Category Archives: Puppydog tails

Win a signed copy

The Trembling Lady, my latest novel, has just been published on Amazon, and I’m running a competition to win a signed copy.

In September, YouTuber Tom Hutley ran 14.75 miles across the capital, visiting all thirteen of the remaining historic green taxi huts, setting off from Warwick Avenue and finishing at St John’s Wood, the headquarters of our intrepid heroes.

The question is: What was Tom’s run time between all 13 shelters?

Entries should be sent via CabbieBlog’s Contact Page (I’ll only need the time at this stage).

You may make multiple entries.

If the winner gets to within 5 minutes of the exact time, as a bonus prize, a signed copy of On The Meter, the first in the series, will also be included.

The competition is open until 23.59 GMT on Sunday 28th December 2025. The winner will be contacted by Saturday 3rd January 2026.

Good luck!

Cabbieblog’s decision as to the winner is final. If there are two correct entries, CabbieBlog reserves the right to decide the winner. The competition is not open to Tom Hutley. Apart from notifying the winner, no correspondence relating to the competition will be entered into. Up to the closing date, there is no limit on the number of entries a person can make. Cabbieblog reserves the right to cancel or alter or amend the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control.

The Green Hut Run Club

On Wednesday, September 24th, 2025, 10 London taxi drivers will run 16 miles across the capital, visiting all 13 of the city’s historic green taxi shelters in one go.

They’re calling themselves, predictably, the Green Hut Run Club, and yes, expect cab bags, flat caps, and plenty of tea stops along the way.

Setting off from Warwick Avenue at 8:00 am, they’re aiming to reach St John’s Wood — home to the original shelter and its newly appointed shelter keeper — by late morning.

These iconic green huts aren’t just quirky street furniture — they’re part of London’s living history. All 13 are Grade II listed, and each one provides vital rest, warmth, and community for working cabbies. But maintaining them is no easy task. Repairs are costly; as they’re listed buildings, even simple works can become expensive conservation projects.

One example is the shelter at Cromwell Gardens, also known as the ‘Bell and Horns’. A few years ago, it was hit by a car, suffering significant damage. It had to be moved onto the pavement for safety, where it was painstakingly repaired — but despite all that effort, it still hasn’t been able to reopen. Without proper funding, more shelters could face the same fate.

That’s why they’re fundraising to support the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund, the small but vital charity that oversees the preservation and upkeep of the shelters.

An ambitious fundraising target of £10,000 has been set, all of which will go directly towards keeping these unique parts of London life in good shape for future generations.

They’ll be taking photos at each stop, sharing the journey online, to raise public awareness about these little green gems,  helping to keep the shelters standing.

If you love London, history, or just a good old-fashioned cabbie story, please consider donating to the JustGiving page. Every pound helps preserve something truly special.

As a postscript in a blatant piece of self-promotion, my novels featuring the Shelter Sleuths Investigators are based around the finishing line at the St. John’s Wood Shelter.

London in Quotations: Ben Aaronovitch

My Dad says that being a Londoner has nothing to do with where you’re born. He says that there are people who get off a jumbo jet at Heathrow, go through immigration waving any kind of passport, hop on the tube and by the time the train’s pulled into Piccadilly Circus they’ve become a Londoner.

Ben Aaronovitch (b.1964), Moon Over Soho

London in Quotations: Paul Theroux

A person who is tired of London is not necessarily tired of life; it might be that he just can’t find a parking place, or is sick of being overcharged.

Paul Theroux (b. 1941), Sunrise with Seamonsters

Freedom of Information Request

Recently Transport for London published a reply to the following Freedom of Information request:

How many people applied to take The Knowledge test each year, for as far back as you have data • How many of these applicants were successful • How many taxi driver licences have been issued each year, for as far back as you hold data?

If COVID-19 is taken out of the data the number applied to start The Knowledge has remained surprisingly consistent.

To establish whether the applicant has subsequently completed the KoL was estimated to exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information Regulations 2004.

The table below shows the annual number of applicants for the Knowledge of London and the number of new taxi driver licenses issued from 2016:

YearApplicants for the KoLNumber of new licences issued
20164441,010
2017416896
2018361549
2019356442
2020178233
2021174247
2022440264
2023579185
202410826