Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion

8 November, 2022 Gibson Square 2 Comments

In mid-life David Styles started a journey of discovering London, embarking on a five-year journey learning The Knowledge of London and unearthing facts along the way unknown to many Londoners. Once qualified he would meet, among others, Grayson Perry dressed as Little Bo Peep and the Archbishop of York on the eve of a Royal Wedding.

Part memoir with useful tips on increasing your memory; part manual on how to pass The Knowledge enabling you to join the ranks of the world’s finest cab service; and part London tourist guide. Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion takes you on a cabbie’s journey from working in an ancient industry facing redundancy to confronting Knowledge examiner, the feared, Mr Ormes.

He discovers how trees were planted in 1399 specifically to repair Westminster Hall’s roof some 500 years later, discloses that a Tory MP confused the Liberal Club with a public toilet, shows why maps are a work of fiction and advises that, for the sake of your health, you really shouldn’t queue outside Madame Tussauds. Where, should you wish, buy American postage stamps, finds Dick Whittington’s cat and seeks out the ancient London Stone.

Boris Johnson gets to be interviewed and the book explains why all London cabbies are obliged to carry a health certificate, at any time, not just when Boris is a passenger, and just what is behind those cabbie green shelters.

A London cabbie for over 25 years, David Styles, writing under the pseudonym Gibson Square (the first ‘Run’ on The Knowledge), has written about London on CabbieBlog.com since June 2008, and his blog has been read by over 1.4 million; he was features editor at Radio Taxis; he has contributed to Time Out, Metro, Evening Standard, Mail on Line, National Geographic; and The Spirit of London, a book presented to Her Majesty the Queen and given to all athletes competing in the London 2012 Olympics. He also appeared in the BBC documentary A Picture of London.

Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion is his first book, available free on Kindle Unlimited or may be downloaded for £4.49, the paperback is modesty priced at £8.99 should you prefer that rather quaint method of reading.

Gavin from New Zealand writes:

I am a Kiwi and served in the London Ambulance Service from 1980-85. I used the cabs regularly. When I came back for a holiday in 2014, I got all our party to use them. Convenient, cheap and took you right to the doorstep of your destination. But the best part is the banter. If you were in David’s cab and he was giving you a commentary like in this book, I wouldn’t want to leave his cab. “The Knowledge” study and test have some intrigue and romanticism about them. David finally sets the record straight in a most enlightening and humorous manner. London is one big history book, far too big to ever be published. If David was my history teacher, I wouldn’t have given up. His explanations of maps, beehives on hotel roofs, trivia and where cabbies go to pee and eat, are all in this book. I couldn’t put this book down. Cheekily written from the heart and the brain.

London in Quotations

London in Quotations: Virginia Woolf

Quote 7 November, 2022 Gibson Square 2 Comments

“I love walking in London”, said Mrs Dalloway. “Really, it’s better than walking in the country”.

Virginia Woolf (1882-1914), Mrs Dalloway

London trivia

London Trivia: Sex Pistols first gig

6 November, 2022 Gibson Square 4 Comments

On 6 November 1975, the Sex Pistols gave their first public concert at a London art school but not surprisingly after only playing for ten minutes they were told to pack up and go home.

On 6 November 1963 British European Airways opened an air terminal on Cromwell Road, unfortunately it was some distance from the nearest Underground station.

It is illegal in London to have sex on a parked motorcycle, beat a carpet in a public park, or impersonate a Chelsea pensioner

The Ritz hotel in Piccadilly was built on a site previously occupied by The Old White Horse Cellar, one of the most famous coaching inns in London

The remains of a Roman teenage girl were unearthed during the construction of The Gherkin, she was reburied near where she was found

Lenin, during his time in London, enjoyed taking trips on the top decks of buses as a means of observing the proletariat

The Lanesborough Hotel had 3 original Reynolds and boasts the largest collection of 18th century paintings in the world outside any gallery

The Fox and Anchor-Smithfield and Market Porter-Borough are licensed to serve alcohol from 7am to fit in with the hours worked by market porters

Tennis legend Fred Perry is commemorated by to plaques in Ealing. His ashes are buried near his statute at Wimbledon

Just outside Temple Tube station is an original pre-Beck map in a glass case. (In other words its lines are bendy rather than straight.)

The only London-based gin distillery left today is Beefeater Gin, which is based on Kennington in the former Haywards pickle factory

The River Thames is two hundred and fifteen miles long, has 47 locks and carries some 300,000 tonnes of sediment a year

Trivial Matter: London in 140 characters is taken from the daily Twitter feed @cabbieblog.
A guide to the symbols used here and source material can be found on the Trivial Matter page.

Previously Posted

Previously Posted: Blue Badge Blues

5 November, 2022 Gibson Square 2 Comments

For those new to CabbieBlog or readers who are slightly forgetful, on Saturdays I’m republishing posts, many going back over a decade. Some will still be very relevant while others have become dated over time. Just think of this post as your weekend paper supplement.

Blue Badge Blues (02.10.09)

A multiple-choice question starts this post today.

Which council is so poor it cannot afford to give unrestricted free parking for the disabled?

Is it:
(a) Corby (struggling to survive without its steelworks)
(b) Doncaster (having lost much of the engineering)
(c) Merthyr Tydfil (now coal mining has ceased)
(d) Westminster (one of the wealthiest places on earth).

The answer is to be found at the bottom of this post.

You see I was reading the information booklet about using a disabled Blue Badge for parking restrictions.

Most councils waive their parking charges for the first 2 hours as a concession to the disabled. The cost in lost revenue must be minute when compared to their total revenue. But for some authorities it would appear that the financial burden is too great.

Statistics show that Westminster Council now collects more income from parked cars than from ratepayers, so they are hardly likely to reduce this income stream. They do, magnanimously, provide a number of bays for Blue Badge holders, and provide a leaflet showing where these bays are located.

The answer is: The London Boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster, the City of London and part of Camden, just hang your heads in shame.

Puppydog tails

Test Your Knowledge: November 2022

4 November, 2022 Gibson Square 6 Comments

This month’s quiz titled London around the world… and beyond. As before the correct answer will turn green when it’s clicked upon and expanded to give more information. The incorrect answers will turn red giving the correct explanation.

1. 1 As a former colonial power, the name of our capital has been foisted on settlements around the world, but how many?

WRONG There are a total of 18 Londons in the United States, two in Alabama, and two in Ohio, you can also find London in: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Canada has a London in the province of Ontario, the second largest London in the world (after, of course, ours). The main settlement on Christmas Island (AKA Kiritimati) in Kiribati (an island nation in the Pacific Ocean) is called London. There are five Londons in the African continent: one in Equatorial Guinea, three in South Africa and one in Nigeria. South Africa also has a city called East London. There is also a London Island in Chile, a London in Belize and, slightly closer to home, a London in Finland. In total 29.

CORRECT There are a total of 18 Londons in the United States, two in Alabama, and two in Ohio, you can also find London in: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Canada has a London in the province of Ontario, the second largest London in the world (after, of course, ours). The main settlement on Christmas Island (AKA Kiritimati) in Kiribati (an island nation in the Pacific Ocean) is called London. There are five Londons in the African continent: one in Equatorial Guinea, three in South Africa and one in Nigeria. South Africa also has a city called East London. There is also a London Island in Chile, a London in Belize and, slightly closer to home, a London in Finland. In total 29.

2. In which American state can you find much of the previous London Bridge, which was shipped over to the States in the late 1960s?

Arkansas

WRONG What Londoners may not know is that they needn’t travel 5,400 miles to Arizona to keep an eye on their erstwhile icon. Thanks to a 2r hour webcam, you can watch cars whizz over the bridge (not many red double-deckers, alas) while boats navigate through its arches — from the comfort of your London home.

Arizona

CORRECT What Londoners may not know is that they needn’t travel 5,400 miles to Arizona to keep an eye on their erstwhile icon. Thanks to a 2r hour webcam, you can watch cars whizz over the bridge (not many red double-deckers, alas) while boats navigate through its arches — from the comfort of your London home.

Alabama

3. The Battle of Porto Bello in 1739 is commemorated in Notting Hill’s Portobello Road. But in which present-day country did the battle take place?

Panama

CORRECT The capture of Puerto Bello was part of a campaign known as ‘The War of Jenkins’ Ear’, fought against Spain in the West Indian colonies. When merchant sea captain Robert Jenkins had his ear cut off by a Spanish officer at Havana in 1731 it led to calls in Parliament for war with Spain. Captain Edward Vernon claimed he could take the Spanish town of Porto Bello on the north side of the Isthmus of Darien between Columbia and Panama – with only six ships of the line, this he duly achieved on 22 November 1739.

Portugal

WRONG The capture of Puerto Bello was part of a campaign known as ‘The War of Jenkins’ Ear’, fought against Spain in the West Indian colonies. When merchant sea captain Robert Jenkins had his ear cut off by a Spanish officer at Havana in 1731 it led to calls in Parliament for war with Spain. Captain Edward Vernon claimed he could take the Spanish town of Porto Bello on the north side of the Isthmus of Darien between Columbia and Panama – with only six ships of the line, this he duly achieved on 22 November 1739.

Paraguay

4. Severndroog Castle is a famous folly on Shooter’s Hill and takes its name from an island fortress in which country?

India

CORRECT Its name is taken from an island fortress in India captured by Commodore Sir William James in 1755. While commonly referred to as a castle due to its turrets, it was built as a folly, as can be discerned by its small size and because it has never functioned as a castle.

Indonesia

WRONG Its name is taken from an island fortress in India captured by Commodore Sir William James in 1755. While commonly referred to as a castle due to its turrets, it was built as a folly, as can be discerned by its small size and because it has never functioned as a castle.

Iraq

5. In which American state would you find the Thames River, which flows 15 miles from Norwich to New London?

Connecticut

CORRECT The Thames River a short river in Connecticut flows for 15 miles from Norwich to New London.

California

WRONG The Thames River a short river in Connecticut flows for 15 miles from Norwich to New London.

Colorado

WRONG The Thames River a short river in Connecticut flows for 15 miles from Norwich to New London.

6. The Memorial to Paddy the Wanderer, in Wellington, New Zealand is a drinking fountain for dogs. It’s built from stones salvaged from which London landmark?

Old Euston Station

WRONG Paddy The Wanderer was an Airedale Terrier who wandered the streets during the Great Depression. He was the beloved pet of a 13-year-old and took to wandering the wharf after his young owner died of pneumonia. Paddy soon became a familiar face as dockers, sailors and taxi drivers kept him well-fed and even turn took turns paying for his annual dog license. When he died of old age in 1939, hundreds of people mourned the loss of their local celebrity as a funeral procession of black taxi cabs accompanied his body across town. In 1945, enough donations were raised to erect a memorial fountain for humans and dogs alike in his honour, using material from old Waterloo Bridge.

Old Waterloo Bridge

CORRECT Paddy The Wanderer was an Airedale Terrier who wandered the streets during the Great Depression. He was the beloved pet of a 13-year-old and took to wandering the wharf after his young owner died of pneumonia. Paddy soon became a familiar face as dockers, sailors and taxi drivers kept him well-fed and even turn took turns paying for his annual dog license. When he died of old age in 1939, hundreds of people mourned the loss of their local celebrity as a funeral procession of black taxi cabs accompanied his body across town. In 1945, enough donations were raised to erect a memorial fountain for humans and dogs alike in his honour, using material from old Waterloo Bridge.

Old Wembley Stadium

7. St. Paul’s Chapel in present-day Manhattan is a direct architectural copy of which famous London church?

St. Paul’s Cathedral

WRONG St. Paul’s Chapel is Manhattan’s oldest public building still in use and is considered the closest replica to St. Martin’s in the Fields, it was designed in 1764 by Thomas McBean, a student of James Gibbs who created St. Martin’s in the Fields, it has the combination that is the signature feature of many New England churches, a monumental portico and an elegant steeple.

St. Clement Danes

St. Martin’s in the Fields

CORRECT St. Paul’s Chapel is Manhattan’s oldest public building still in use and is considered the closest replica to St. Martin’s in the Fields, it was designed in 1764 by Thomas McBean, a student of James Gibbs who created St. Martin’s in the Fields, it has the combination that is the signature feature of many New England churches, a monumental portico and an elegant steeple.

8. What was the first biscuit consumed on the moon?

Garibaldi

WRONG Although all these biscuits were invented in Peek Freans’ Bermondsey factory (some dispute this), the bourbon stands as being the very first biscuit to be consumed on the moon by Edwin Aldrin in 1969. The Bourbon biscuit is the 5th most popular biscuit in the United Kingdom selling £80 million, certainly not crumbs.

Custard cream

Bourbon

CORRECT Although all these biscuits were invented in Peek Freans’ Bermondsey factory (some dispute this), the bourbon stands as being the very first biscuit to be consumed on the moon by Edwin Aldrin in 1969. The Bourbon biscuit is the 5th most popular biscuit in the United Kingdom selling £80 million, certainly not crumbs.

9. The prelate of the Vatican wears coloured vestments each signifying the wearer’s position in the church or marking the religious point in the calendar. Which colour was invented in London?

Purple

CORRECT Purple once a rare dye due to its cost, is worn by bishops symbolizing penance, humility and sorrow for Jesus’ suffering. An economical purple was accidentally made by 18-year-old William Perkin at his East End home.

Red

WRONG Purple once a rare dye due to its cost, is worn by bishops symbolizing penance, humility and sorrow for Jesus’ suffering. An economical purple was accidentally made by 18-year-old William Perkin at his East End home.

Green

10. At Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri can be found a memorial dedicated to Winston Churchill. What forms its centrepiece?

Crosby Hall

WRONG Destroyed on 13th December 1940 by German bombs, St. Mary Aldermanbury’s 7,000 stones were, in the 1960s, relocated on the other side of the Atlantic. The stones had been jumbled and it took a day to locate the first two stones, and a decade to build. Crosby Hall was relocated to Chelsea from The City, while Temple Bar went from Fleet Street to Cheshunt returning to Paternoster Square near St. Paul’s.

St. Mary Aldermanbury

CORRECT Destroyed on 13th December 1940 by German bombs, St. Mary Aldermanbury’s 7,000 stones were, in the 1960s, relocated on the other side of the Atlantic. The stones had been jumbled and it took a day to locate the first two stones, and a decade to build. Crosby Hall was relocated to Chelsea from The City, while Temple Bar went from Fleet Street to Cheshunt returning to Paternoster Square near St. Paul’s.

Temple Bar