FOLLOWING the report (Daily Echo, August 30) regarding the restoration of former Southampton tram No11, and the Hampshire Heritage item on September1, how nice it would be to run the tram rather than just displaying it.

The tram could be based at the Heritage Museum in the old law courts, as mentioned, and run along Commercial Road, Above Bar, through the precinct, and under the Bargate arch.

It could then continue onto High Street where it would provide a visitor link to the medieval wine vaults before turning right onto Town Quay, and terminate at the piaza at Phase 3 of the West Quay development.

As an alternative, the tram could turn left into Bernard Street, right into Oxford Street, right into Terminus Terrace, left into Canute Road, and terminate at Crosshouse Road.

An old Floating Bridge could be moored here, and a new Solent Sky aviation museum could be sited on this waterfront, opposite, on the other side of the River Itchen, the site of the old Supermarine factory, where, among other aircraft, the Spitfire was designed and built. This might well be the place to have a Spitfire as a centrepiece.

It might be possible that an approach to the Tramway Museum Society, at Crich Tramway Museum in Derbyshire, be made with a view to borrowing ex-Southampton tram No 45 from their collection to support tram 11 on this project.

Failing this the tram could be supported by classic Southampton buses - some of which will be operating routes from the docks, and city centre to Shirley on September 9.

During the autumn months quality illuminations, similar to the ones at Blackpool, could be switched on along Above Bar from the Cenotaph, or London Road to the Bargate, and onto the High Street, and the waterfront.

The laying of track and overhead power lines would not come cheap, and nor would the provision of quality illuminations. The Crosshouse idea would also be expensive.

As to the funding for all this, I'll leave this to the experts! However, I think this would not only provide an interesting link to the various attractions mentioned, but has the potential of bringing tourists to Southampton, and give the city its wow factor.

TERRY KNAPPETT, Southampton and District Transport Heritage Trust.