train' (yes, really!) - he was also the likely inspiration for Jules Verne's character Phileas Fogg in Around the World in Eighty Days. He made three circumnavigations of the globe, the first in 1870 and the last - which he completed in 67 days - in 1890.

Opened on 29th August 1860 the first Birkenhead tram line ran from Woodside (site of the Mersey ferry terminal) to Birkenhead Park. The original trams were horse-drawn but electricity eventually put the horses out to pasture. The tram service closed in 1937 but was revived in 1995 as a tourist attraction using a variety of 'heritage' trams from as far afield as Hong Kong.

Train also introduced a tram system in London but the 'powers that be' were not impressed because the tramlines caused a tripping hazard and in 1861 he was arrested and charged with "breaking and injuring a London street"... And we think that cries of "Health and Safety gone mad!" are a new phenomenon!

A vegetarian and supporter of women's rights (he was the primary financial backer of The Revolution newspaper published by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton), Train not only ran for President as an independent candidate but also stood as Dictator of the United States! Needless to say he didn't get elected to either office...

When he died in New York in 1904, The Thirteen Club, which was dedicated to proving that 13 is not an unlucky number, passed a resolution stating that he was one of the few sane men in "a mad, mad world."