One hundred years ago many things were cheaper than now. However, that did not extend to cars. Textile workers earned less than £1 per week and even the most affordable cars cost nearly £300.
Blackburn had steep and narrow cobbled streets not suited to the feeble engined cars of the day. Consequently, the Blackburn arterial road was started in 1921. This was essentially a northern bypass for the town.
The 1920s was a period of post-war depression and large numbers of unemployed men were assigned to building the road. The road can be seen on the map below. Several bridges had to be built crossing various railway lines. As can be seen, The road passed through Whitebirk.

The Blackburn Land survey map can be found here

Blackburn Boulevard in 1925
The Boulevard in 1925 above was a hub of activity, note the large number of taxis and buses. The taxis would probably have belonged to the Blackburn Carriage and Motor Company of Weir Street in the town. The taxis were mostly re-bodied Model T’s.

Wages in 1925
In 1925, the average wage in the UK Was £5 per week. Notably, that would have been for skilled trades. Textile workers were paid less than £1 per week. Consequently, most of the working classes traveled by public transport.
The Ford Model T
By the 1920s mass production was starting to bring morning costs down. However, even the cheapest cars were well out of reach for the working classes. The Model T Ford cost £288 in 1920, however, this had dropped to £214 by 1925.
Trams rule in Blackburn


Blackburn kept its trams longer than most other towns Notably, they ran until 1949. Alternatively, Accrington’s trams had ceased running by 1932.
Blackburn was an early adopter of trams, starting in 1881. The operator was the Blackburn and Over-Darwen Tram Company. Steam tram locomotives were used, and Blackburn was one of the first towns to use Steam traction instead of horses.
The Corporation takes over Blackburn’s trams

By 1900 electric trams were being manufactured by Dick Kerr in Preston and most towns had converted their fleets to electric by 1902. Blackburn Corporation had bought the assets of the Blackburn and Over-Darwen Tram Company in 1898 shortly after the Corporation electrified the line.
By the 1930s, many tram routes were being replaced by buses. The Line from Church to Accrington closed in 1932. However, the war prevented further closures, and the line from Intack to Church remained open until 1949.