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Dial-a-Cab has several
Chairmen on the Society in addition to Brian Rice! Those in the hot
seat of the War Disabled (Mike Calvey B95), the Underprivileged
Children’s Fund (David Lessman D19), the Taxi Driver of the Year
charity (Russell Poluck T55) and Dial-a-Dream (Tom Whitbread) are
all on this Society, as is one more who doesn’t get the same
publicity. Keith White (A16) has just stood down as Chairman of the
London Vintage Taxi Association. This is Keith’s story… "The London Vintage Taxi Association (LVTA) was founded in 1978 to bring together those interested in retired London-type taxicabs. Some thirty years earlier at around 2 o'clock one afternoon, the baby Keith White emerged kicking and screaming into a world that was full of interest for a budding transport anorak. Steam trains, underground trains, lorries, buses, trolleybuses, I loved the lot! Graduating through motor bikes (ok – and discovering women on the way) to my first "car" - an FX3 bought off the rank - I also became involved with vintage buses. To finance all this (including the women), I did coach driving and went on to do the Knowledge. A chance meeting with an old friend got me back into vintage cabs and I joined the LVTA. When our esteemed Call Sign Editor heard that I was retiring from my post as Chairman of the LVTA after over twenty years on the Committee, he asked me to pen a few words on changes during that time. Apart from my personal increase in weight and loss of hair colour, the world has changed considerably and our Association has adapted to those changes. I did not believe that a Committee should remain static and have always thought that fresh people with fresh ideas are essential to the health of any |
ONCE AN ANORAK…
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organisation. My interest has always been mainly in post-war cabs, but pre-war buses. When I joined the LVTA, many cabs from the Thirties were being restored to very high standards. Very few of these are seen today - although some are used for wedding hire. Sadly, road closures and Sunday trading have wrecked the pleasures of holding road-runs around a deserted London on a Sunday afternoon. Many of the shows the LVTA used to attend now seem to have displays of current vehicles such as Smart and VW Beetles. Nevertheless, we shall be at the Uxbridge Autoshow on 16th July. I must admit that after a week of working the Finz, I prefer taking my Windover-bodied Beardmore or 1969 first-prototype Metrocab to the steam and farming shows around where I live in Sussex. I rebuilt the Beardmore about 25 years ago and this year has seen just routine maintenance. The Metro - chassis number 1 - only worked |
for a couple of years at the London General before going into their Museum and has been restored over the fifteen or so years that I've had it. This winter saw the re-trimming of the drivers seat and it is now more comfortable than that in my TTT. I still have my crash-box PSV licence after 35 years, but now refuse to drive anything under forty years old! I was lucky enough to be able to drive a 1930 open-staircase double-decker on the final day of crew-operation on the 38 and 159 routes at the end of last year to mark the end of the Routemaster. Nevertheless I keep an interest in modern transport developments and belong to many enthusiast groups. Once an Anorak… The London Vintage Taxi Association has members around the world with separate groups in North America and also in Holland where Hans Dooren, a past visitor to Dial-a-Cab, looks after a growing number of members. If you would like to know more, visit our website at www.lvta.co.uk. |
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