🚓 What Cab News
The beginning of the year is known as The Kipper Season for reasons that have been lost in the mists of time. Traditionally it is one of the quietest times in London for the cab trade, a frustrating time trying to earn a living, and this year by all accounts is one of the worst.
🎧 What I’m Listening
Unlike many, I’ve been avidly reading about the Post Office scandal for over 10 years. Now available on BBC Sounds is R4’s The Great Post Office Trial. The podcast reveals just how deeply ingrained this scandal was. It’s about time those corrupt ‘The Great and The Good’ were brought to justice.
📖 What I’m Reading
Hidden in Full View by Samantha Ford, some time ago Samantha contacted me for her research in writing this book. She’s now sent me a copy, and as she’s been called the new Wilbur Smith I’m delighted with the opportunity to read the novel, and what a cracking story it is!
📺 What I’m watching
Channel 5 1928: The Year The Thames Flooded, on a January night heavy snowfall started melting as a storm surge pushed up the North Sea. 14 died and the Tate Gallery flooded. A lesson for today.
❓ What else
For years sitting on my hard drive has been a barely started, let alone finished, novel. After exchanging emails with Samantha Ford (see above) my writer’s block has cracked and I’m scribbling away daily. The flow will probably subside, but in case it doesn’t watch this space.
📆 What date?
The six-pip Time Signal was introduced on 5 February 1924 following the successful broadcast of the chimes of Big Ben to usher in the New Year.
CabbieBlog 
A cabbie novel could be good. I hope it involves crime or double-dealing of some kind!
I first heard of the problems with the Post Office after moving to Norfolk. Around 2013, the village sub-Post Office in Gressenhall, located in the local shop (the nearest one to Beetley) suddenly closed down. The shop owner told me that the lady he had employed to run the sub Post Office had been arrested, and they had to close it. (Not the whole shop)
It soon transpired that large sums of money had apparently gone missing, and the sub-Post Office didn’t open again until 2018. I never found out what happened to the lady, but no doubt she was yet another victim of the scandal.
Best wishes, Pete,
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Yes, again a terrible miscarriage of justice. Unfortunately I’m not so proficient at stories as you, but at least it’s coming along. Yes criminal activity, double dealing and murder, unsurprisingly not perpetrated by the cabbies!!
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Keep notes in a notebook. Character names, timelines, distances travelled, locations, etc. I’m sure you already know that, but it’s crucial. I do that for al of my serials.
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I did not know about the 1928 flood. Good luck with the writing.
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The flood which came during a January night was pretty grim. Thanks for the encouragement, and thanks for the comment.
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Yes!!! Do keep us posted on your novel… And any hints?
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Unsurprisingly it involves cabbies!
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