Sir Paul Smith makes revelation as Nottingham tram named after him
The global fashion designer Sir Paul Smith said it was 'an honour' after a Nottingham Express Transit (NET) tram was named after him. Sir Paul, who is originally from Beeston, was at the unveiling at Wilkinson Street tram depot on Wednesday, October 16,
Sir Paul said that, despite receiving the ultimate Nottingham accolade, he had never been on one of the city's trams before the unveiling on Wednesday. He said: "I was born in Beeston and my company's based here in Nottingham so I've seen all the hard work that went into the creation of the tram system.
"It was interesting that Nottingham was pioneering with having a tram system and lots of other cities in England have been looking at Nottingham as an example. I've been working here for many years and I've been an Honorary Freeman of the city, which is very special.
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"I've always tried to have a strong connection with my hometown and coming back home to Nottingham is always a joy and especially for the honour of having a tram named after you. This city is where it all began for me and my career, and I feel incredibly lucky to be recognised in this way.
"I’m proud to say my business still employs a lot of people in Nottingham, I hope they and all those living in or visiting the city enjoy taking a ride on my tram and exploring all it has to offer." The 230 tram, besides bearing Sir Paul's name, has had a personal touch added to it, representative of the world-known fashion brand.
Next to the name, passengers will spot a line signed by Sir Paul saying "every day is a new beginning", written in bright pink. Sir Paul said: "It's a very optimistic phrase that we use a lot in my company saying every day is a new beginning, so hopefully it will be.
"It's in pink because it's a colour that stands out on the tram. We could have used red, but it wouldn't have stood out as much, and yellow is a nice colour, too, but it gets the dirt. Pink also has the connection with our shop in Los Angeles on Melrose Avenue, which is now the most Instagrammable shop in California.
"It's a big rectangular box in bright pink and it gets about 380 to 400 people a day posing outside it." Sir Paul also explained he usually only visits Nottingham for the day.
He said: "I'm not here as much as I would like, I mostly come for the day and just go straight to my headquarters. I don't really get out much when I'm here but the city and Beeston have changed so much."
The designer, whose Nottingham shop is located in a Grade II-listed townhouse dating back to 1738 in Low Pavement, added that he usually stays at Langar Hall in Langar during his visits. However, his sister, who was present at the unveiling, still lives in their family home in Beeston.
Sir Paul said: "My parents bought the land and then had the house built and they lived there for 60 years until they passed away and my sister moved in." The fashion icon joins dozens of other significant Nottinghamshire personalities, including football star Mary Earps, actress Vicky McClure and cricketer Stuart Broad.
Alison Sweeney, head of marketing at NET, said: "Naming our trams has always been a fantastic way for us to honour the success of people from our city, and Sir Paul Smith is the perfect candidate for this high accolade. His creative contribution is truly something to be celebrated and even now, 50 years since launching his career, The Paul Smith Willoughby House flagship store is a key part of Nottingham’s retail offering.
"As such a key part of Nottingham life, we know how important it is for us to ensure that each of our trams reflect local people who have gone on to achieve brilliant things, and we understand the importance of this practice to the city. We’re continuing to review our renaming process and are excited to share further plans on this in the upcoming months."