HERE TODAY - HERE TOMORROW
It 's rather difficult to believe, but in two months time I would have
been the Editor of Call Sign Magazine for three years. Yes, I said three
years! It doesn't seem possible - but it's true!
My first six months were on a trial basis after which I was
offered the post for a further two and a half years. Well, after the May
issue my three years will be up, so like all the best footballers, I
didn't wait for the end (I don't think we have a Bosman ruling in magazine
publishing!), but went to the BoM to ask whether my contract was to be
renewed or was I about to discover bike riding again!
Well, I'm delighted to say - and I hope that many of you are
too - that I have been offered a further three years and I have written
back to say that I accept. So it looks as though it is here today and here
tomorrow.
Once again my special thanks go to all the drivers out there
who write or verbally give me info without which, there would be no mag.
TELEVISION COMPANIES AT DIAL-A-CAB
For the past two years and probably more, Dial-a-Cab has been accepted as
London's premier taxi organisation with Brunswick House constantly
receiving requests from media organisations for information and
interviews.
Brian Rice is constantly being telephoned by newspapers that
are doing articles on the licensed trade while Tom Whitbread is usually
first to be phoned when theatres are looking to give away 'freebies' to
the trade.
Television companies from around the world are often
'popping in' to BH to show how the London taxi trade operates with several
having already been here this year including crews
from Denmark and Belgium. February was a good example with one British
film crew here to do a Channel 4 program on stress in taxi drivers. They
were astonished to find that Call Sign is already running a series on
stress awareness (by Dave Kupler) obviously assuming that we wouldn't even
be thinking about the subject.
A second crew was here from the Japanese TV company NHK. They
are doing a series (not available in Europe) on unusual occupations and
had heard that London's taxi fleet had some female drivers. In Japan, this
would be unheard of (unless they had finished their cooking
ultra-quickly!). So NHK came to Dial-a-Cab to 'hire' a lady driver.
Lorraine Davey (L16) is no stranger to Call Sign readers and it was she
who was followed around for several days as a working female cab driver (a
report is in this issue). NHK were nothing but courteous and respectful to
Lorraine, but I found a recent report on activities in Japan rather
strange.
For many years, the winners of the Japanese National Sumo
Championships (I believe it was in Osaka but I could be wrong) were
presented with their medals by the local equivalent to a mayor and this
had always been a man. However, this year the mayor was a woman and the
Sumo authorities refused to allow the wrestlers to accept their awards
from her as it would "degrade the sport."
Let's hope that the always-professional Lorraine has
convinced them that women can do far more than just cook!
COMPUTER ERRORS
I explained in the last issue about losing my computer halfway
through the month and attempted to use that as an excuse in case any
errors occurred during the transfer of data from one to the other! There
was a huge sigh of relief when I looked through the finished product to
see that all looked well. Several of you emailed me with confirmations of
that for which I am grateful.
However, something did go wrong. One item was left on the old
computer and it referred to the front cover of the Millennium special
dated January 2000.
Several of you commented on the split front cover of that
issue offering praise on the apparent colour tinting of the 1953 photo
featuring the opening of our first premises in Kings Cross. I have to
admit that I had nothing to do with the colouring and that part was
achieved digitally by Tim Dillon to whom I offer my sincere thanks and
apologies for taking so long to say it.
Tim's expertise is amazing. He works at the Marchmont Street
branch of Snappy Snaps and I'm sure that he would be only too happy to
answer any queries you have on the subject of digital photography if you
are passing that way.
AGM
Once again it was nice to meet drivers at the AGM, but I must
admit to being disappointed with the turnout. Drivers themselves voted for
the new system, but I cannot understand why so many seem to take no
interest in the running of the Society. It is for several hours, one day
in a year! Mind you, it meant that the rest of us got out much earlier
than usual. I now wait with baited breath to hear where the next AGM will
be held - it certainly won't need a hotel again.
