Tag Archives: Musings

A window on My World

July’s monthly musings

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💬 Cab News

You couldn’t make it up: Conservative MP and Minister for London Paul Scully has bemoaned the lack of Uber drivers willing to take him ‘Sarf of the River’ and begrudged paying the metered price by London’s black cabs for taking him the 16 miles to his home. Paul Scully MP’s original post on Twitter said: “Genuinely can’t remember the last time I could find an Uber driver in central London who’s prepared to go south of the river.”

🎧 What I’m Listening

There seems a curious convention among those who travel in the back of a cab. First, the cabbie is asked how long they’ve driven a cab, followed by: “What time you on ’til?” This question is now the title of a podcast by two Northern cabbies, JP and Ryan, who give their opinions, with a humorous twist, on industry news and stories from the past month.

📖 What I’m Reading

According to Caroline Roope’s The History of the London Underground Map, the map or Diagram, as she refers to it in her excellent book, fundamentally lacks key mapping elements such as topography and urban detail, but what it does is encourage a mental map of London, one that exists inside the passenger’s head allowing them to traverse the city, much like London’s cabbies achieve when studying The Knowledge. London’s Underground Map can be found on t-shirts, keyrings, duvet covers, and the app has been downloaded an astonishing 20 million times. After nearly 100 years it remains an icon of British design and ingenuity. Caroline’s book takes you through the history of the Underground and the different variations of this cultural artefact. Fascinating.

📺 What I’m watching

Mark Monroe whose London Grill is featured next month studied musical theatre at the Arts Ed School in Chiswick, becoming a jobbing theatre actor and after picking up a few prestigious roles, he then realised the fragility of treading the boards and undertook The Knowledge. In May 2019 he created Secret London sharing facets of London on his YouTube Channel where he shares a side of London that very few people are aware of.

❓ What else

For some time now I’ve been a top reviewer at Netgalley which offers free book downloads for honest reviews. Top Reviewer sounds like an impressive title but only means that a least three of my book reviews have been featured by a publisher.

A window on My World

June’s monthly musings

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Cab News

I have a confession, as from this month I’ve become a bit of a fraud. Ever since CabbieBlog has been uploading missives, I’ve boasted about being a London cabbie. This month I surrendered my badge and bill, so I can’t claim that again. This has occurred due to health issues, the difficulty with London’s traffic, but mainly Sadiq Khan removing thousands of cabs from the fleet, resulting in an inability to find a vehicle when you want to work part-time.

What I’m Listening

For anyone who has dreamed of becoming a writer (see the last paragraph of this post) Ed Reardon’s Week, was first broadcast on Radio 4 and available to purchase, and is essential listening. Written semi-naturalistically in the style of a radio drama, it concerns the story of a curmudgeonly middle-aged writer described in the show’s publicity material as an ‘author, pipesmoker, consummate fare-dodger and master of the abusive email’. Victor Meldrew is mild-mannered by comparison.

What I’m Reading

Dr Amir Khan: The Doctor Will See You Now is a powerful story and a rare insider account of what goes on behind those surgery doors written during the Covid-19 crisis – hope and heartbreak and everything in between. I’ll never complain about the NHS again.

What I’m watching

During this Platinum Month, I’ve been immersing myself in our Queen’s Jubilee and watching Netflix’s The Crown. My earliest memory of the Coronation was being given a pen and pencil set both with matching crowns in my first year at primary school, it’s a pity I didn’t keep them.

What else

I was expecting my memoir Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion to have been published by now. Now delayed due to my Gmail account not always allowing me to contact eBook Versions who are formatting the manuscript. It’s been a long journey from 23rd October 2018 when I agreed to write my autobiography for PenguinRandom House.

A window on My World

May’s monthly musings

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Cab News (and for everyone)

Rickshaws are one of the banes of London life, not just for cab drivers but just about everyone other than the rickshaw barons who rent out these death traps. They first started to appear in the late 1980s and contrary to common belief they have never competed with us, any journey undertaken in a rickshaw is invariably only for a few hundred yards and is viewed more like a fairground type thrill than a serious travel option. Fast forward over 30 years and Nickie Aitken, MP for Westminster, brought a Private Members Bill to license rickshaws, the proposals would require DBS checks on riders, difficult for a temporary transient workforce; operator licensing for the rickshaw barons – difficult for many of them; a ban on sound systems and electrical assistance; specific safety standards; and most importantly set fares. Rickshaws do very few rides, paying £75 a day to rent a rickshaw necessitates them charging ludicrous prices to the few passengers they get, a fixed fare will stop the rip-offs and, to many, the only incentive. Now a Rickshaw Bill has been featured in the Queen’s Speech for this session of Parliament. About time, it’s only taken my entire working life as a cabbie to regulate this Third World look for London.

What I’m Listening

For anyone of a certain age, as am I, the moon landing was a seminal time of our life. The BBC World Service celebrated its 50th Anniversary with 13 Minutes To The Moon exploring Apollo 11’s mission and the stories of the people behind its success. The podcast features interviews with the pioneers who made Apollo 11 a success and became the UK’s number one podcast. A nostalgic feast.

What I’m Reading

My daughter took our grandson to the Transport Museum and bought me, from their excellent bookshop, Tube Trivia by Andrew Emmerson, filled with fascinating facts about the Underground, such as Embankment Station once had a gramophone with a compressed air amplifier instructing passengers to stand on the right.

What I’m watching

Or not watching. We have a bird box at the end of our garden, and every May we watch the blue tits tend to their brood and see them fledge at the end of the month.
Fledging dates:
27th May 2021
24th May 2020
May 2019 on holiday so didn’t see them go
26th May 2018
This year none.
We have hardly any breed of bird in our garden, sparrows once we had over 50, now 2 or 3. Is this a trend? Global warming or what?

What else

John Ransley at eBook Versions has been patiently helping with my pedantic requirements, formatting and uploading my book to Amazon, both in ebook and printed versions. The whole process is too complicated for this humble cabbie.

A window on My World

April’s Monthly Musings

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Cab News

Tomorrow taxi fares are set to increase by 5.5 per cent in a bid to stem the number of drivers quitting the profession. The changes will apply to journeys made between 05:00 and 22:00 and go some way to cover increased overheads for drivers. Transport for London claims this is the reason for the first rise for two years, but the regulating body is starting to panic at the shortfall of cabbies, after undermining the profession for a decade, by March 2020, there were 18,961 taxis, as of this month that number fell to 13,461, a drop of 29 per cent, also the number of drivers has fallen by 2,693, a decrease of 12 per cent. To retain drivers TfL is going to do a lot more than raising some fares by a fraction.

What I’m Listening

The History of English podcast by Kevin Stroud. At the moment I’ve got to episode 157 and we’ve only reached Elizabeth I’s reign. If you are interested in our mother tongue this podcast is a must.

What I’m Reading

Just reread Tom Hutley’s The Knowledge: How to become a London black cab driver, yes I know I’m a bit of a nerd, but I would recommend anyone contemplating The Knowledge to give it a read at £4.99.

Not watching much

I’m completing the final line edits to my book: Everyone is entitled to my opinion which I’m hoping to publish on Amazon in Kindle and paperback on 1st June.

What else

Getting into Tai Chi after a short hiatus. David-Dorian Ross produces some great videos to improve your 24-form technique in mirror view, making the benefits of internal body strength, balance (something I need of late) and mental calm are achievable. Working cabbies take note.

A window on My World

March’s Monthly Musings

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Cab News

Yesterday ride-hailing app Uber has been granted a new London operator’s licence. Transport for London has relented and given the controversial business model a further 30 months in the forlorn hope that the company and its drivers will comply with the regulators’ stipulations.

What I’m Listening

Hazel Baker, London tour guide and CEO of London Guided Walks makes a weekly podcast about London’s history in bite-sized portions. Listening to Number 56 uploaded on 21st May 2021: London’s Black Cab Legacy.

What I’m Reading

Netgalley has allowed me to read the first chapter of Jessie Burton’s new novel The House of Fortune, its narrative continues from The Miniaturist which I loved.

What I’m Watching

The Ipcress File is loosely based on Len Deighton’s first spy novel which I read many years ago. With Putin now trying to expand Russia’s influence (and borders) this remake of the Michael Caine original is strangely prophetic.

What else

Just dispatched the manuscript of my memoir to eBook Versions to be formatted for Kindle and Print on Demand at Amazon. It’s something that is beyond my expertise. At the time of the Falklands Conflict, I was a typesetter producing the House of Lords Hansard Daily Parts, and eBook Versions’ owner was one of the sub-editors. Small world indeed.