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Freedom of Information Request

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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
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Johnson’s London Dictionary: London Weighting

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LONDON WEIGHTING (n.) Not to be confused with travelling in the Metropolis by car, but additional payment to compensate for the higher cost of living.

Dr. Johnson’s London Dictionary for publick consumption in the twenty-first century avail yourself on Twitter @JohnsonsLondon

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Johnson’s London Dictionary: London Stone

LONDON STONE (n.) A block of limestone that hath mythical status insofar that London’s prosperity depends on its safekeeping.

Dr. Johnson’s London Dictionary for publick consumption in the twenty-first century avail yourself on Twitter @JohnsonsLondon

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Let sleeping lions lie

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Trivia fact: The sleeping lion on the Golden Syrup tin is a depiction of a dead beast. The reason for this – how the Victorians thought it was a good idea is anyone’s guess – is that there is a story in the Old Testament about some bees improbably building a hive in a dead lion.

Having used this as a promotional logo, Tate & Lyle decided to leave it there for 150 years or so before changing it. Captain Scott even took to the Antarctic and a fat lot of good that did him.

But hold on a moment, the text on the tin reads: ‘From the strong came forth sweetness’ and the Bible story is about bees. Correct me if I’m wrong, but bees don’t make syrup – they are advertising honey on their own syrup tin.

Here in London we have probably the world’s largest depiction of a dead lion (I’m open to correction here), so when I saw in a newspaper that Tate and Lyle were changing their syrup tin logo, I thought of the giant lion on the factory wall in Silvertown, East London.

But apparently, I can now breathe easy, the new logo is just for the squeezy bottle, not the tin. Probably the trouble of taking down that giant lion by the Thames was too much.

As a footnote:
Judges 14:14
So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet.” Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.

So even in the Bible, it is described as a riddle.

Featured image: Tate & Lyle factory by Thomas Nugent (CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED)

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A confluence of anniversaries

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Matt Brown writing on Londonist: Time Machine for Substack has pointed out a remarkable anniversary.

In 2051 a showcase event will almost certainly be held in London.

It will mark the 200th anniversary of the Great Exhibition; the centenary of the 1951 Festival of Britain; and 2,000 years since the Romans founded London.

He points out there’s some uncertainty about the date of the Romans leaving London which is usually given as AD 47. There’s enough wiggle room that the 2,000 celebrations could be held off until 2051. After all, Londinium wasn’t built in a day.

Will there be a modern Crystal Palace, a recreated Skylon, or a new London Wall?

Yes, that is in 27 years, and if I make it, I’ll be 104.

Featured image: Schedule or Calendar Flat Icon.svg from Wikimedia Commons by Videoplasty.com, CC-BY-SA 4.0