Albert Pierrepoint

30 June, 2015 Gibson Square Leave a comment

Albert Pierrepoint is not as well known today. If it wasn’t for Timothy Spall’s depiction of England’s last hangman in a recent film he would by now have been forgotten. Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle Pierrepoint’s first ’client’ on 17th October 1941 was Antonio ’Babe’ Mancini a member of the notorious Sabini crime gang. A turf war between Jewish and Italian groups in Soho culminated in a fatal stabbing.

[T]he victim was Harry ’Scarface’ Distleman murdered by Mancini on 1st May. Just over 5 months later Mancini bade everyone present a good humoured “cheerio” as he literally launched from the scaffold Albert Pierrepoint’s career.

Pierrepoint would go on to hang over 400 people; his record was an impressive 17 in a day. On Friday 13th December 1945 he executed 13 Belsen Concentration Camp staff before lunch.

A strange set of circumstances would lead England’s star hangman to become both a witness for the prosecution and state executioner.

On 29th April 1947 Pierrepoint was having a quiet afternoon drink in his local; no doubt regaling friends was anecdotes of dispatching his clients. Outside the Fitzroy Tavern in Charlotte Street [pictured above] on hearing a commotion he glanced out of the window to see three masked men carrying guns running down the street.

Albert Pierrepoint

They were fleeing an abortive attempt to rob nearby ’Jays’ the Jewellers. As they burst into the shop the firm’s director Alfred Stock had slammed the safe shut getting pistol whipped for his defiance. Now turning to 70-year-old Bertram Keates they demanded the keys. Keates defiantly threw a wooden stool as his assailants. A shot was fired without causing injury, but meeting this fierce resistance Charles Jenkin aka The King of Borstal, Christopher Geraghty and 17-year-old Terence Rolt fled the scene only to find a lorry had blocked in their getaway car.

Running down Charlotte Street they were confronted by Alec De Antiquis who drove his motorcycle at them. One of the gang fired fatally hitting Antiquis’s head, not far from where Pierrepoint was trying to have a quiet pint.

The investigation was led by the legendary Fabian of The Yard. Robert Fabian was relied on systematic evidence soon found a cabbie who had witnessed two men suspiciously entering a building. Inside a scarf and raincoat found there were traced to Jenkins. His accomplices were soon apprehended and 17-year-old Rolt confessed to save himself.

The jury took 15 minutes to convict the trio, Jenkins and Geraghty renewed their acquaintance with a witness to their misdemeanours on 19th September 1947 when Pierrepoint hanged the pair. Rolt was detained for 9 years at Her Majesty’s Pleasure being under age.

As a footnote:
The case inspired a 1950 film The Blue Lamp starring Jack Warner as PC George Dixon. In the Ealing Studios film Dixon is murdered, luckily for Warner such was his popularity a TV spin-off Dixon of Dock Green was commissioned, the series ran for 432 episodes, from 1955 to 1976. Not only was it the first caps-and-robbers TV series it was also one of the longest running.

Thinking allowed

In Blog We Trust

29 June, 2015 Gibson Square 2 Comments

For regular readers (the few out there who might be left), they will have noticed a change in direction for CabbieBlog during this week. As is the custom here two bespoke posts for your edification – or not as the case may be – were published. Sprinkled amongst them have been a large number of guest posts suggesting hotels one might like to consider when travelling around the capital and wider afield.

[A]s outlined in half-a-million hits and counting this blog has limped along for over 6 years with most of its inherent costs borne by the author. A small income stream has failed to cover the costs of hosting, domain name booking, web design, security – protecting both of us from ne’er-do-wells and research.

Unlike many sites no advertising appears on the home page. The ’What I’m Reading’ on the sidebar is genuinely what it says and not a posh product placement.

So where do we go from here? Hopefully even with London’s cab trade on a downward spiral – more on 10th July post if you’re interested – CabbieBlog is set fair for a few more years.

I am still open for receiving Guest Posts, many published gratis; featuring the monthly Little Gem of a London building; inviting participants for the London Grill; and writing about novel uses for redundant cabs.

Hopefully most of you, unlike Andrew who posted a comment about unsubscribing to the blog, will not alight from the cab and stay with me for the ride on this the highest ranking general interest website written by a London cabbie.

Thanks must also go to Al from Camden Pubs for his email taking me to task for this week’s remorseless output.

Tomorrow the man who was both witness for the prosecution and state executioner.

Photo: Pen and Paper Phil Gyford (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Thinking allowed

A Fine Stay in Cardiff Bay

28 June, 2015 Gibson Square 2 Comments

Cardiff Bay is a spectacular waterfront area that more people are choosing as a place to visit each year. The area has a great deal of beauty to offer right along the water but there are just as many fun things to do inside the city as well. Everything from cultural events to sporting venues to shopping and dining and everything in between can be found in the city so that you can fill up all of your days with fun activities. If you are looking into staying in Cardiff Bay you may want to take a look at hotels in Cardiff Bay so you can find the best one to suit your needs and budget.

What to Look For
There are some aspects regarding a hotel that you will want to look at so you can be sure to choose just the right place for yourself. If you are traveling to Cardiff Bay with the intention of checking out the university then you may want to choose a place near Cardiff University. You may also want to consider a location that is nearby to the City Centre so that you can be sure to have easy access to all kinds of business, shopping, dining and cultural events along with the public transportation that is available so that you can get around the city easily. You may also want to consider which tourist attractions you have the most interest in so that you can stay near to where those places are or close to transit that can take you there quickly. If you are in on business, you may want easy access back and forth to your hotel from the airport. For hotels near Cardiff Airport you will find that the Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay has everything you could want in a hotel.

A Hotel Fit For You
This particular hotel is in the perfect location in Cardiff Bay, placing you just twelve miles from Cardiff Airport and less than a mile away from the nearest train station. You will also be near to the City Centre, major attractions like Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle and much more. The rooms at the hotel have everything you need for a comfortable stay, with free Wi-Fi, in room power showers, comfortable bedding with your choice of pillows, in-room coffee and tea facilities and more. You will also find a free breakfast buffet each morning of your stay. You get everything at very affordable rates so you will not worry about going over your budget for your trip on your hotel room.

Take the time to check the room availability at the Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay when you are planning your next trip to the Cardiff area. You will find that the hotel has everything you need, along with a very helpful and attentive staff to help you along the way. You will have found a fantastic bargain for your stay that helps to make your trip even more enjoyable.

This is a sponsored guest post for which CabbieBlog has received a fee. Proceeds from these articles help keep the wheels turning on this site offering free content for anybody with an interest in London. All links here conform with guidelines set out in Write a Post.

Thinking allowed

Enjoy All That York Has to Offer

28 June, 2015 Gibson Square Leave a comment

If you are looking for locations in Great Britain to consider for your next holiday or leisure trip, you may want to consider the city of York as a place to go. If you have never visited York before it is one of the cities of Great Britain with a good deal of historical significance and there are a number of historical sites and cultural events throughout the city that you might find of interest. The city also features wonderful areas for sporting events, shopping, dining, music and much more. Many people find they visit the city and need to come back to see areas that they never got to before. If you are looking for the chance to see all that York has to offer you may want to look at some of the quality budget hotels in York so you can find a great place to stay for your visit.

So Much to See and Do
York has a great deal of history, dating back many centuries, and can provide you with countless historical sites to visit to keep you busy. Getting to see places such as York University, the York Dungeons, the National Railway Museum and other areas of historical significance can be enlightening, informative and wonderful. You will also find a great deal going on near York Minster and York City Centre, where a great many cultural events occur, along with some of the best shopping and dining in the city. Having easy access to the City Centre can help you during your trip since the public transportation is centered in this area, letting you get around using the bus or train. When you are looking at York hotels that can put you right in this region and give you a great place to stay you will want to consider the Holiday Inn Express York.

A Hotel with Much to Offer
The hotel is located just a couple of miles away from the City Centre so that you can get to it very easily so you can take advantage of everything going on in the City Centre. The hotels itself is nearby to many great tourist locations in York so you can have easy access to wherever you want to go. The rooms have all been recently renovated to provide you with all of the modern amenities you want in a comfortable stay, such as Wi-Fi access, LCD televisions, in-room coffee and tea facilities, comfortable bedding and more. You will also get a free continental breakfast with your stay or take advantage of the lounge bar and relax with a drink after your day.

All of the wonderful amenities come along with a friendly and helpful hotel staff to help you with anything you may need. When you are planning a trip to York and want to stay at a good hotel that is not going to break your budget you will want to look at the Holiday Inn Express York. You will find that they have highly competitive rates to go along with the ideal location that you are looking for.

Thinking allowed

Have a Great Hotel Stay in Burton

28 June, 2015 Gibson Square Leave a comment

Planning any type of leisure trip or holiday with your family or friends takes a great deal of care so you can be sure to choose just the right place for your trip. One of the places you may want to look into as a possible location for your trip is the city of Burton. When you stay in Burton you can place yourself close to many other cities and towns so you can have easy access to several different places you can visit, such as Derby, Birmingham or Nottingham. You can then also have many other great tourist attractions right nearby in Burton to take in. To get the best location possible you will want to check out hotels in Burton so you can find one near to where you want to go and one that fits nicely into your budget.

Stay Near Where You Want to Go
Ideally you want to choose a hotel that is going to place you near the different attractions you have the most interest in. This will make it easier for you to get back and forth by car if you plan to do the driving. Consider a hotel that has ample parking of its own if you plan to drive yourself or one that is near to public transportation so you can easily get to the train. In Burton you may want to look for hotels near Bombardier and the National Brewery Centre, both sites and attractions that draw large numbers of visitors each year. You also want to be close by to attractions like the National Memorial Arboretum, Alton Towers, St. George’s Park, the Westfield Shopping Centre and other locations. If you are looking for cheap hotels in Burton that offer all of these things and more you will want to take a look at the Holiday Inn Express Burton Upon Trent.

Quality and Affordability
This Holiday Inn Express is actually the first one that was built in all of England. Each room is equipped with everything you will need to make sure you have a comfortable trip. Wi-Fi Internet access is available, along with power showers, ample workspace, comfortable bedding with your choice of pillows, in room coffee and tea facilities and much more. The hotel also has business services should you need any work done and a complimentary hot buffet breakfast each morning of your stay to get the day started right. You can get all of this at a very affordable price for your stay.

When you are ready to book your trip to Burton take the time to see what rooms are available at the Holiday Inn Express Burton Upon Trent. You will be glad you decided to stay at this hotel and will have found a place that you know you can always return to so that you can get outstanding service, a fantastic room and all at one of the best prices to be found anywhere in the city.