Page 11
Call Sign August 2011
To save you asking, Dial-a-Cab phones
DaC and the
were never `hacked' by the News of the World
before the paper was forced into closure!
Mind you, in the old days they did used to
phone for the occasional taxi before then
News of the World!
deciding that they could save a few quid by
using private hire perhaps they needed the
extra money to pay for their phone bill or
those of their private investigators?
No, this small piece isn't about the reasons
for their closure, it's purely to remind Call
Sign readers of the link between the two
organisations. Ok, perhaps it is the most tenu-
ous of links, but to our late founder-Chairman
Bonnie Martyn, it was important enough for
him to keep the issue of the Sunday paper
dated 29 March 1953 before eventually pass-
ing it along to Alan Fisher for safe-keeping at
the time of Bonnie's 90th birthday. This is the
reason why that issue was so important to
Bonnie Martyn...
Sunday March 29 1953 was a hugely impor-
tant day in the history of ODRTS / DaC
because it was the day that the idea of form-
ing an owner-drivers radio taxi service was
going to be discussed. There would be no
large hall hired for the meeting, it was to be
held in the back of Bonnie Martyn's cab while
parked on the shelter rank at Grosvenor
Gardens. Bonnie was to be joined by three
Alan Fisher in his garden reading Bonnie's 1953 issue of the News of the World
other cab drivers Arthur Cutmore, Albert
Hall and Eric Stoffel at 6pm. All four were
the other three drivers that he couldn't wait till
that of the police finding five bodies at 10
on a radio circuit called the Radio Owner's
the meeting time of 6pm and arrived at
Rillington Place behind Ladbroke Grove
Driver's Association and known as RODA.
Grosvenor Gardens soon after 4pm. However,
Station (it was later renamed Ruston Close and
However, that circuit was said to be suffering
his excitement wasn't entirely shared by the
now no longer exists) and the search for their
with corruption and drivers were queuing up
other three who all turned up at the appoint-
chief suspect, John Christie.
to leave including the RODA Chairman him-
ed time, leaving Bonnie with two hours to
There was also an article on the death of
self, Joe Stern, who later became the
kill... and he did that by reading that issue of
Queen Mary just 5 days earlier and other sto-
founder-Chairman of Mountview.
the News of the World from cover-to-cover!
ries of which the paper was famed for many
However, this article isn't about those hum-
On his many meetings over the years with
of which would in today's climate be consid-
ble beginnings, it's about the News of the
Call Sign Ed, Alan Fisher, Bonnie would
ered not politically correct!
World and DaC! Well the link that Bonnie
quote the stories he read during those two
Bonnie also told Spurs fan Alan that his
Martyn spoke of so many times was that he
hours starting with the big story of the day,
team had drawn 3-all at home to Portsmouth
had been so excited about the meeting with
on the day before in front of 38,000 fans with
Tottenham's scorers being Len Duquemin (2)
Ahoy there LTFUC!
and one for new signing Tommy Harmer.
The bottom line was that Bonnie kept the
paper as a reminder of that day because not
long after the initial meeting, those four dri-
L-R:
vers became eight and this Society's first
Raymond
ever `Committee of Management' when they
Levy, Bill
were joined by Doug Naismith, Alec
Tyzack,
Cobden, David Fiertag and Frank Duncan.
Susan
Bonnie later passed the paper over to Alan...
Angel and
For those interested in history, some of
Lilian Julier
the relevant dates to this circuit are:
* 7 June 1953: Meeting at Albany Tavern, Great
Portland Street where those who wanted to be
part of ODRTS had to put their hands in their
pockets to help get the equipment. £200 raised...
* November 1953 (exact day not known):
At the tail end of June, the Hon President of the London Taxidrivers Fund for Underprivileged
ODRTS name officially registered...
Children, Dial-a-Cab's Bill Tyzack BEM (C06) together with Fund Hon Chair Susan Angel, Press
Officer Raymond Levy and Assistant Treasurer Lilian Julier all attended a reception on behalf of
* 12 November 1953: First Board meeting
the LTFUC to celebrate the progress in establishing AHOY's new community building.
(described at time as a Committee meeting) held
Also at the AHOY Centre in Borthwick Street, Deptford was Her Royal Highness, the Princess
at Bonnie Martyn's house...
Royal. She was received by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, Wing Commander Michael
* 17 November 1953: Meeting at 172 Pentonville
Dudgeon. Princess Ann was there to see the new building and to officially name a new Power
Road with Pye. Rule book sent to PCO...
Cat 40 boat The Ahoy Freedom, currently the only boat in the UK that can be crewed by young
* 12 Dec 1953: First radio job called and cov-
people with disabilities.
ered...
In 2006, the LTFUC donated in excess of £11,000 to the Ahoy Centre to have a boat specially
* 17 March 1954: Pentonville Road office offi-
built to enable disabled children to sail on the River Thames and the Fund were delighted to be told
cially opened by Sir Ian Fraser MP...
that it had brought so much pleasure to so many children.
* October 3 1954: First AGM (held at Albany
The LTFUC asked Call Sign to thank the Ahoy Centre for the kind invitation and for the excellent
buffet reception they provided.
Tavern). 'Committee' officially become a BoM...
