A bad day in London is still better than a good day anywhere else.
Anon
London Trivia: Standing room only
On 23 March 1743 the first London performance of Handel’s Messiah. An account by James Beattie wrote some 37 years later related that King George II while attending the premiere was so overcome by the Hallelujah Chorus, he stood, this forced the entire audience to follow suit. It has since become an annual tradition to stand. Many historians question the authenticity of this charming story.
On 23 March 1889 the free Woolwich ferry service was launched by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, it seems to have been out of commission ever since
Having slid down a chimney teenage street urchin Edward Jones spent weeks wandering around Buckingham Palace hoping to meet Queen Victoria
In 1825 Irish MP Sir Frederick Tench drew up plans for a new Royal palace its approach would need Covent Garden and the West End demolished
The 999 service was introduced to London in 1937, the buzzer which alerted the switchboard operators was so loud that a some of them fainted
The Houses of Parliament has over 1,100 rooms; 100 staircases; 3 miles of corridors and 19 bars and restaurants
The unpopular underground Criterion Theatre opened in 1874 forced air pumps were installed to prevent patrons from suffocating it then flooded
A poll conducted by BBC Radio London found of the world’s 180 countries (some minute) London’s restaurants catered for 123 national dishes
Little Bridge Grounds near Chelsea’s ground held the first amateur boxing matches in 1867 with cups donated by the Marquess of Queensbury
Opening 1863 the Metropolitan Railway between Paddington and Farringdon was the world’s first urban underground passenger carrying railway
Phyllis Pearsall the creator of the A-Z Map is said to have personally walked London’s 23,000 streets to compile her celebrated atlas
Dan Crawford founder of The Kings Head Theatre Islington refused to accept decimal currency they charged and gave change until 2009 in £.s.d
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: An incorrect address
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.
An incorrect address (27.03.12)
While working as a cabbie how should I address you, and conversely when riding in the back of my cab by what name will you use to attract my attention?
Cabbies from previous generations I’m sure that they addressed their customers as “Guvn’r”, as the punters at the time were almost certainly male and middle class, and therefore in the manner of the day, would be regarded at a higher social standing.
Nowadays in a more egalitarian society, much of the class structure of the last century seems to have been abandoned and also our customers are more likely to be women as much as men. Moreover many modern women will direct me as their male companion stands idly by.
So how should my customers address me? “Taxi” is wrong on so many fronts, that I don’t know where to start; it is just that I don’t have 4 wheels.
“Cabbie” would seem an obvious choice, I’ve certainly earned that moniker, and it establishes our relationship; they are the “customer” and I am for the duration of the journey employee.
Or “Driver”, factually correct, but rather impolite to our native ears, and please not “Driv”, that just puts you at the bottom of the social class pecking order.
“Mate” or “Pal”, is a little, well, too intimate after all we’ve only known each other for a few minutes. Using “Guv” rather reverses the customer/servant relationship.
Our cousins from America seem to get it right, they nearly always address me as “Sir”, but curiously in a way that they retain their superiority, that is until the journey’s duration has exceeded 20 minutes, by which time Americans have usually introduced themselves and we address each other by our Christian names. And more importantly, how should I address you – the customer?
“Sir”, “Guv’”, “Mate”, for the male of the species, possibly, but many of my customers would take offence.
And it is far from easy the ladies; “Madam”, and “Dear” – both insulting or “Luv” – a bit personal or “Miss” a little demeaning?
Now all these are not just academic questions, because of our association with Europe, what becomes law in France will almost always drift across the Channel. The French it would seem are taking their famous Liberté, égalité, and fraternité to the Nth degree.
They apparently don’t like titles such as mademoiselle that set you apart from your other countrymen – or should that be countryperson? The French Prime Minister, François Fillon, has ordered that the term be removed from all official forms and registries. The decision, the report states, marks a victory for feminists who say the use of mademoiselle was demeaning to women.
They insist that their marital status need not be known every time they sign a form, or presumably hail a cab. Men in France are called monsieur, or sir in English, regardless of their marital status. The campaigners wrote on their website that they “intended to end this inequality but also to inform women of their rights.”
So will the famously grumpy Parisian cabbies find a way that suits both sexes and a term that respects all ages when they address their customer, and for we in London what is it to be?
London in Quotations: Lieutenant Colonel Charles Rathbone
Having a lovely time. Stop. If I ever find you in London, I will break your neck. Stop.
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Rathbone, Telegram sent to brutal Schweidnitz POW camp commander, Karl Niemeyer, after Rathbone’s 150 mile escape through Germany into Holland, 1918
London Trivia: Reach for the sky
On 16 March 2009, the construction of the London Bridge Tower started, designed by Renzo Piano at 1,017ft it was destined to be the tallest inhabited building in Western Europe and needed foundations over 173 feet deep. It was soon dubbed ‘The Shard’ a name the developers would later adopt. Its 72 floors were topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 6 July 2012. On 1 February 2013, the observation deck opened.
On 16 March 1872 the First ever FA Cup Final was played at The Oval between Wanderers (1) and Royal Engineers (0)
Insulting the King’s Bard still carries a fine of six cows and 8d (3p), although no-one is quite sure who, precisely, is the King’s Bard
The glazed-iron roof of Royal Albert Hall measures 20,000sq.ft. and was at the time of building the largest unsupported dome in the world
The proprietor of Whiteley’s original store in Queensway was murdered by an illegitimate son whom he wished to disown
Old Waterloo Bridge, a tempory structure, was transported by train to Germany in 1944 and rebuilt to span the Rhine. After the war it vanished without trace
Museums which record Londoners: Carlyle; Churchill; Dickens; Faraday; Johnson; Freud; Handel; Hogarth; Keats; Leighton; Morris; Nightingale
Harrod’s has more than 200 departments spread over 20 acres of floorspace, with an artesian well and a underground lock-up for shoplifters
The museum at Lord’s Long Room has a perfume jar containing the original Ashes, and a stuffed sparrow bowled out in 1936 by Jehangir Khan
On 16 March 1912, the last 4-horse team pulling an open bus ran from the foot of Balham Hill to Gracechurch Street
The Bank of England Chief Cashire’s signature have appeared on banknotes since 1870 but the Monarch’s portrait did not feature until 1960
Once granted The Freedom of the City of London you can herd sheep over London Bridge, carry a drawn sword and not get arrested when drunk
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.
CabbieBlog 