Call Sign May 2013

Call Sign May 2013

Page 3

from the editor’s desk

Car sitting?

capital investment being an example, but added

You may have heard that Aspect, a London prop-

that since we were all interested in the same thing

erty maintenance firm, has been employing young

- ie success - Sovereign were confident that opin-

people with clean driving licences to 'van-sit' their

ions would be sought on a broad basis with deci-

fleet of vehicles so that while the engineer is inside

sions taken openly and sensibly.

the premises to carry out work, the van-sitters

AGMs would have continued with members

watch out for wardens and just drive round the

able to put their views forward with Mr Brooks

block if one comes along. According to company

telling this mag that Sovereign would be stupid to

MD Will Davies, they can even double park if nec-

disregard sensible suggestions from drivers with

essary.

all their knowledge of the taxi business. He also

Mr Davies claims that it is cheaper to pay a

denied rumours that DaC would abolish gratuities

young person £8 an hour than to keep paying

and run-ins and re-iterated that they needed dri-

PCNs of up to £120 and even more if clamping is

vers to be happy.

involved. He also claims that the scheme is within

But what about minicabs? Would Sovereign

the law and justifies it by adding that the money

bring private hire onto the circuit? Peter

they would have paid out in fines “...goes to excel-

Brooks was nothing if not honest in his

lent use paying for young people to have mean-

answer. He said:

ingful

employment. Everyone

wins.”

“It is not our current intention to take on private

cars, but we have to respond to market forces and

Aspect says it has approached traffic enforcement

mobile cleaning service that travels between facili-

offices for TfL and the City of Westminster to

ties. The inference of that is that if a sudden mess

give the customer what they want. We understand

ensure the scheme is within the law and is even

appears in a toilet, it will stay there indefinitely

that Deutsche Bank, your largest customer, gives

thinking of rolling out the scheme to include any-

until the cleaning service visits the toilet again on

private hire car operators almost half as much busi-

ness as they give you. Some trips lend themselves to

one who needs a car-sitter while they attend their

its never-ending rounds, rather than an attendant

private cars and some individuals amongst your

meeting!

getting out his mop and bucket! That, of course, is

customers prefer them. Dial-a-Cab have been asked

Sounds like a brilliant idea - but what will it do

on top of the 50p admission charges at all the pop-

by their largest customers if they can provide such

to London traffic if everyone with a car-sitter dou-

ular toilets!

services because they like the way you do it - they

ble parks wherever they want? The simple answer

A Westminster Council spokesman said:

like your style, your service, your systems and sup-

is that it will bring chaos to London’s streets and I

“Positive talks took place resulting in toilets being

port. You might even get new customers for the cir-

am 100% against it - unless taxis can do it as well!

reopened across the city and a new cleaning oper-

cuit by offering a private car service. We would all

Perhaps we could offer passengers a discount on

ation being put in place. We will continue to mon-

benefit from controlling a small fleet of well main-

the fare if they taxi-sit the cab while we pop out to

itor the situation.”

tained, clean and professionally driven cars rather

get a cuppa or use the loo! I wonder what NSL

Looks like everyone is happy, except those who

than see a steady leakage of your business to the bet-

would say...

need to use the loos because the fragrances are

ter managed of the private hire fleets. You could

going to become substantially stronger and you

offer customers what they want, when they want it,

Westminster wee problem solved...

will be paying for the pleasure of sniffing them up!

for the variety of reasons that they now seek to use

Quite a number of Dial-a-Cab drivers have con-

ground transportation.”

tacted Call Sign of late to complain about the

What if...

We asked if Sovereign would introduce uni-

inconvenience of public conveniences under the

Inside this issue you will read of the sale of

forms? The answer was a definitive no. Would they

Westminster banner! Several drivers pointed to

Addison Lee to US private equity firm, the Carlyle

strip us of our assets? Again the answer was no.

articles in trade press reporting that public toilets

Group - not to be confused with the Carlisle

Would we leave our then-home of Brunswick

in the Westminster area had been privatised and

group in the above wee story! The cost is said to

House and move into a call centre leaving

that the new owners, Carlisle Support Services -

have been £300million, which will probably make

Sovereign with the money? Nope!

which is owned by former Conservative Party

Addy Lee an even more dangerous adversary. Am I

Then the question that everyone wanted to

Chairman Lord Michael Ashcroft - were not

jealous? Of course I am. Do I begrudge it to them?

know the answer to and the one non-members

opening them as they had been before privatisa-

No, not if I’m honest because whilst this magazine

said we wouldn’t have the balls to ask: Just

tion and even those that actually opened, were

isn’t famous for being nice to John Griffin and

what would Brian Rice get out of this? The dis-

closing early. Many taxi drivers mentioned

co, no one can deny that his achievement in build-

appointing answer to those non-members was

Lincoln’s Inn and Queensway as two examples.

that he was doing it to give drivers the option

ing a company up from one car is remarkable.

Wording on the privatisation contract said that

of deciding their future. If it went through, he

Towards the end of 2002, Brian Rice and the

at least half the toilets should remain free to use,

would get the same as us!

Board of the time informed drivers of an offer

leaving the suggestion that

50 percent of

And finally, what were Sovereign’s long term

to subscribers on this circuit made by UK pri-

Westminster toilets would now charge for usage -

ambitions? Mr Brooks said they invested in busi-

vate equity firm Sovereign Capital. Their MD,

Aldwych, Great Marlborough Street and Hyde Park

nesses to expand them and fully expected to do

Peter Broooks (cover pic), held several ques-

leading the way with a 50p entrance wee-fee.

that with DaC and to make profits for themselves

tion and answer sessions with DaC drivers and

In response, Carlisle claimed that toilets in

and the drivers. He said in the interview that we

explained that his company were prepared to

Westminster were open “during the agreed hours”

would all directly participate in the growth of the

pay £11.4million for our circuit, giving drivers

and said that stories to the contrary were “com-

company.

several thousand pounds each - more for

pletely false.”

In the end, the bid faltered due to a disagree-

long-term members.

A Westminster spokesperson said that the coun-

ment over who should pay the substantial costs of

According to Peter Brooks, Sovereign - then in

cil expected Carlisle to abide by the terms of the

£175,000 although the BoM probably sensed an

Buckingham Gate and now in Victoria Street -

lease and that their lawyers had been working to

anti-feeling with PH being a definite no-no at the

would have pumped £millions into making Dial-a-

try and sort out any “problems.”

time.

Cab a huge success, while seemingly wanting little

Soon after the articles appeared, public con-

But do you ever stop to wonder what might

in return so far as working practises were con-

veniences in Westminster reopened when

have happened had we said yes? And I speak as

cerned. In an interview with Call Sign at the time,

what had been described as a legal row

someone who would probably have voted no at

he said that there would have been no change in

between Westminster Council and Carlisle was

the time. But look at the Griffins...

subscriptions and no change in who ran the com-

said to have been resolved following a four-

pany - ie Brian Rice. Every DaC driver would retain

week closure at many toilets.

See you in July

their vote because as they pointed out, if drivers

Westminster had also threatened to bring in

As usual, Call Sign doesn’t publish a June issue

just took the money and ran, there would be no

temporary loos after many public toilets across the

so if you are going away to recharge your batter-

company left, so it was in their interest to keep us

borough had been locked, but the dispute has

ies, then have a great time and we’ll see you

happy. He said that Call Sign would continue to be

now been settled. However, there is a suggestion

again in July...

published and remain uncensored - as it still is.

that Carlisle wanted bigger profits and the result is

Alan Fisher

He did say that there would undoubtedly be

that toilet attendants will now be replaced by a

callsignmag@aol.com

decisions taken with a more commercial view -

Call Sign May 2013

Page 4

reflections of the chairman

Dial-a-Cab and GetTaxi...

The three radio circuits have spent consider-

able time in meetings with the Commission in an

I feel duty bound to inform Members of an event

attempt to relay our feelings and have also com-

which occurred after the last edition of Call Sign

pleted a written response to the Commission.

was published. In the March edition I stated that

It would seem their investigations has caused

Dial-a-Cab would not permit our Members to

considerable consternation within our trade,

carry in their vehicles equipment belonging to

they have even received over three thousand

GetTaxi (GT) (as would be the case with the

written submissions from the trade nationwide.

equipment of any other organisation that was in

The Law Commission has now published an

competition with us). Members had a simple

interim report, which in the main is extremely

choice - they either had (in this case) Dial-a-Cab

favourable to the Taxi trade in London. It would

equipment or GT equipment; they had to make a

appear that TfL will retain their powers within

choice, one or the other but not both.

London, the radio circuits in London will not

In the April issue, the Editor wrote that he

have to be licensed and cross border hirings will

had been informed that GT had received

not be allowed.

work via the Addison Lee platform. As I

Consequently, with the release of their Interim

explain below, GT have explained to us that

Report, it looks pretty positive for London, which

this is wrong and so there is a correction pub-

is quite gratifying after all the work that has been

lished in this regard on page 16, which is in

done by the radio circuits in an attempt to influ-

the same place as the original article.

been resolved, although I have a feeling GT

ence the Commission’s view - work that has been

I received a letter dated 4 April from GT’s solic-

might take exception to me writing this piece.

aided by some other organisations within our

itors stating they intended to take Dial-a-Cab to

I know they are new to the Taxi industry in

trade that have also presented their written sub-

Court unless certain issues were rectified. They

London, but what they must understand is

missions to the Commission.

stated that the Editor’s remark was untrue and

that as a custodian of this Society I must

After speaking with some of those other organ-

together with the stance Dial-a-Cab had taken

inform my Members regarding anything that

isations, it would appear that our views are

regarding the fitting of GT’s equipment to Dial-a-

is pertinent to their business.

almost identical, which I hope will have a bearing

Cab vehicles, it had resulted in a loss for GT as

It is a great pity that solicitors had to get

on the outcome of the inquiry.

some drivers then had GT equipment removed

involved in this situation as all GT had to do was

from their vehicles.

pick up the telephone and speak to me. We could

Summer

Obviously with the threat of Court action, I

then have arrived at the point where our Editor

Well summer looks to have finally arrived and to

had no alternative but to pass the correspon-

would state that he had been contacted by GT

those of you going away for a holiday, I hope you

dence over to our solicitors and a series of let-

and they said his piece was untrue, which is

have a great time and come back with your bat-

exactly where we are now!

teries fully charged up for what I hope will be a

ters went back and forth between the two

parties.

much busier time than we have had of late...

Law Commission

I do not intend to dissect every letter, but just

As you are all probably aware, the Law

to relay the pertinent points. Otherwise this mag-

Commission is doing a study of Taxis and Private

azine would be filled with the correspondence

Brian Rice

Hire in England and Wales and will make a rec-

concerned. In fact I did not intend to say any-

ommendation to Government, which could

Chairman

thing about this, but given the statement released

become law.

Dial-a-Cab

by GT on the LTDF website, it is important that I

set out Dial-a-Cab’s side of the story.

GT said we could not forbid our Members

to have their equipment fitted to our vehicles

THE SALIERI RESTAURANT

and that what our Editor had printed was also

untrue.

GT wanted us to allow their equipment into

376 Strand, WC2

our vehicles; they wanted us to publish an apol-

ogy and a correction in the next edition of Call

We Invite Dial-a-Cab drivers and their guests to our

Sign (this one) in relation to what I said about

forbidding GT’s equipment in our taxis and also

restaurant where you can partake of the finest food and wine

in relation to what the Editor said. They also

wanted compensation and for Dial-a-Cab to pay

And as a thank-you for helping our clients come

their legal costs, otherwise proceedings could be

and go over the years, we are happy to be able to

escalated.

offer you a genuine 25% discount on your bill

I refused and stated we would refute their

claim regarding the fitting of their equipment to

our vehicles and refused to pay any compensa-

We are certain that you will be delighted

tion or costs, neither would we agree to the apol-

ogy and correction they had demanded.

We indicated - as I think is right - that we

would print a correction about the comments of

the Editor in the next edition of Call Sign (ie this

one), which in my opinion should be the case as

he wrote the original piece. They would know

what it contained when they read our magazine.

GT subsequently stated that it was minded to

Please bring along your badge or Bill as ID

accept this proposal provided that Dial-a-Cab

agreed to pay GT’s solicitor’s costs (of 5k) and

Salieri Restaurant

also for me personally to sign an apology and

correction about the Editor’s comments. I have

376 Strand, WC2

refused these demands and pressed ahead with

the correction, which is now on page 16.

Reservations: 020 7836 1318

It would appear this situation has now

Call Sign May 2013

Page 5

John Griffin, who founded his mini-

cab firm of Addison Lee in 1975 with

just one car, has now sold the compa-

ADDISON LEE SOLD

ny for a reputed £300million.

Although publicly advertising a fleet

of 4500, the recent appeal case

revealed the total as 2900. The new

owners are US private equity firm, The

Carlyle Group.

Mr Griffin will retain a minority stake in the

business and share the proceeds of the sale

with his two sons and the family of Addison

Lee joint partner, Lenny Foster. He will also

remain as company Chairman.

Much of the rest of the money paid by

Carlyle Group - who are based in Washington

close to the White House and which also owns

the RAC and health food chain Holland &

Barrett - will be used to reinvest in the busi-

ness and drive expansion plans.

According to company MD Liam Griffin -

who will also be staying in the business along-

side his father and become CEO - the compa-

ny will look to expand outside of London.

Liam Griffin is CEO

Addison Lee already has joint ventures in New

The drivers do not have any shares and will

$170 billion in assets with over 1,400 employ-

York and Paris and is said to be looking to

not be included in any windfall.

ees in 33 countries globally. As of last year, they

expand into other international cities.

The Carlyle group are said to have around

had investments in over 200 companies.

For almost 5 years, traffic passing number One Hyde Park was held up to the Nth degree so that

London’s most luxurious apartments could be built and earn the Candy brothers a fortune. Now

another set of brothers are going to do something similar, but...

It won’t be in an out!

The havoc in Knightsbridge began in June 2006 and for around five years saw traffic

attempting to make the 3-minute journey from Kensington Gore to Knightsbridge Station

in less than 15 minutes! Blocking the way was the demolition of Edinburgh Gate and

Bowater House, followed by the building of the luxury development known as Number

One Hyde Park.

With at least one of those penthouses and its magnificent views of the park and

Serpentine said to have been sold for in excess of £100million and others for over

£80million with £30million coming on the cheaper side, Christian and Nick Candy

seem to have done ok - even allowing for the horrendous inconvenience to the rest of

us for all those years!

Now another set of brothers are looking to do something similar - albeit on a much

smaller scale - with billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben looking to turn the

former Naval and Military Club on Piccadilly, known to taxi drivers as the In and

Out Club because of the signs on the gateposts and a name that even members

began using, into an ultra-luxury residence.

The building was the London townhouse to Prime Minister Lord Palmerston from 1784 until 1865, then the

following year and until 1999, it became the In and Out Club.

Now the Reuben brothers plan converting the building to an eleven bedroom, nine bathroom development complete with an underground

swimming pool. Just in case the buyers enjoy watching Strictly Come Dancing with a nice glass of 2004 vintage Chateau Margaux - sold at a

very reasonable £650 - to hand, then the redevelopment comes complete with an 85foot ballroom and a 35,000 bottle capacity wine cellar!

But the question has to be whether the development will make the already awful traffic conditions along Piccadilly even worse. In theory, the

work should be contained within the building, but theories don’t cause hold-ups. However building work does...

MARTIN CORDELL MOVING

Formed almost 50 years ago, the taxi trade’s premier accountants, Martin Cordell & Co, are moving from their home at Alfred Street,

Bow to new offices around two miles away in Limehouse. The distance is short but the facilities and comfort are much improved.

In addition to providing their clients with modern surroundings, there is now also free and secure parking in Kilner Street E14.

Martin Cordell & Co can now be found at:

Unit 5/6 Quebec Wharf, 14 Thomas Road, Limehouse E14 7AF

Their phone number of 020 8980 7161 remains unchanged as is their 9 Church Street, Stanmore office.

Call Sign May 2013

Page 7

KPM, THE VITO AND EVERYTHING ELSE!

Call Sign’s Vito driver Gary Cox (O46) asks a relevant question...

Just as Mann &

lems such as leaking boots and servo and

got this big without the odd compromise -

Overton, the sole

engine bracket upgrades, having a finance

then again neither did KPM!

provider of London

licence and possibly the most important plus

Mind you, what if Nissan with their NV200

taxis to the London

for them of being on the right side of town, it

began courting KPM, just as they had courted

market, moved into

was rubbing M&O's face in it!

LTI all those years earlier? Then the seven year

its

posh new

But time moves on, KPM’s big boss, Peter

itch could become no problem for anyone.

premises

DaCosta, comes out bravely and confesses via

Whatever happens, one thing is for certain.

Carnwath Road

the newspapers that all he ever wanted was to

Still watch out for one name - DaCosta. But it's

SW6 - just a stones'

be a dress designer but that KPM - aka Eco City

not Peter, it's daughter Sara who is described

throw from their old house, come office,

- have a love affair with Mercedes Benz and

as the Service Manager in KPM’s literature.

come shed on Wandsworth Bridge Road -

the Vito, which only came about with a long

One warranty dealer told me with a wink in

KPM were merging with a finance company in

and protracted courtship with Boris Johnson

her eye that they have applied for six propri-

Matthias Road, Newington Green. The alarm

being the best man at this marriage of conve-

etor licences due to the fact that Mercedes

bells must have been ringing loud and clear

nience.

have demanded a request courtesy cab for its

for

all

hear.

On the wedding day, KPM gave Mercedes a

dealers. Plus they have had no trouble knock-

The fact that the FX4R taxicab on offer was

turning circle all the way from the Midlands via

ing out second-hand cabs. But an interesting

having asthma attacks at the thought of

remark in passing from the young lady was

Uncle Penso, who held the patent.

Highgate West Hill and PM Margaret

The marriage has endured for five years.

worth noting. She said in her view all Merc

Thatcher was demanding competition from

taxicabs should be black. When was the last

Will it survive the seven year itch?

the pulpit of the Conservative Party confer-

time you heard a dealer call it a taxicab? Mind

The question, some thirty years later being

ence, it was the first and last thing M&O need-

you, I suspect that a dealership close to

asked by other Mercedes dealers across the

ed with letters starting to arrive at their

Heathrow and open 24/7 will still struggle to

south is why can’t they sell them? Also, those

Coventry based head office, not unlike Harry

understand the needs of we impatient drivers

same dealers who only have the licence to ser-

Potters' first film. Mind you, this time it was-

- ie I want it yesterday!

vice and repair the cab are screaming why they

n’t via owl post but via the lawyers!

Fancy a job as a consultant or a salesman?

can’t get the rear steering parts for three

So Coventry conceded that the market had

Contact a Mercedes dealership near you

weeks. They must be thinking that it’s all pain

to be opened up and with a bag of spanners

because one thing is certain; at present they

but not much gain.

being offered as a taxi, who could blame them.

are fishing in deep water without a boat. But

The question is whether KPM/Eco City will

Let someone else sell them and halve the

never forget that KPM supplied the life raft to

allow anyone else to sell the Vito taxi or will

blame!

the cab trade when it was needed.

Mercedes come up with a better turning circle?

So KPM emerged as a sales force and having

Everyone is leaning on the gate just talking.

Gary Cox

built up a reputation for solving small prob-

But one thing is for certain; Mercedes never

Call Sign Online

Martin Cordell & Co.

ACCOUNTANTS

Does your accountant supply you with the following?

Over forty years of experience with the Licensed London Taxi Trade.

Processing of self-assessment returns.

Advice on trading as a Limited Company with its tax advantages and potential pitfalls.

Preparation of accounts.

Initial consultation dealing with loss of earnings claims (due to accidents on the road etc.)

Letters to banks, building societies

and other lenders.

Specialist in-house facilities to deal with Inland Revenue enquiry cases.

(This is expensive and time consuming. Ask your accountant how much he will charge should this

unpredictable event occur).

A three hundred and sixty five days a year service.

A ‘nightshift’

service.

Offices in North and East London.

First consultation free of charge.

Martin Cordell & Co . . . Do!

All for one yearly fee

The London Taxi Trades Premier Accountants

(24 hour answering service for prompt service)

020 8980 7161

(24 hour answering service for prompt service)

1-5 Alfred Street, Bow, London E3 2BE also at

Front Office, First Floor, 9 Church Road, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4AS

www.martin-cordell.co.uk

Call Sign May 2013

Page 8

LEN DAVIS

Call Sign was recently contacted by long-time Dial-a-Cab driver, Bil

Chatterway (A43), who gave us the sad news that former DaC driver

Len Davis (ex-A86) had died in February just short of his 86th birth-

day. He was laid to rest at Eltham crematorium on 15th March.

Bill told Call Sign: “I had a phone call from Len’s wife Barbara

who told me the sad news that Len had passed away on 19th

February 2013. I know that he retired many years ago, but I

thought some of the old boys would like to know about the

sad news and perhaps have a quiet thought about Len.

Those drivers may remember him better as ‘New Fetter’ Len

because he always said that he did all the locals from one of

our biggest accounts at the time - Salomon Brothers in that

street - and he meant it!

When he retired, most of the lads on the old Finsbury

Square rank clubbed together and gave him a very expensive

to retire with. I seem to remember that Call Sign came along to the Finz that evening and took

some photos of the presentation to put into the magazine.”

Former dispatcher and current driver Neil Davis (F50) is Len’s son and to him, Len’s widow Barbara and to the whole Davis

family, we send our deepest sympathy...

The Dial-a-Cab Credit Union

DACCU AGM

Share 3 - the 7% account

While on the subject of the 7% account, we get calls almost every day about it to ask if it is open or

when is it going to re-open? To be honest with you, we just don’t know until the last minute. As

you probably know, we pay this ultra-high interest through loans. So when our bank account gets a

little low, we open it up again and close it when in our estimation it is enough.

ello again all you happy campers, I hope

We can’t just take in loads as it will not work, so when we know we will let you know

you didn’t become frozen to your steering

either via your terminal or for those who are no longer on Dial-a-Cab, by phone. I hope

wheels during the bitterly cold winter and

this clears up any queries you may have, if not just give the DACCU office a call.

early spring! When I first heard about global

Don’t forget that if you want to put money into the 7% Share 3 account, you have to be a mem-

warming, I wondered - just as many of you no

ber and have been saving as well. These are in the credit union rules and those parts of your savings

doubt did - whether we would all be going to

are different to the 7% account and refer to the Share 1 account, which is where you can take a

work in shorts and having BBQs at Christmas!

loan - usually on a 3 to 1 basis. So if you have £1000 of savings, we would grant you a £3000 loan.

Not quite like that is it!

The £1000 savings will stay in your account and when the loan becomes equal with your savings,

So what has that got to do with the

you can if you want to pay off the loan.

DACCU AGM? Well as this year was the worst

I hope the above all makes sense to you, if not and you want more info on DACCU then

attended meeting that I can remember with

either give Terry, Brian or myself a call on 0207 729 8171. If you have trouble getting

you all either being huddled up at home or

through, just keep trying.

frozen to your cabs, I’d like to take this oppor-

I think that just about covers everything so i will finish with my usual be lucky but be careful out

tunity to thank those of you who did turn up.

there...

But as much as I like seeing their little cherubic

John Riley (K38)

faces, some new ones would have been nice.

DACCU Vice President

The meeting was over in 25 minutes

and once again a no-interest on Share 1

was given by the members. Auditor Terry

Macpherson congratulated the DACCU

THE ALPHA POWER PILL

Board for their work over the past year

with once again a surplus being made for

Now even better!

the DaC Credit Union, meaning yet anoth-

er successful year. As the meeting closed,

Helps cut the cost of diesel - and reduce Emissions!

refreshments were served.

Our credit union has grown into one of the

OnlyCabs.co.uk are pleased to supply

largest in the country - that is savings per

Dial-a-Cab drivers with the amazing Alpha Pill

member - so I would like to congratulate you

all on that. It really is an amazing achievement.

Order Today to take advantage of the special price of £16.95

The 7% high interest account - or what

we in the CU office call Share 3 - has been an

Go to www.OnlyCabs.co.uk or scan your smartphone

outstanding success and is yet another reason

why I fail to understand how those who put

on the ad code

money into the scheme fail to show up at the

meeting. All I can say is that you must think

Or telephone your order to:

we’re doing an excellent job and trust us! Still,

Stephen Vale at Only Cabs 020 3239 6101

there’s always next year.

Call Sign May 2013

Page 9

When I joined the Owner Drivers Radio Taxi

Service, I became a member of an exclusive

THE UNTOLD HISTORY

band of men - there were no women on the cir-

cuit at that time. I had also acquired a brand

new FX4, all black and shiny with built in

draughts and running water whenever it

OF DIAL-A-CAB

rained!

If I can recollect correctly, the Board consist-

Bits you may not know as remembered

ed of Chairman Martin Gellman, Jack Taylor,

Aubrey Siteman, Phil Emden, Phil Messias,

by Tom Whitbread

Peter Fennymore and I think Ken Burns plus

two others. Jack acted as the Salesman / gener-

were much closer and friendly; if you broke

al dog’s body and Aubrey was Treasurer. It

down it would not be long before a fellow

seemed as though some of them had been

Lords driver would be offering their services to

there since Moses came down from the moun-

get you going or trotting off to get you a coffee.

tain with the two tablets of stone. I think it was

It was so nice to know you belonged to a

Aubrey who said to Moses that if he was giving

great band of friends, if you worked nights and

away those commandments for nothing, why

you called in with an emergency, the despatch-

did he not go for a job lot!

er would keep his foot down on the transmis-

The Secretary was John Bernardout. He

sion pedal so you could guarantee that some-

worked in a little room at the back on the

one would hear it and be with you in minutes.

ground floor of Shirland Road. In this room

There was a sense of camaraderie that you got

was also a young French girl who went by the

because drivers could hear their friends and

what was happening to them. Nowadays,

name of Denise Zemma. If you go to Dial-a-

Cab House now and look on the ground floor,

because of technology, you are isolated in your

metal cage.

you will still see Denise working at managing

our accounts!

Over the past few weeks, a number of

DaC drivers have asked me if my wife is

It wasn’t long after I began working in the

done on their taxis. This garage was Tommy

going to decorate our balcony - on the cor-

office that John and Aubrey decided to start a

Whitfords and I first went there when it was

ner of Dalston Lane and Parkholme Road -

small business of their own renting out videos.

part of Sam Cooper’s garage in Ashwin Street.

with her usual floral display.

No, they never made it to the size of

Sam was one of the garages that kept open dur-

I think that will be dependent on the water

Blockbusters; in fact it barely got off the ground.

ing the fuel strikes and taxi drivers were sup-

company and wherever she buys the plants.

During that period, John Bernardout

plied with their diesel. Many ODRTS men were

When you have 11 window boxes,11 hanging

wanted to portray the image of Roger

customers of Tommy Whitford and Sam

baskets and 8 half-moon baskets, it takes a lot

Moore in the television programme The

Cooper, in fact when Tommy moved to Tyssen

of water to keep them fresh and we have found

Saint, so he bought himself a sports car. I

Street, I joined him for around 6 months to do

that this has caused our water bill to shoot up

think it was a Lotus, which at that time had

valeting on cabs due for overhaul. During that

to a cost that makes us wonder if it is worth

an aluminum head on the engine, this was

period I was able to put faces to callsigns I

doing just to keep the other inhabitants of

his big mistake.

knew whilst dispatching as they came in for

Dalston happy.

It soon incurred a slight engine problem and

their yearly overhaul.

Anyone passing my address will see the

John asked Gentle Giant dispatcher, Mickey

When Martin Gellman left the BoM, Peter

lower windows boarded up; this was after a

Faust - who had been a mechanic - to try and

Fennymore became Chairman and his son

passerby had rang the police to say they had

fix it. All went well until it came to Mickey

Bob became evening supervisor in the con-

seen some drug addicts breaking into the base-

needing to tighten down the engine head. Not

trol room.

ment. The first I knew was when five police

realising his own strength, he turned the ratch-

Bob was rather a large young man who

cars, two police vans, a dog van and helicopter

et socket with his 20 stone baulk to find he was

enjoyed his food. I became quite friendly with

turned up to arrest six youths by chasing them

stronger than the engine head, which took on

him and when he married a young telephonist

into the back garden and then dragging them

a completely different shape!

from the control room, he asked me to be an

out via the windows! Perhaps they didn’t like

During that time, there were two brothers

usher at the wedding. It was a shame that dur-

the colour of the doors!

on the circuit, one of whom used to come into

ing their marriage, Bob’s mother died and not

This was a bit different from a month previ-

the control room to dispatch; his name was

long after that his wife moved out and moved

ous when we had another break-in, which

Russell Poluck and his brother was Gordon.

in with Peter. When it happened, Bob was

turned into a riot with youths bouncing dust-

Russell was the driving force behind the Taxi

badly affected and left DaC. I lost track of him,

bins on cars at the traffic lights! They also threw

Driver of the Year show while Gordon was a

but someone once told me he ended up work-

a table through a window and broke up street

Toastmaster overseeing many functions

ing for a minicab company.

furniture to use as batons to hit one another

including the yearly ODRTS dinner and dance.

I have never said that licensed London

with. It took three 999 phone calls from me

Both were larger than life characters with

taxi drivers are saints and if they think that

and 1 hour and 15 minutes before the first

Gordon also becoming a Board member. Sadly

they can gain an unfair advantage over

police car turned up (well done Mr Cameron

in recent years, Gordon’s health has deteriorat-

another driver to trap a job, many will do it.

on reducing the police - although but I bet not

ed and he now resides in a north London nurs-

After

30 years as the Complaints

in the Chelsea area). Other neighbours had

ing home. Russell is still on DaC and still organ-

Compliance officer for the Society, I

also called 999 but to no avail. On my third

ises the annual TDoY dinner and ball.

reached the point when I could think just

attempt, the operator said: “Oh, is it still going

Two other brothers in the 70s and 80s were

like those who were out to cheat their col-

on!”

the Griffiths brothers (D08 and G80) who I

leagues. Whether this was a good or bad

So if we have a lottery windfall, my wife will

became great friends with. They were the Del

point, I don’t know, but after all those years

hopefully do her floral display so that you

Boys of the taxi trade, always ducking and div-

I had reached the level where I could read

have a nice view to look at whilst sitting at the

ing but always in a friendly and humorous way.

a drivers body language. Lying to me was

traffic lights.

Their base was Heathrow Airport, although

pointless.

Have a nice month to come and I hope

they lived way out east. If they were not at the

In those early years of being a taxi driver, I

the work and weather improve…

flyers, you’d find them at one of their favourite

would be pushing one of my children in the

central London hotels where they treated the

pram up Dalston Lane or walking them to

doormen as their brothers! I got to know them

school when I’d hear a taxi hooter and a friend-

Tom Whitbread

well through the Society and also because they

ly hello or on occasion, a much richer and

used the same Dalston garage for work to be

fruitier acknowledgment! In those days, drivers

DaC Board Member

Call Sign May 2013

Page 10

We are repeatedly told that we are the eyes

and ears of the City and Metropolitan Police

Road rage of an off-duty

and we should be diligent of suspicious activi-

ty. Constant appeals are directed at us for

information following various incidents; they

police officer…

rely on our quick-witted decisions on the road

putting ourselves in danger by allowing police

leads Stephen Berndes (R14) to come to a

and emergency vehicles to pass at speed

unhindered; reducing delays is a given.

remarkable conclusion!

We give the police a one-way reciprocal

agreement, yet you and I know that at times

ent at the helm, Grant Davis. Maybe…

we are treated as underclass and with disdain.

I’m unable to make a definitive decision.

As recently as March 13th at 14.15 hours this

But as luck would have it, a punter regaled me

year, I positioned my taxi correctly in Bridge

to the exploits of Steve McNamara in the box-

Street ready to negotiate Parliament Square. A

ing ring during his youth, so I called the LTDA

rather irate 4x4 was attempting to invade my

Gen Sec and asked about his pugilistic past.

space aggressively lane crossing, incessantly

His response? “I was useless, absolutely hope-

sounding its horn. I ignored this provocative

less,” he said! I have heard that Steve

act, kept my cool and ignored this road rage

McNamara’s modesty is said to be legendary

blockhead. The lights changed, I accelerated

and this was no exception.

quickly indicating to turn at Great George

Now I know that Grant Davis was said to be

Street, all the time being aware that the 4x4

more than useful in the ring, so there seems to

was trying to overtake on the inside. At both

be an obvious match there! A charity event at

the Birdcage Walk lights and QVM the 4x4

York Hall or even Wembley Arena (subject to

screeched alongside me. A young lady thrust a

asking me to keep her informed. I also notified

ticket availability) with Steve Bunce, the finest

police warrant in my face and in a fit of pique

my CCTV provider to retain images on the

competitor on Radio 5Live’s Fighting Talk,

said:

memory card.

doing a running commentary. The thought

“You tried to run me off the road, you near-

So now, after 23 years of driving a taxi

seems compelling - a colossal media event rais-

ly killed my baby daughter; I’m going to report

and for peace of mind, I have decided to

ing money for taxi charities being the result.

you.”

apply for membership of a taxi driver’s

From memory, our Henry Cooper was wont

She repeated the accusation like a practiced

association. But which one?

to use two metaphors to decide which fights to

mantra and in that moment I felt vulnerable;

Having trawled through the taxi publica-

take on ie a big one will always beat a good lit-

maybe a court case, my licence could be in

tions, three stand out as campaigning papers

tle one and choose a good looking opponent,

jeopardy or even revoked.

offering heavyweight legal protection;

not an ugly one!

Fortuitously, my VIP Dial-a-Cab account

Cab Trade News (Unite - The Union):

My money is on Steve McNamara, but the

passenger confirmed that the 4x4 driver was in

They align themselves too closely with private

hire and anyway, I don’t know the words to

decision to which organisation I join will be

the wrong lane and gave me her business card

keep the red flag flying. So that will never do…

made up for me. So let’s get ready to rumble...

Taxi (LTDA): Headed by that pugnacious

and I don’t mean from the protagonist’s stom-

Police enquiry:

General Secretary, Steve McNamara. An all-

achs!

round ‘class one” egg. Possibly…

Burglary in

The Badge (LCDC): That amiable accom-

Stephen Berndes

plished thespian and all round bundle of tal-

Call Sign Online

Barking

Police appeal for witnesses and

Dial-a-Cab Credit Union

information following a burglary

Ever needed money quickly but were anxious about

and assault in Barking

variable bank interest rates?

Police were called at approx 23:00hrs

Well wonder no more! If you are a subscriber, journeyman or

on Monday 1 April to Ripple Road,

member of staff at Dial-a-Cab, then you qualify to join the

Barking, close to the flyover, follow-

Dial-a-Cab Credit Union. Any member of your family residing

ing reports of a residential burglary.

at your address also qualifies for membership!

The suspects were chased from the

Then if you are over 18, have been a member of the Credit Union for

address by two men who were subse-

over 3 months and have established regular savings, you can borrow

quently assaulted by the suspects.

up to 3 times your total savings…

It is believed that the suspects fled in

The cost?

a black taxi which they had parked

Just 1% per month on the outstanding balance (or APR of 12.7%).

on the pavement next to the bus stop

Loans can be paid back early AND there can be an annual dividend on your shares.

which serves the Route 173 and 287

The question is: Can you afford NOT to be in it…?

services towards Dagenham.

Call us on 020 7729 8171 or 020 7749 0585

Anyone with any information is

asked to call PC Townsend at

Members of the Financial Ombudsman Service

Barking CID on 020 3276 1043, or

Member’s funds protected up to limit set by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme

DaC Credit Union Ltd, Peterley Business Centre, 472 Hackney Rd E2 9EQ

Crimestoppers anonymously on

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

0800 555 111.

Registration number 213263

Call Sign May 2013

Page 12

No volunteers for

DaC Arbitrators!

When last year Call Sign ran a piece asking for

Garry and two others have to be replaced as

Arbitrators, Garry White (L65) came first in an election

Arbitrators - but no one has volunteered!

where he was the only candidate and automatically

became the tenth Arbitrator.

Arbitrators are used twice a year - when the situation arises -

Sadly not one member has decided to put their names

in final Appeals and having ten names available usually means

forward, so at present there are just seven Arbitrators.

that a meeting can always be convened at short notice with the

Whilst rule 30 (b) mention ten Arbitrators, it doesn't

five members required.

actually specify that number as being a minimum, so it

Now Garry has become a Dial-a-Cab Board member,

will have to be discussed to see whether the Arbitration

so another Arbitration election was advertised in Call

committee can get by with just seven members.

Sign to not just replace him, but also two long-stand-

However, if anyone out there fancies the idea of becom-

ing DaC members - one who has decided to retire from

ing an Arbitrator for the Society, speak to Company

taxi driving with a second who has become a journey-

Secretary Howard Pears and he can then decide whether

man and so no longer classifies as a member.

it is worth calling another election.

The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers

Jack the Ripper tour

The WCHCD is pleased to invite taxi drivers, their families and friends to join former Dial-a-Cab driver

Alan Goldsmith (ex-S45) as he leads a guided walk through London’s Whitechapel area.

The walk will be on Sunday 5th May 2013 starting from Whitechapel station at 10.30am. He will trace

the footsteps of London - and perhaps the world’s - most notorious killer, Jack the Ripper. Jack’s grue-

some crimes began in the Autumn of 1888 when prostitute Mary Ann Nicholls was found with her

throat cut. As you walk through the areas where Jack carried out his crimes, be prepared to learn more

of his heinous actions - luckily you will be walking in daylight!

Alan says that this is the best Jack the Ripper walk of all because you will visit four of the five mur-

der sites - no other Guides cover more. And was there a link between Jack the Ripper and Charles

Dickens? Possibly - but you will have to come on the walk to find out about it.

Alan Goldsmith, a WCHCD Liveryman and City of London Guide, assists with The Cab Guide Course

run by the Company and is a working taxi driver. Alan will ask for a small donation for each person (£5 is sug-

gested, but be generous if you think he’s worth more). He will collect donations on the day and they will all be passed onto the WCHCD Charity

fund. So bring as many friends and family as possible. No need to book - just turn up on the day..

COMPLAINTS RESULTS

A Complaints meeting was held on 26 March 2013. The results are below…

Name / Callsign

Nature of Complaint

Verdict

John Kiel (V76)

Driver signed on at home address in

2 weeks susp

Romford, engaged his meter and then

STC SW3 to gain a queue position

Rule 6, 11

David Francis (T15J)

Driver booked into S50W from Olympia

2 weeks susp

W14 and accepted a trip

Rules 3, 11

James Forman (D60)

Driver signs on in early hours of the morning

2 weeks susp

from Beckenham, books directly into SW12

and completes trip on a regular basis

Rules 6, 11

Richard Chamberlain (C96)

Driver booked directly into S99 and accepted

2 weeks susp

a trip from Kings Road, Fleet, when his true

position was Sipson Lane near Heathrow

Rules 3, 11

John Davis (V41)

Driver accepted fixed price trip, then POB and

Reduced on Appeal to 2 weeks susp

cleared it within 5 mins while still POB. Then

booked into E14 and EC5 whilst in Sidcup

Rule 11

Call Sign May 2013

Page 13

Written by it’s editor George Lutfallah for the Chicago Dispatcher and reprinted by Call Sign

The homosexuals in my cab...

When I started driving a cab more than

was to people or he’d be ridiculed, and

20 years ago, dispatched calls came

that was if he was lucky. He hated that

over the radio. Every driver could hear

he was such a disappointment to his

the dispatcher and talk to each other

father whom he said was otherwise a

on the radio system we had. When a

good man. He described his mother as

call would come, the dispatcher would

a beautiful woman and said his parents

give you an intersection to go to but

had a great marriage. He wanted that

wouldn’t tell you at first exactly where

for himself, but he simply couldn’t. He

the passenger was. They did it this way

was attracted to men and had no inter-

because if they announced on the

est in women. That was all there was to

radio where the fare was specifically,

it and he couldn’t do anything about it.

another driver who heard the order

We talked for about 45 minutes and

would often race to steal it. So the dis-

then the lights came on in his apart-

patcher would wait for you to

ment. A few minutes later his father

announce back on the radio that you were at that intersection, and

was out the door. He paid me, said thanks and left.

then he’d tell you the address.

I thought a lot about what he had told me. Who would choose that

It was 1992. I was 21 - half the age I am now. It was very late one

life? The way society was in 1992, nobody would. He just wanted to

night and I was next in line to get a fare. The dispatcher told me to go

be tolerated and I thought at the time that perhaps that really wasn’t

to Higgins and Busse. There was a hotel in the area where we got a

too much to ask. But over the years I changed my mind and eventu-

lot of our calls so I suspected that’s where it was. I got to the inter-

ally came to believe that was actually too little to ask.

section and said on my radio, “Higgins and Busse, base.” The dis-

Should gay people only be expected to be ‘tolerated’? Should

patcher responded with “Hunters” and then came the laughter from

the best they can hope for is not to get beaten by their fathers? Is

the other drivers on the radio. Hunters was known to be a gay bar.

it really too much to expect liberty and equality under the law,

Whenever a driver got a call to pick up from there, the jokes started

just like the rest of us? I don’t think it is.

flying over the two-way radio. It was common to hear something like:

What I do think though is that regardless of one’s sexual orienta-

“I bet this will be your last fare of the night,” implying the driver

tion, you should never whisper in the back of my cab...

would go home with the gay patron!

When I pulled up to the door, two young men came out and got in

George Lutfallah

my cab. They gave me their first destination where I was dropping off

Chicago Dispatcher

one of them. Then they started making out in the backseat of my cab.

I was disgusted. It always bothered me when people would get inti-

And for Call Sign Online

mate in my cab, but I admit it bothered me even more that it was two

men. Even worse than that to me, they started whispering in each

other’s’ ears. No matter who the passengers were, I always hated,

hated, hated it when I heard whispering coming from the back of my

cab. What did they need to conceal from me? Did I do something

wrong? Were they conspiring to run? Rob me? Or were the whispers

just sweet nothings? You never knew.

Anyway, I didn’t say a word as we drove to the first destination

and they were so much into each other that they didn’t say a

word to me other than to give me the destination. When we

arrived at the first stop, the men kissed each other goodnight

and one got out.

I asked for the next destination and he gave me an address in

Schiller Park. As I drove there, it went quiet for a while. Then the

young man spoke to me: “So you know…you know that I’m…” He

couldn’t bring himself to say it, so I helped him and said, “Yeah I

know.” Then just to confirm, he said: “You know that I’m…gay?” I said

that I did. Funnily enough he asked me how I knew - which was

astounding to me! I had just picked him up from a gay-friendly bar

and he had been making out with another dude! He thought he was

being discreet, which was why they were whispering.

When we got close to the address, he asked me not to pull up to

the door. Instead he asked me to pull into a nearby parking lot and

to pull to the back where it was dark. I got angry. “What? Why?” I

demanded.

He said he had to wait until his dad left for work. He said if he came

in now, his dad would know where he had been and would beat him.

“You can leave the meter running,” he said unnecessarily. Of course I

would.

I pulled into the lot and turned my cab around to face the front

door of his apartment building and we waited. We sat in dead

silence until my passenger blurted out, “Yeah, I hate it.” “Hate

what?” I asked. “I hate being gay,” came the response. I was

bewildered. My first thought was, ‘then don’t be gay.’ I asked him

what he meant.

He said he would never choose this life. He couldn’t admit who he

Call Sign May 2013

Page 14

The Internet has a myriad of information - however not all of it

is suitable for the young. DaC Network Administrator

Jon Winterburn concludes his articles...

Protecting Your

Children Online (Part 2)

6. Finally, create a free

account. You can do this

www.opendns.com.

Once you have done this,

In last month’s Call Sign I

you can add the IP address

showed you how to protect

of your home internet con-

nection (you can find this at

your children from unsavoury

www.whatismyip.org ) to

websites on an iPad/iPhone.

your profile and then you

This month I’ll do the same for

have the ability to further

Android tablets/phones.

control internet access to

The difference between Apple and

any device on your network

using the aforementioned

Android devices is that Apple devices all

DNS addresses (see step 4).

have the same operating system (iOS),

You can also view reports of

whereas Android devices support a mul-

all internet access on this

titude of Android-based operating sys-

website. I would recom-

tems (Gingerbread, Jellybean, Ice Cream

mend you use the DNS

Sandwich and other such sweetly-named

addresses listed in step 4 on

variants). In addition, all iPhones and

all devices in your home, as

this will provide all your

iPads are built by one entity: Apple.

family with this layer of pro-

Android however, is supported on sever-

tection.

al hundred different types of hardware

Previously, I advised you

many

different

vendors.

on a specific Web browser

Consequently, the Android market is

App to use in place of the

somewhat fractured. Bear this in mind

default

browser.

when following my guidelines! I’ve

Unfortunately that App

focussed on a Google Nexus 7 tablet

(Sandbox Browser) is only

running Jellybean as this is a popular

available on iPad/iPhone and

Android device - especially with children.

not on Android. However,

On to the suggestions:

m.domobile.applock

there are a whole host of

1. Create a new user on your Android

child-safe Web browser Apps available on

device for your child. When you sign in

3. If you do decide to log

into your

Google Play. Just take care to choose one

Google account under your child’s

for the first time, you can choose not to

that suits your needs and comes from a rep-

device account (perhaps you want your

sign into Google if you wish (this will

utable source. A few I can recommend:

kids to be able to access Google Play), it

ensure they don’t have access to your

is still a good idea to switch off In-App

K9 Web Protection Browser is at:

Google account or the Google Play

purchases to prevent unwanted purchas-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d

store).

es. To do this, open the Google Play

etails?id=com.bluecoat.k9.android

store App, then press Menu, Settings.

2. Switch back to your user account and

Scroll to the User Controls section and

Ranger Pro Safe Browser is at:

tap ‘Set or Change PIN’. Set a code of

download and install an App from

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d

your choice. Once this is done, tick the

Google Play called ‘APP Lock’ (free ver-

box that says ‘Use PIN For Purchases’.

etails?id=com.gpit.android.safe.Ranger

sion

- there’s also a Pro version for

£1.27). This will allow you to lock down

4. Download and install an App from

KIDO'Z Play Mode-Safe for Kids is at:

every installed App you don’t want your

Google Play called ‘Set DNS’ (free version

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d

children to have access to. All you need

- there’s also a Pro version for £2.28). Run

etails?id=com.kidoz

do is set a password, then switch the

the App and change the DNS to:

lock to ‘on’ against any apps you want

208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220. This will

Disclaimer: Make no mistake, no sys-

locked down under your child’s account

set the device’s DNS (the method used to

tem is fool proof. Any system will

(see the screenshot). I would advise you

look up website addresses) to OpenDNS -

need to be vigorously enforced and

to lock down Google Chrome and any

the provider of safe, secure web browsing.

monitored. However, I do hope these

other installed Web browsers. When you

See step 6 for more information.

two articles helped...

want to use the device yourself, you sim-

ply log out of your child’s account and

5. Back-up the device so that all these set-

log back in under your own account.

tings are saved. This allows you to restore

Jon Winterburn

Here is the link to the App: https://play.

all these settings back to the device should

google.com/store/apps/details?id=co

something go wrong with it.

DaC IT Dept

Call Sign May 2013

Page 15

Hello Ladies

& Gents

Reflecting on

ALL WHITE WITH GARRY...

my short

time as a

from the contact centre and how he goes

app-based taxi booking systems. This does

Board mem-

about dealing with it once

not reflect on the Society too well when you

ber, I have

establishing the facts from all

pull up outside our major clients

now attend-

parties involved. I

with advertising on your

ed two Board

attended a complaints

taxi for a rival company!

meetings of

ing as an observer to

If you feel that you need

which I have

how a complaint is

to supplement your income

taken much

dled.

with app-based work - and I

from in the

understand we all need to do

New terminals

what is best for us during our

way the Society is run from the top under the

Chairman’s guidance. I am currently going

My taxi is now fitted wi

working day - then I do hope

one of the new termina

that DaC will be busier in the

into Dial-a-Cab House one day a week, learn-

ing the computer systems and getting to

and it seems to be wor

forthcoming months with the

ing very well, the map

ew credit card app which has

know the staff and fellow Board members.

I have been given all of the help needed to

ping and satnav are

ow been launched. You will

excellent. I’ll be happy

el you don’t need the other

settle into DaC House. We are very fortunate

to have staff members who care about the

to show any driver the

mpanies to stay busy.

terminal in my taxi if

So please, if passing DaC

taxi trade and Dial-a-Cab as much as we, the

drivers, do. Brian, Tom, Mike, Keith and Allan

you see me out

use, then pop in and get some

working...

d-out cards and tip up seat

have given me time to adjust to Boardroom

life as there is much to learn as to what it

rts so that we can help one

Advertising

her promote the new app

takes to run a successful taxi company like

DaC. I am grateful that you, the members,

It would be nice to

have given me the chance to join the Board as

see all Dial-a-Cab

ucky...

a working driver.

taxis with a full comple

of CCC stickers in the front windscreen,

Complaints

door logos and tip-up seat adverts to pro-

Garry White.

I have had a day with Allan Evans showing

mote the Society. I have noticed DaC taxis dri-

me how he gets a complaint passed to him

ving around with window stickers advertising

DaC Board Member

The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers

WCHCD Spring Court Dinner

On 21st March, Master of The Worshipful

Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers, Brenda

Bartlett, together with her Wardens welcomed

Liverymen, Freemen and their guests to the

Spring Court Dinner at the Saddlers Hall in

Gutter Lane. As diners enjoyed their meal in the

wonderful Great Hall, an entertaining interlude

was played on the harp by Ms Keziah Thomas.

Prior to the dinner, new members joined the

Company - Nyasha Pitt, James Dennison, Trevor

Hatterlsey, Davis Neale, David Hawthorne and

Peter Johansen. All the new Freemen were

extended a warm welcome by the Master and

the Court of Assistants after the ceremony.

Both Nyasha and Trevor are well known to Call

Sign - Nyasha for her LTI publicity work and

Trevor for his help in answering questions

when Dial-a-Cab drivers made the trip to LTI’s

Coventry factory.

Guest Speaker for the dinner was the

Recorder of London, Judge Brian Barker QC. This is an ancient

legal office in the City of London with the Recorder being appointed by the City's Court of Aldermen.

The Recorder is now the senior Circuit Judge at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey). Judge Barker was called to the Bar by Gray’s

Inn in 1969, took silk in 1990 and was appointed as a Senior Circuit Judge in 2000 and Common Serjeant to the City of London in

2005.

Each year, the WCHCD makes a Military Award for Excellence to a member of the 20 Transport Squadron Royal Logistics

Corps. This year it has been awarded to Private Deniston Francis. Although awaiting imminent news of a new arrival with his wife

expecting at any moment, Private Francis was at the presentation and dinner.

The Worshipful Company of Saddlers is one of the oldest Livery companies in the City. The earliest surviving records of a Guild of

Saddlers in London date from circa 1160 AD and the guild could even pre-date that.

The WCHCD has a diverse membership and if you would like to know more about the Company, contact Clerk Mary

Whitworth on 01494 765922.

Call Sign May 2013

Page 16

GetTaxi

Last month’s Call Sign contained an article headed "GetTaxi crosses over!" which explained that GetTaxi was now part of the

Addison Lee platform. This was published following information we received from a reliable source. We have since been contacted

by GetTaxi who wish to make it clear that they are not part of the Addison Lee platform. We are happy to set the record straight.

RANKS INFORMATION FROM TFL

London Bridge station

and instead of the rank being marshalled on Wednesday,

In case some of you haven’t yet been to

Thursday and Friday evenings, marshalling will now be trialled

the repaired London Bridge station fol-

on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings with the possibility of

lowing completion of repairs to the col-

making the change permanent.

lapsed sewer in London Bridge Street, it

Whitcomb Street

has now re-opened. Don’t forget we are

Following a public consultation by Westminster City Council, the

now on the right-hand side of the station

taxi rank in Whitcomb Street (outside the Thistle Piccadilly Hotel)

as against the old near side, but please

has been revoked. The council proposed a number of changes in

do not over-rank as it impedes access for buses and taxis etc.

Wardour Street and Whitcomb Street including removing the

The temporary rank in St Thomas Street is cancelled.

Whitcomb Street taxi rank, extending the Blue Badge parking

Hammersmith Broadway

bays and relocating some residents parking. The taxi rank ceased

Emergency repair works are taking place at Hammersmith

operation on Monday 8 April 2013 and drivers should not park

Broadway during which time the taxi rank will be unavailable. A

where the rank had been located.

temporary taxi rank has been provided in Queen Caroline Street.

Could drivers using the rank as their personal parking space

Please use the temporary taxi rank until repairs have been com-

have been responsible? It can take years to get a rank, but just a

pleted. You should be warned that the rank is being closely

short consultation period to get it removed...

monitored, so over-ranking could be costly.

Muswell Hill Broadway

Liverpool Street marshalled rank

The Muswell Hill Broadway taxi rank has been moved to Dukes

The late night marshalled taxi rank in Liverpool Street continues

Avenue. The relocated taxi rank is for two taxis, operates 24

to be popular with drivers and the public, but since the scheme

hours a day and a new taxi pole has been installed at the rank.

first began more bars and clubs in the area have opened on

And...

Saturday evenings. In response to an increase in the late night

Over-ranking at Selfridges by parking on the pavement or at the

activity on Saturday evenings and following TfL discussions with

bus stop, or queuing on the corner of Hans Road/Basil Street by

the City of London Corporation, there has now been a change

Walton Place will probably cost you a PCN. So beware...

Taxi driver of the Year

dinner and dance

The Taxi Driver of the Year Charity Fund is pleased to announce their 41st annual

dinner and dance to be held on 30th November 2013 at the Holiday Inn London

Kensington Forum 97 Cromwell Road London SW7 4DN…

We have also been able to hold the price again this year at just £62.50 per person.

That includes a welcome drink at the reception, a 4-course meal, half a bottle of

wine per person and tea/coffee.

Later in the evening to quench your thirst, there will be more tea / coffee served

with Danish pastries.

There is also dancing to a live band.

We also have arranged a special deal if you would like to stay at the hotel

overnight.

For more information please call (phone/ fax) 020 8952 1357 or mobile

07850 056 765

Remember all money raised will be split between the five taxi charities: The Albany

Taxi Fund for Children with special needs, LTFUC, Benevolent Association for War

disabled, East London Cabbies Outing and the Southend Fund for Underprivileged

Children.

Russell Poluck MBE (T55) TDoY Hon Chairman

Call Sign May 2013

Page 17

London tourist guide and taxi driver, Bob Woodford, on everything you always

wanted to know about London...

BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!

Our next stop is reached by crossing back over the river and head-

More ghostbusting!

ing west along the Thames and down Grosvenor Road. That impres-

I enjoyed writing about some of London’s ‘ghost’ railway stations last

sive white building just past Lupus Street - and just before Grosvenor

month. We took a circular route east of the Palestra building -

Railway Bridge - was once Grosvenor Road station. It was opened in

because of starting with the old Blackfriars Road station, whose

1867 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway and lasted

entrance for many years was a post office and in more recent years, a

until 1911. The elevated platforms are long gone and that bold look-

snack bar called Toast Office!

ing station building is now nothing more than a storage dump.

So let’s head west this time - again from the Palestra. It was the

Incidentally, the next time you go underneath the first railway bridge

South Eastern Railway who opened Waterloo Junction station in

to be built across the Thames in central London, look up (safely) to

January 1869 to replace Blackfriars Road station. The newly formed

note that it is in fact 3 adjacent bridges carrying 10 railway tracks! It

Southern Railway renamed it Waterloo Eastern station in July 1935

takes its name from the Grosvenor family, who once owned large

and it took its present name of Waterloo East in May 1977. So our

first station is still in use - but with a ghostly past!

parts of Pimlico.

Next up is Brompton Road station - a disused one on the Piccadilly

Previously, a rail connection ran across the concourse of the main

Waterloo station. This saw little service - although H.G. Wells in his

Line - the building of which is still there at the junction of Brompton

Road and Cottage Place. It was opened in 1906, but saw little traffic and

novel War of the Worlds describes its use to convey troop trains to the

Martian landing site! That bridge, which carried the line over Waterloo

was closed in 1937. There are plans to revive this old station building

(one of many tube stations to be designed by Leslie Green) to house

Road subsequently became the pedestrian walkway between the two

stations - until replaced by the current high level covered walkway.

the London Fire Brigade Museum in the basement, while using the

above-ground space for a restaurant.

The old bridge remains and is now used for storage - check it out next

time you set down a fare near the junction of Sandell Street and nip

Heading back towards Hyde Park Corner, do you remember the old

Pizza Express on the south side of Knightsbridge just before the

out of the cab to pick up your Evening Standard.

Let’s cut through the station and out into Westminster Bridge Road

Lanesborough Hotel heading back east? It’s now been converted to the

new Wellesley Hotel of course - but it was once the original entrance to

- where regular listeners to the Robert Elms Show on BBC Radio

London 94.9 would have heard on occasion our next ghost station

Hyde Park station - another Piccadilly Line station which opened in the

early 1900s - and another designed by Green and finished with those

crop up in conversation.

iconic ox-blood coloured tiles. When the station underwent a major

subterranean make-over just before WW2, not only did the old station

entrance become surplus to requirements, but also the old little-used

Down Street station was taken out of service. The station building is

still there for you to observe, but was last used in earnest as an air-raid

shelter, even at times by Winston Churchill and his Cabinet during the

early periods of the war.

Dover Street station once stood where Caffè Nero is now sited,

but another revamped sub-surface ticket office not only moved the

station entrance 200 yards further west, but included a name

change to Green Park station.

Finally onto Aldwych station; I wonder how many readers are aware

that this one was in fact a terminus. It was a short branch line extension

from Holborn station, opened in 1907 as Strand station, but finally hit

the buffers as recent as 1994. You can check out the old station entrance

Necropolis Station

in Surrey Street. Today the old station and its tunnels are fans of film

makers - Battle of Britain, Superman IV, The Krays, Attonement and the

TV Drama Mr. Selfridge are just some of many to have scenes shot there.

Of all the stations covered in these 2 articles, none is more apt

for a ghost story than the London Necropolis Railway Station.

Our ‘West Side Story’ finishes here and not at Palestra because

it’s close to St. Mary le Strand, location of the first ever cab rank in

The entrance can still be seen at 121 Westminster Bridge Road.

The railway line was opened in 1854 by the London Necropolis

London - and leads on nicely to my next article that will feature

this heritage that sadly butterboys and experienced cab drivers

Company (LNC) to carry coffins and mourners between London and

are unaware of.

the LNC's newly opened Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. The station

waiting rooms and train compartments were both for

living and dead

Bob Woodford

passengers!

Call Sign Online

Keith Reading

Professional Toastmaster

Master of Ceremonies

Tele: 01279 465 938

Mobile: 07774 860 374

Email: kgr.2@virgin.net

10% discount for DaC drivers and staff

Fellow of the Guild of

Professional Toastmasters

Grosvenor Road Station

Call Sign May 2013

Page 18

LTFUC President and former DaC driver, Bill Tyzack, remembers

Margaret Thatcher!

Me and Mrs T...

Jack Taylor: His son Howard wanted

more chips!

warranted more than just a try!

The message was simple: Howard and his

fellow pupils at the school they attended were

“In the early 1970s, The London Taxidrivers

upset because their school lunches usually

Fund for Underprivileged Children had an

contained just four or five chips with the meal

appeal from a school/home for handicapped

and as growing lads, they needed more suste-

children at Arkley in Barnet. They urgently

nance!

required a substantial amount of playground

The day of the opening arrived and we did

equipment and asked the Fund if we could

get the chance to tell Mrs T about Howard

help with at least some of the cost.

and his serious chip problem. But we didn’t

Following a committee meeting of the

think that Howard and his pals would believe

Fund, we decided that we would buy them

that we had actually asked, so we got Mrs

everything they needed. We went to a suppli-

Thatcher to sign a piece of paper!

er and after much haggling for the best price,

Whether she ever got a chance to do - or

we took everything back to the school play-

want to do - anything about the chip situation

ground and attempted to put it all together.

for Howard and his pals, we will never know.

As it was to be an almost new play-

What we do know is that this was the lady that

ground, it was decided that the Minister

stopped free milk for infants. And Howard’s

for Education of the time, Margaret

chips? Well you have to wonder just how

Thatcher, should be asked whether she

much that piece of paper promising to look at

would open the new playground and cen-

the quantity of chips at Howard Taylor’s

tre. Representing the Fund and to witness

school would now be worth!

the event were Jack Taylor and myself,

Howard Taylor became a Dial-a-Cab voice

along with my wife Grace and Jack’s wife

and asked, or as Jack said at the time, instruct-

dispatcher many years later and never really

Edna.

ed, him to pass an important message along to

looked too close to starvation! So maybe his

However, Jack and Edna’s son Howard -

the Education Secretary. We said we’d try if

allocation of chips did increase thanks to Mrs

who was in his early teens at the time - heard

the opportunity arose. But Howard made it

T...!”

that his dad was about to meet Mrs Thatcher

plain that the message was too important and

Bill Tyzack (Ex-C06)

Maggie’s Cat and me!

DaC driver Jon Robinson (E88) asks in this

issue’s Mailshot whether anyone had ever

picked up Maggie Thatcher on her DaC

account? Well we sort of found someone!

Staring straight into the eyes of a Call

SAVINGS!

Sign reporter, Ivan Sobell (P69) spoke to

us as if it had been the highlight of his 20

year tenure with Dial-a-Cab. Uttering the

★ KITCHENS

well-worn phrase used by the Mollie

& APPLIANCES

Sugden character of Mrs Slocombe in the

★ BEDROOMS

TV comedy Are You Being Served and

showing the first signs of a grin, Ivan told us:

★ WORKTOPS

“Yes, you could say Mrs T’s pussy has been on the rear seat of my taxi!”

★ DOOR & DRAW REPLACMENTS

Ivan recalled the two occasions he had taken Margaret Thatcher’s pet cat from the

★ PLANTATION SHUTTERS

former PMs Chester Square home on her DaC account, to the veterinary practice in

Elizabeth Street.

★ ALL TYPES OF BLINDS

“It was a very fat cat indeed, probably because it looked to have been too well

★ AWNINGS

fed,” Ivan continued rather undiplomatically.

“I believe Mrs Thatcher was always concerned that her pet should not go hungry

You are welcome to visit

and fed it quite frequently. The result was that it just got bigger and bigger. As it

our showroom at:

obviously didn’t like exercise either, that is possibly why it had so many frequent visits

Unit 8 Tripes Farm,

to the feline doctor on Elizabeth Street!

Chelsfield Lane,

“The cat was always accompanied by a carer of course, and I remember being

Orpington, Kent BR6 7RS

requested to wait while the animal was tended and then to whisk them both back to

Chester Square.”

Instant Kitchen and

Ivan ended by looking skywards and suggesting that were now both up there some-

Bedroom & Blinds UK

where, still keeping each other company - one probably drinking a saucer of milk

ultra-quickly remembering its owner’s fame as the milk snatcher...!

Call Ian (R50) on 01689 897111…

Call Sign May 2013

Page 19

COMPLIANCE OFFICER’S REPORT

2. Conducting him or herself in a manner likely to

18. Not displaying the company logo.

bring the Society into disrepute.

19. Failing to use the delay advised facility when

3. Conduct liable to prejudice the Society.

anticipating being late for a pickup.

4. Arriving at the pickup point with more than the

20. Not transporting the passenger by the short-

authorised amount showing on the meter.

est route without authorisation from the Call

5. Taking a job allocated to another member or

Centre.

pulling off a job without the consent of the Call

Centre.

Tip-up seat ads

6. Making a journey which is the property of the

Lastly, the rear tip up seat ads for both TXs and

Society his / her own.

7. Data inaccuracies and anomalies.

Vitos are available from Roman Way and this

8. Misuse, non-accidental damage, or tampering

office, so can I please ask all of you to display

with the O.D.R.T.S. equipment.

them in your taxis. There are two different adverts

for the TX with the one showing the red arrow at

9. Failing to complete a journey as per trip details.

Hello Ladies & Gents,

the bottom going on the left tip-up.

10. Using a badge number other than their own

At the last complaints meeting, there were a num-

If you have a Vito, the advert with the text fits

or allowing another to use their badge number.

ber of members that received suspensions for

in the middle of the three seats and the one show-

11. Booking into a zone contrary to the Society’s

varying rule violations (see page 12). I’ve men-

ing the IPhone graphic fits on either side of that.

procedure or placing him / herself in a

tioned numerous times before that the system is

They advertise the Dial-a-Cab Credit Card App

favourable position of which they have prior

continually monitored and any member who reg-

and as a standalone account it is right up there

knowledge to gain an unfair advantage.

ularly abuses Society procedures at the expense

with the top accounts and will, I am sure, grow in

12. Accepting, then failing to complete or trying

of their fellow members will be bought to task in

size as we further market and advertise it. I men-

to have recovered an As Directed trip.

a fair but just way. The system loggers and GPS

tioned last month that the average Credit Card

13. Trying to reject a non-rejectable trip by engag-

coordinates are very accurate. Quite honestly

trip is now almost £28, so it is certainly not to be

ing the meter or timing out.

there really is no reasonable excuse for breaking

sneezed at, but please remember that the £2

14. Failing to accept a Company Charge Card trip

these rules. As a gentle reminder, I have listed

booking fee no longer applies and should not be

(Hail & Ride).

below the 20 procedure rules. Please remember a

shown as an extra or added to the fare.

15. Failing to keep his / her taxi in a good mechan-

single complaint may consist of one or more of

ical, clean and presentable condition.

Please drive safely and be very lucky...

these violations.

16. Not adhering to a Rule as specified in the

1. Rudeness abuse or violence, threatened or

Company Rule Book.

actual, towards clients, other members or staff of

17. Not producing his / her Motor Cab Licence

Allan Evans

O.D.R.T.S.

within the time limit set by O.D.R.T.S.

DaC Compliance Officer

Call Sign reviewer Alex Constantinou (N05) takes up an invitation from the Barking Bathhouse to see if their many

treatments really do make you feel like a new person...

My massage from heaven!

When Call Sign Editor Alan Fisher asked me if I fancied a massage, I raised my eyes and told him that I was a happily married man!

Then when he said I should take my wife Jackie along as well, I really did begin to get worried! But I needn’t have been concerned

because I’ve now discovered that having a proper massage by a qualified masseuse really can leave you in a state of utter relaxation.

The Barking Bathhouse spa was originally commissioned for the Olympics by Barking Council for the local community to enjoy

and experience the benefits of spa treatments. It has been such a success that it is now in two rooms in the Barking Learning

Centre awaiting funds for the next structure, which is soon to be commissioned. So when I received that invite to experience the

benefits of a “pop up” spa in the middle of Barking, I cautiously accepted and along with Jackie, we made our way over to the

Barking Learning Centre to have our treatments.

Once you have found your way through the library to the two rooms that comprise the spa, you soon lose yourself in the decor that gives the feel-

ing of being thousands of miles away from not just Barking, but our overlong spell of un-summerlike weather.

As we entered, we were greeted by Rochelle and made to feel very much at ease and at home. While giving me a rundown on the history and a

glimpse into the future of the Barking Bathhouse, Rochelle also gave an insight into plans for the new spa, which will include a sauna, ice room, bar

and treatment rooms all housed under one roof - something of an oasis in Barking.

While chatting, Jackie and I were introduced to Bob who was going to be my masseuse. The treatment I was about to have was a Deep Tissue

massage! Bob learned his trade at the Royal National School for the Blind and is also qualified in Indian Head massage and Reflexology as just

some of the many therapies he expertly applies.

As I lay face down on the treatment table with the sound of tranquil music playing in the background, I vaguely remembered that I was there to

work and review the facilities. I had questions floating around inside my head ready to ask Bob, but once his expert hands began the massage, I could

feel myself drifting into a deep relaxation - almost a trance! I came out totally at ease and relaxed. The Deep Tissue massage gets into all the nooks

and crannies of your back and shoulders and eases away a heap of knots that had certainly built up in my neck and back.

Another part of Bob’s portfolio is Reflexology where he can tell via your feet whether you have any ailments. And I can confirm that it works! But

speaking as a taxi driver suffering the daily stresses and strains that we all go through, I have to say that the Deep Tissue massage really gets to grips

with all manner of strains that we tend to suffer with driving all day - especially this time of year when we often drive with the window open.

While I was floating on my heavenly cloud of relaxation, Jackie was having a Thai massage and Facial both administered by Farrah who opted out

of the rat race as a lawyer in the City to concentrate on her therapies. Farrah was taught by a lady who studied with monks in Thailand and my wife just

couldn’t believe the way Farrah teased and manipulated her joints into position. After the Facial, she told me that her face felt like glass and as a whole,

she felt wonderful.

The Barking Bathhouse has been featured in the Telegraph, Guardian, Grazia and believe it or not, the New York Times!

The prices for their body treatment range are from £25 for 30 minutes to £35 for an hour. There is also a nail lounge, Neal’s Yard

facials and waxing on request. The spa is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to

5pm, with Sunday bookings available by appointment only.

The pop up spa was also sponsored by Deutsche Bank and I was informed that there have been many visitors from the bank for sessions - hope-

fully driven by Dial-a-Cab.

For bookings call 0208 227 2991 or 07889 008 828 or visit www.barkingbathhouse.com.

Alex Constantinou (N05)

Call Sign May 2013

Page 20

CABALCADE HITS LONDON

Organised by the London Vintage Taxi Association, months of planning came to fruition on Sunday 7

April 2013 when a convoy of 50 FX4 and Fairway taxis paraded through London, celebrating fifty five

years of service to the capital prior to their retirement later this year.

Starting from Chelsea Harbour, the parade meandered through historical cabbing landmarks such as the various premises of taxi dealers

M&O, the old PCO buildings at Lambeth and Penton Street and TfL’s current Palestra building at Blackfriars. Guest speakers gave potted his-

tories at each stop before the taxis finally gathered at Marble Arch, much to the delight of the public. LVTA Chairman, Doug Cheshire, gave a

welcoming speech.

Among the other speakers were Andrew Overton, who spoke about M&O and how the Nissan engine came to the Fairway making it such

a popular cab. Also speaking was trade historian Bill Munro, former number two at the PCO, Sandy Kennedy, former MBH Chairman Lord

Jamie Borwick who also brought along his wife Lady Victoria - who just happens to be Boris Johnson’s deputy Mayor! Victoria gave a short

speech praising the London taxi’s constant ability to renew and reinvent itself and how it always seems to adapt to the changing demands of

the City. Current LTPH Director John Mason also gave an update.

LVTA members from around the world flew in to witness the event and all those that Call Sign spoke to said that it had been well worth the

trip. Event Secretary Gary Zylberszac thanked Dial-a-Cab for our gold sponsorship. He told Call Sign:

“Without it, this celebration could not have happened.”

Dennis Latchett

Call Sign Online

(Far left) Sandie Kennedy, Lord and Lady Borwick, Bill

Munroe (behind), Andrew Overton and Doug Cheshire

(behind)

Taxi Drivers Open Forum

The Taxi Drivers Open Forum was held at TfL’s Palestra on April 24th and chaired by Helen

Chapman, currently deputising for John Mason who is apparently juggling more balls at the

moment than QPR are picking out of the net!

The meeting was well attended, with a great deal of enthusiasm from certain sections. A

vast range of questions were asked, mainly regarding licensing, ranks and private hire licens-

ing. It was pointed out from the floor by DaC Chairman Brian Rice that a topographical

knowledge was originally part of the remit to be a Private Hire driver.

DaC Compliance Officer, Allan Evans, also attended to predominantly network on behalf of

the Society, which he seemed to do rather well.

Attending on behalf of Call Sign, I pointed out during the meeting that it was not fair on

Helen Chapman that she should have to chair the meeting and answer questions at the same

time - something she seemed to agree with.

I suspect that the rest of TfL staff were quite happy for Helen to take the brunt of the ques-

tions. At the end of the meeting, she did look as though she had been put through the mill! Mind you, with 50 cab drivers

baying for blood, I’m not sure what the meeting actually achieved.

I did find out that 60 or so policemen are employed in the tout squad, mainly on a weekend. Helen said she would invite

the police force to attend the next forum.

Gary Cox (O46)

Call Sign Online

Call Sign May 2013

Page 21

Dial-a-Cab driver Jim Rainbird (T25) has

It's a tough job but...

often appeared in Call Sign over his 19 years

on the circuit, beit his time as WCHCD

Master, his various filming promotions

including that rather astonishing time in

SOMEBODY HAS

2001 when he turned up on a Japanese TV

station quiz - or the times when he and his

taxi have been hired by newspapers because

TO DO IT!

it looked less conspicuous than flying around

on a motorbike with a huge camera lens

Nope! She's not

hanging around their neck! The best example

a hologram pro-

of that was when a newspaper hired Jim’s taxi

vided by DaC's

to follow Princess Diana.

new terminals!

More recently, Jim appeared on these

pages while his cab was used by Motorcycle

News to promote their show at the Excel

add that as an

Centre when he worked with motorcycle

expert at her job,

stars Chris

‘The Stalker’ Walker and

although she looks

Tommy Hill. He has also appeared alongside

as though she’s

motor racing F1 stars Lewis Hamilton and

using our new ter-

Mika Hakkinen in a Johnnie Walker anti-

minal as a resting

drinking campaign!

device, it’s just the

Of late, his most exciting moment was

camera angle that

having one of the new DaC terminals fit-

makes it look like

ted - that was until he was contacted for a

that!

film shoot by Barclaycard Contactless - a

“So I then had to

company that Dial-a-Cab have good rela-

spend the next

tions with because of the new terminal’s

gram. But sadly not! However, the real thing

hour or so driving

facility re payment by card and our new

is even better...

around with this young blonde lady sitting

PED (where the card fits into while being

“The young lady is a cinematographer

next to me and giving me instructions. It was

checked).

(camerawoman to you and me) who was part

only afterwards that she told me she had

Jim told Call Sign:

of a shoot I did for Barclaycard Contactless.

actually been filming the “passenger” using

“I've had the new DaC terminal fitted for a

To get the shots she needed, she insisted on

DaC’s new PED with the contactless card!

few weeks and thought I had discovered an

being as close to me as humanly possible

“Ah well, it's a tough job... but somebody

amazing new feature - a virtual woman holo-

within the luggage compartment! I should

has to do it!”

CALL SIGN’S DANNY RUNS FOR CHAI...

In memory of his mum Carole and Ed’s son Reed

Danny Fresco has been with Call Sign ever since current

You can find Danny’s

charity page at:

Editor Alan Fisher’s first day in the hot seat in June 1997

http://tinyurl.com/avatjvp

and while Danny may not be as well-known as his Taxi

Jamie Corum

columnist dad Al, his layout designs have helped Call Sign

Call Sign Online

reach tremendous heights for an in-house magazine.

On Sunday 9 August 2009, Danny’s mum, Al’s wife and

Ed’s wife Linda’s closest friend, Carole Fresco passed

away in Barts Hospital, just six weeks after being diag-

nosed with breast cancer.

After Carole’s death, Danny’s family were greatly helped

by Chai Cancer Care and in return Danny ran the London

British 10k charity run and raised around £700 for the

Hendon and Redbridge-based organisation that provides

so much care for Jewish cancer patients and their families.

Now Danny is going to do the 10K run again in mem-

ory of his mum, but is adding Editor’s son Reed Fisher.

Reed died this January, three years after being diag-

nosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

Danny told Call Sign: “This year I've decided in

memory of my mum, Carole, and the recent pass-

ing of Reed Fisher to run the British 10k to try and

raise awareness and money for Chai Cancer Care. They are

a small charity but do such a fantastic job looking after families and patients who are, or have

been, affected by cancer.

“Without them I would have struggled to come to terms with the sudden loss of my fan-

tastic mum who I miss so much. And in Reed’s case, not only did they help his family but I

know how much Chai helped Reed during his illness and gave him the support and comfort

he needed. I will always be indebted to Chai for helping me and if I can raise anything in

return, I will be happy and honoured.”

Chai currently supports around 1600 clients at any one time at its 8 UK sites or in their own homes.

This number is added to at the rate of around 80 new clients each month. Over the past 12 months,

Chai provided over 12,000 individual therapy and counseling sessions.

Call Sign May 2013

Page 22

An interesting story in London’s

Are you one of the many DaC drivers given a PCN after a quick

Evening Standard newspaper

snack in Brick Lane?

shows the difference between

Bagel shop PCN mystery solved???

Dial-a Cab and indeed all taxi dri-

vers stopping in Brick Lane usual-

The other trip was his £121 cab fare from

Mayor Rahman, on the other hand, prob-

ly to pick up a takeaway tea and

the council’s Mulberry Place office near

ably couldn’t give a toss!

Blackwall Tunnel to the Tower of London.

Our thanks to the Evening Standard for the

bagel, and the Tower Hamlets

Perhaps the traffic was heavy? The journeys

info...

Mayor Lutfur Rahman.

came at a time when the council was slashing

Using the Freedom of Information Act, the

services by up to £70 million.

Views on life as seen through the

paper came up with some apparent wasteful

Neither are we interested in the Mayor’s

eyes of David Kupler (Y74) at...

behaviour from the Mayor of one of London’s

expulsion by the Labour Party for alleged links

most impoverished boroughs, one in which a

to Islamic extremism - not because we con-

report found four in 10 children live in pover-

done it, but because that isn’t what this maga-

Kupkake’s

ty with the mortality rate of local residents

zine is for. We are interested in taxi drivers

among the country’s highest.

who pick up PCNs from Tower Hamlets -

Unlike the Evening Standard report, Call

according to Barrie Segal, a notoriously diffi-

Sign isn’t criticising the Mayor for his use of

cult borough to appeal against. Of course, if a

cabs, we understand that any Mayor should

Dial-a-Cab driver did what the Mayor did and

Korner

have access to transport even though we

had something at the Commercial Road

doubt that many ‘black’ taxis come into his

McDonalds, we assume they would have safe-

reckoning with the multitude of so-called cabs

ly parked away from prying cameras

he uses probably being private hire and the

although we doubt they would have charged

fact that a number of the trips do seem to be

Mayor Rahman the £28 a minicab charged

particularly wasteful. Two we must mention,

back to Mulberry Place.

though, involve Mayor Rahman crossing the

But if you have ever parked in Brick Lane

Whitechapel Road by car, which according to

for 3 minutes to pick up that snack, picked

Tower Hamlets Conservative group leader

up a £130 PCN (£65 if paid within 28 days)

Peter Golds would have taken one minute to

you’d be interested in knowing that the

walk. Councillor Golds also said the Rahman

Mayor may well have used your taxi,

Just another Saturday night...

administration was forever complaining about

because the only reasonable fare we could

It was a cold rainy Saturday night

cuts, yet many of his trips were made when

find was a claim for £4 from Brick Lane to

everyone was soaked,

there was abundant public transport available.

the Whitechapel Mosque and we know of

when two blokes waiting at the lights

He added that Lutfur Rahman drove around in

no minicab that charges £4 - many now

asked for Sevenoaks!

a Mercedes, yet also needed official transport

having a £14 minimum. So that would have

Now I don't live in rural Kent

to and from his Old Montague Street home.

left you just £61 out of pocket.

but I've been there in the past,

so heading south off we went

light traffic... moving fast!

Peter DaCosta

I found my way to Borough Green

then some village further on,

not a street light to be seen -

they paid and then were gone.

stands down

I set the TomTom to go home

I followed the satnav voice,

I was clueless as to where I went

as Eco City CEO

I was lost... I had no choice!

Then at last... M25 ahead!

Soon I'd need some fuel,

the gauge was pointing to the red -

and fate is often cruel.

I missed my turn and headed south

‘Gatwick’ the sign showed,

I swear my heart was in my mouth

and to make things worse - it snowed!

I made the turn and pointed north

back to the interchange,

counted exits, took the fourth...

I was going east again.

Eventually I found a place to fill up

at an extortionate £1.55,

Eco City Vehicles, supplier of the Mercedes Vito taxi, have appointed

bunged in a score, that'll do for sure

Trevor Parker to replace Peter DaCosta as the company’s Chief

at least I’ll get home tonight.

Executive Officer.

Then two hours after setting down

Mr DaCosta is standing down 38 years after starting the business he

I pulled onto my drive,

founded as a small east end taxi repair garage - KPM.

I was really glad to be home...

He has become a non-executive director and will continue to provide

And quite pleased to be alive!

ECV with consultancy services. Non-executive director, Jeremy Fenn, is

also retiring from the Board.

Kopyright Kupkake 2013

Call Sign May 2013

Page 23

Several drivers have telephoned

Call Sign to express surprise after

Warren Street Blockade!

being caught out by the recently

installed bollards preventing

them from using Warren Street

to access Euston Road west-

bound, and so avoiding the road

works of Tottenham Court Road.

To investigate further Call Sign went to

Warren Street to appraise the scene and

gauge the views of the local shopkeepers to

see whether they have been affected.

The bollards have been placed across the

middle of the road in Warren Street just to the

east of Fitzroy Street, forcing traffic down

Whitfield Street and back into the one way sys-

tem of Grafton Way and Maple Street! The

alternative would be to U-turn in Warren

Street and re-join the traffic in TCR.

Call Sign discovered that when the scheme

was originally mooted some 18 months ago,

only 15 residents were in favour, while others

- residents and commercial enterprises alike -

saw the downside of inconvenience to access

their properties, a drop in passing trade to

Warren Street no longer a cut-through

shops and the difficulty of services such as

waste disposal and recycling agencies being

“The bollards were installed several weeks

good. Taxis and passing motorists, together

able to service the affected roads.

ago after the council sent out a consultative

with my local clientele, popped in quickly for

This view was borne out when we spoke

document quite some time ago and from what

drinks, newspapers and cigarettes etc, but I’ve

with two local shop keepers - Ian at All

I hear, it seems that very few locals were in

noticed a very definite drop in trade since the

Flutes Plus and Romil at JAI News.

favour. However, here we are. The council are

road block was put in place a few weeks ago.

Ian complained that his biggest problem

trying to regenerate the area to look like the

“I have a letter from the council inviting

was now the delivery trucks and couriers

comments on the bollards and I will either

Marylebone model.”

inability to negotiate the narrow streets caus-

consult my neighbours or make my views

Romil at JAI News told Call Sign that he

ing difficulty in off-loading supplies, together

known on my own behalf. I think we have

thought it was a traffic calming measure and

with the problem of recycling trucks trying to

until sometime in May to make representa-

turn around, which according to Ian often

just a temporary experiment to see how things

tions to the council and express our opin-

means that they tend not to bother!

worked out.

ions...”

“But our biggest problem are the larger

“I bought this shop around two months ago

delivery trucks where they really do have diffi-

and did not see any previous letters from the

Alan Green

culty trying to turn around or are forced back

council regarding this proposed closure. For

into the one-way streets,” he mused.

the first month I was here, trade was very

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Call Sign May 2013

Page 24

Every issue of Call Sign takes a look back at ODRTS history through the pages of the

magazines of the time with a flashback

DIAL-A-CAB FLASHBACK

This issue harks back to the November 1999 issue of Call Sign and

Lorraine Carruthers was

an interview with what used to be known as a former telephonist

stunned at BBC mistake!

and who would now be called a former call taker...

A TRIP BACK TO SHIRLAND ROAD

With former telephonist Martha Harris

In the mid-1960’s ODRTS left its birthplace office at 172

she was completely lacking expe-

Pentonville Road with its Terminus 6444 phone number and

rience in that field. Then the Beeb

moved to the luxury of Maida Vale and 144 Shirland Road. I

rang to order a cab and she made

was a telephonist there and I’d like to relive a few memories

an error in writing out the dock-

before they fade forever...

et, tore it up (which was fatal)

We used to have three direct lines, one to the BBC at Television

and carried on using the next

Centre, another to their studios at Ealing Green and the final one

numbered docket without

to Buckingham Palace. One day dear old Millie Harris answered

informing her opposite number

one of the lines and believing that it was Ealing Studios, answered

at the BBC - an even bigger gaff!

in her usual cultured voice saying: “Allo, Milleee ‘ere” and a very

She then took another order

posh voice replied: “Yes, hello, Buckingham Palace here.” Millie

while completely ignoring the docket numbers and proceeded to

refused to answer the direct lines for a long time after that!

make further errors. The balloon went up when she was relieved for

Zena Newton took a call one day (she hadn't been on the

her lunch break and another telephonist took over. That was Lorraine

phones very long) and turned to me and asked if there was a dri-

Carruthers and she was stunned when none of the docket numbers

ver on the circuit called Charley Furzerio? 1 said that I hadn't

corresponded and the net result was that the telephonist who cocked

heard of him but it sounded as if the owner of the name was of

up had to spend hours trying to sellotape the torn dockets together,

Italian descent. When Zena told me who the message was from - a

which then had to be sent back to the BBC!

girl who had worked with us at one time - the penny dropped and

Seeing all those screens and technology present in today’s

I realised it was Charlie three zero she wanted! He had left the cir-

Brunswick House call centre, I don't think that I could have coped, but

cuit many years previously having gone to work in Europe, so if

I would have enjoyed trying. And no doubt the BBC are impressed...

there is a current Mrs Charlie three-zero, she can breathe easily!

Speaking of the BBC, they were very particular and precise

Martha Harris (one of the old girls).

when they made bookings and it was important that the numbers

in our books corresponded with their docket numbers. One after-

noon after I had finished my shift, a new girl took over the BBC

book - although why she was put on that job I do not know, but

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Call Sign May 2013

Page 25

DaC driver Sean Farrell (B39) looks at trade history from a different angle

The Brethren of the Whip

The

1838

Hackney Carriage

the earliest mention of a badge in the news-

Metal

(Metropolis) Act was duly passed and the

papers was not accompanied by a badge

7000 drivers who had paid their duty to

number.

tickets

the Stamp Office were issued with a metal

The earliest instance of a driver in court

The issuing of the

ticket (badge) and licence. So if any of you

with a badge number that was recorded was

Green and Yellow

at DaC have a badge number below 7000,

just a couple of days later. Edward Aymer,

identifiers

has

you can trace your pedigree back to 1838.

who had badge number 5, testified that he

given a prominence

Within weeks of the badges being issued,

to badge numbers

had fallen ill and gave his badge to a friend to

the first drivers were appearing in court. The

work the cab for a “day or two.” This was in

and whilst many at

earliest instance I can find is when a driver

first believed they

direct contravention of the Act and he was

named Jackson took his master, George

fined 20 shillings (£1) which he could not

were a waste of

Walter of Hampstead Road to court, claiming

time, it is probably agreed that they

pay. His sentence was then defaulted to four-

that he had withheld his licence and so could

teen days hard labour in the House of

have a beneficial effect on the trade. Much

not obtain work elsewhere. As this was

the same could be said for the badges them-

Correction in Clerkenwell. Perhaps by issu-

before the days of photography, a drivers’ Bill

ing such a stiff sentence, the authorities felt

selves when they were first issued.

contained a description of the driver. It was

Most of you on Dial-a-Cab are probably

that they were putting a strong message out.

noticed that Jackson was twelve inches short-

It could have been (slightly) worse; the mag-

aware that cabs - or coaches as they were

er than the height given on the licence and

back then - were first licensed back in 1654

istrate had decided not to endorse Aymer’s

neither the size of his nose nor colour of his

licence - to which he would have been the

during Oliver Cromwell’s reign of office.

eyes matched his physical description.

There had never been any need to licence the

first person to have such a mark on his Bill.

Jackson argued that the Commissioner of

In the next few days the police arrested

driver. If the number of the hackney carriage

Police must have

“...drawd it wrong on

could be taken, then it was down to the pro-

paper, vy, he must halter me and that’s all

several bucks - unemployed men who took

the cab out for a few hours whilst the driver

prietor to bring the driver to court. Such an

about it, or return the five bob I paid him

inadequate system - proprietors seldom knew

for doing it.”

had his lunch. None of these displayed a

badge and so were easily spotted by the

who was driving their coaches so long as they

His Master then went into the witness box

got their money - was to last nearly 200 years.

and stated that Jackson had spent his takings

police. It soon dawned on cab drivers that

they could lend the horse and cab out (so

It finally dawned on Parliament that issuing

on beer and came back drunk and as he had

licences to drivers would create a better sys-

originally lent him the five shillings to take

long as their master did not hear of it) but

they learned to keep hold of their badges.

tem and make drivers responsible for their

out the licence, for which he had not been

actions, with the public being the beneficia-

repaid, he felt he was right to hold back the

ries - not to mention the extra revenue the

Bill. The court agreed with him and on hear-

licence system would accrue. And if licences

ing this, Jackson, taking the badge from his

Sean Farrell

could be issued - they could also be taken

neck exclaimed: “Here, take this too; it’s no

away.

use without the licence.” So unfortunately

Call Sign Online

Another true story from Geoff Levene

The most unpredictable job in the world!

As we Dial-a-Cab drivers all know,

lery. Nuns were wandering about but it seemed a funny time for a party.

there is only one thing of which we can

A grim looking woman came to the door. I smiled and said there was a

be certain and that is the fact that you

taxi for Father O'Halloran. She glared at me.

can't be certain of anything! But it's the

“He'll be down at 2 o'clock and not a second before,” she said before

unpredictability that I love about our job...

slamming the door in my face. “Hmm,” I thought, “obviously not enjoy-

Oh sure, it would be great to know there

ing the function!”

was a job waiting at the end of the road every

I waited downstairs and eventually people began drifting out. A man

morning, but that doesn't seem to happen too

in a big black hat approached the cab, escorted by Mrs Hatchett-face. He

often. And if I do happen to pick up the same

asked if I was his cab to Euston.

person more than twice in one week, I get the

“Yes,” I replied, “but we have to go via Old Brompton Road,”

feeling they might think I'm stalking them. Or

“ I haven't got time for that, “ he said and called out to the departing

am I being paranoid? But what can be better that being in an unlikely

guests if anyone was going to Euston ?" And then he was gone. I must

place when a hand goes up or the DaC terminal bleeping with an unlike-

have shown my look of shock.

ly trip? The feeling is just priceless!

“Serves you right,” said the woman, “coming into the flat on the day

But the most unpredictable thing of all is the great British public. Why

of a funeral shouting and smoking.”

does a man on the way to the airport ask to stop to buy some sausages?

Well I didn’t shout and I certainly don’t smoke! But now I knew that it

Why when you drop someone at the address they've given you, do they

was a wake and I should have gone to the Old Brompton Road first.

get out and look everywhere but the very place you've stopped at? And

Dennis suggested I now went there to try and get something out of it.

how could that couple have dared to do what they did in the Lea Bridge

It turned out to be Funeral Directors premises. The taxi fare was obvi-

Road that evening? Perhaps I’d better draw a veil over that one - which

ously part of the deal. I found a woman in a back office and told her my

is more than they did!

story. She thought for a moment.

But an incident in the dim and distant days of Dial-a-Cab’s voice

“Oh that priest. I've had trouble with him before. He's a right

despatch left me with my mouth permanently agape. The late Dennis

**.”.Now I'm pretty sure at that time I'd never heard a

Samuels (F25) gave me details of a 2 o'clock booking.

woman use language like that - but an undertakers! Then she said some-

“Go to 310 West Kensington Mansions. Pick up a Catholic priest,

thing much more acceptable.

Father O'Halloran, and then go to 254 Old Brompton Road where you'll

“How much do you want...?”

get paid and take him on to Euston.” Simples!

Yep, unpredictability is certainly the name of the game...

So I went up to the flat and rang the bell even though the door was

ajar. I could hear loud voices, the clatter of crockery and the rattle of cut-

Geoff Levene (W32)

Call Sign May 2013

Page 26

LOOKING AT (TAXI) LIFE

at the same time.

Useless Eustace

With Tom Quigley (Y33)

The coaches pulled into the car park; after lis-

It’s now the time of year when our thoughts

tening to the usual instructions about meeting times

turn to getting away from it all and grabbing ourselves

for lunch and returning home etc, we were let off the

a holiday; be you a sun lover, adventurer or sightseer,

coaches. Well, like a swarm of locusts or even rabid

the choice is endless.

hounds, the entire youth section swept through the

Fortunate that we are, we generally have the free-

first lot of Kiss me Quick hats and seaside rock stalls

dom of times to go, unless you have children in their

and literally robbed them of all their stock! We hadn’t

school years. Even so, apart from paying the extor-

been in Hasting an hour yet before the local police

tionate school holiday rates there is normally a six

rounded us all up and took us back to the coaches,

week range to choose from and with the closure of

where we had to return all the goods (even if you had

our major industries, there is less of the great surge

actually bought them)! We were given a severe warn-

for the same two weeks off in the summer when all

ing that any more trouble and we would be escorted

factories used to close down.

to the county border.

This time of year always brings back memories of

Every time I go to Hastings or someone mentions it, that thought

my childhood; when most on the council housing estate where I grew

brings a smile to my face; it’s funny how in your thoughts, a one-day

up could not afford a holiday, so we looked forward to the big day out

trip can last a lifetime.

to the seaside. To us children it was the only time we saw the seaside,

but to the adults it was the big beano!

The adventure would come about via enthusiastic volunteers from

Euro for change

the estate who would run bingo, raffles and jumble sales etc to raise

I am no economist; whilst I hear and read about the countries I have

money towards paying for the coaches. My particular favourite was

visited in Europe - Ireland, Italy Spain and Cyprus - struggling with

Useless Eustace. Like a modern day scratchcard in its little bluey

huge debts since converting to the euro, I can’t help but wonder that

/green folder, we would buy these from the seller who came around

we who visit these countries change up our currency in a banking sys-

every week. Inside the card were two letters which had to match the

tem that only deals in notes, yet like all of us I return home with a

cartoon that was printed in the Daily Mirror. If your letters came up,

load of coins unable to change them back, so they sit in bottle or draw

you won money equal to the amounts on the bottom of the card. The

unused under the illusion that I’ll use them when I go again. But

cartoon portrayed Useless Eustace as a man getting into all sorts of

when I do, I’ll put a few in my pocket for tips etc but leave most of

mishaps with his profession changing to suit the caption, with no

them at home only to return with even more to top up the stash!

trade or profession escaping lightly.

My last count showed over 50 euros in change but given the fact that

Every year we went to Walton-on-the-Naze with around six coaches

the countries I have mentioned attract over 100 million tourists each

setting off early for what we then considered to be a long journey,

year, if every one of those tourists are the same as me, it’s no wonder

each group pulling faces and jeering at the other if we overtook them

the system is failing if by simple mathematical equation, the banks will

with the adults having side bets on which coach would get there first!

not collectively accept over five thousand million pounds back into

Arriving at the coach park, the day would be spent with rides on the

the economy!

amusements, a go on the slot machines (no one asked your age back

Having budgeted for my holiday, I would quite willing donate the

then), a paddle in the sea, some fish and chips and of course, those

50 euros I have at home to the poorer countries hospitals, public ser-

jam sandwiches!

vices or even charities, than have it doing nothing at all...

One year, for some reason, we went to Hastings instead. This stuck

in my mind for two reasons; one because Hastings had no sand, just

Tom Quigley

pebbles, which to a young lad on his only trip all year was a major dis-

appointment. The second reason was quite funny and rather naughty

Call Sign Online

DaC’s ticket man, Tom Whitbread, on the show that is

burning up the capital…

Burn the Floor!

I went to see the show ‘Burn the Floor’ at the Shaftsbury Theatre and was delighted to

see the changes they had made since I had seen it previously around two years ago.

It has been transformed into a much more professional and slick musical with the choreog-

raphy having been transformed from good to absolutely brilliant!

The show has dance duos from all over the world, including some amazingly spectacular

dancers, although I have to admit that my favourites were from Cuba and the USA. But that

TAXI AIR

takes nothing away from the others, the speed and energy they put into every routine would

CONDITIONING

make Mo Farah look unfit.

The show runs through until September and I would encourage anyone, young or old, to try

All models serviced

and get to see it. You will have a wonderful night out and probably come away feeling a little

out of breath with the sheer energy pumped out on the stage in front of you.

and repaired

At the moment there are an abundance of very good shows in the West End of London,

Mobile service -

but you must enter this onto your list of shows to visit. Its one failure was that it hasn’t had

we come to you!

the amount of promotion that other shows in the area have had. Otherwise there would have

been little chance of getting any tickets.

Call Mick Wheeler on

If your passengers are looking for a good show, Burn the Floor is well worth a recommen-

dation…

020 8715 0079

Covering London and

Tom Whitbread

the Home Counties

Call Sign May 2013

Page 27

As BBC Television Centre ends its broadcasting life, Call Sign looks back at its DaC connection...

Bye Bye Auntie!

With the removal of the BBC’s Television Centre from Shepherd’s Bush up

Big Al's column almost cost

to Manchester’s Salford Quays, a piece of Dial-a-Cab history has gone up

DaC the BBC account

there with them.

The BBC was the first corporate account that the young Owner

and the two taxi companies was

Drivers Radio Taxi Service had opened. That was way back in 1959,

called for. The suggestion was that a

some six years after Bonnie Martyn, Arthur Cudmore, Doug Naismith,

rank outside the main gate would be

Albert Hall, Eric Stoffel, Alec Cobden, David Fiertag and Frank Duncan

used but that minicabs would also

had formed the first Committee of Management at 172

Pentonville

be pulled in. DaC and Mountview

Road.

said no and went on strike - the first

There had been the odd private account opened back then but they

time action like that had ever been

weren’t considered to be accounts in the way we know them; they were just

contemplated.

passengers considered to be big users and well-off enough to be trusted with

However, the BBC then went to

time to pay. It may sound the same, but it wasn’t ever voluntarily offered!

Computer Cab (now ComCab) and

Most BBC work at that time came from Lime Grove studios and many

asked them if they were prepared to

jobs involved picking up celebrities with Wilfred Brambell and Harry H

work with minicabs. They said yes

Corbett (Steptoe and Son) being two of the biggest regulars ordered via the

and won the account.

Beeb. Then there was Spike Milligan who seemed to enjoy sending ODRTS

TVC came back to DaC briefly,

telephonists mad with weird conversation after ordering his own taxis back

but by then cars had almost taken over and taxi work had been totally

to his Bayswater home.

decimated. But on the few occasions we went back in, a million mem-

But in 1960 Television Centre opened and many of Lime Grove’s enter-

ories come flooding back. The Salford Quays building may be exquis-

tainment programmes moved to the new building, leaving mainly current

ite, but there will only ever be one REAL Television Centre...

affairs programmes at the Grove. ODRTS still did most of their BBC - known

as Auntie - pick-ups from Lime Grove but gradually got and more from TVC.

Michael Toomey

But with that came problems and the Beeb began complaining that dri-

Call Sign Online

vers were going to incorrect pick-ups. Drivers had become used to going to

the main reception at the Centre and telling the taxi rep, an elderly chap

called Gerry, who we were picking up. As you looked around, you could see

familiar faces waiting for their taxis (and occasional limo), but it left a feeling

of embarrassment when Gerry picked up his megaphone and shouted a

celeb’s name through it as though they were in a doctor’s surgery!

asaptrades

An issue of ODRTS Monthly from 1964 had driver Alf Levy (D80) telling

of going into TVC and asking for Mr Starkey. Sure enough Gerry picked up

his megaphone and called out ‘taxi for Starkey.’ Suddenly a young man read-

ELECTRICAL

ing the soon-to-be-defunct Daily Herald stood up and walked towards Alf

and nodded. The ODRTS driver looked twice but not being a pop fan could-

Electrical Installations - Fault Finding & Repairs

n’t quite remember where he had seen his passenger before. It was the

broad Liverpool accent asking for Abbey Road that suddenly made Alf

www.asaptrades.com

realise that Mr Starkey was actually the Beatles’ drummer, Ringo Starr!

But yes, our biggest problem at TVC was the fact that there were so many

different pick-ups within the actual complex and it wasn’t unusual to be sit-

0203 130 6798

ting on the official BBC rank at Shepherd’s Bush Green (where the Westfield

exit is now) and be given a job from one building

to another - both within the TVC complex. And if

you didn’t know your way round, you’d have a

You may not need us now, but cut us out for when you do!

job because even Beeb employees didn’t know

them all!

However, fares were somewhat cheaper back

LOCKHOUSE SECURITY

then. As an example, BBC TVC receptionist Janet

Goldspink wrote to ODRTS News in May 1967

apologising for having no money with her when

All types of locks, opened, repaired and replaced

she took a radio cash taxi from Victoria back to

TVC and enclosed “...one pound to cover the fare

10% discount on keys and locks for DaC drivers

that I owed you.” And that probably included a

Transponders / chipped keys

tip!

On site key cutting services including taxis

On the downside, in the late 1980s with

ODRTS having become Dial-a-Cab, Call Sign’s

Locks replaced / fitted to insurance specifications (BS3621

infamous Big Al column, which often spe-

Burglary repairs / boarding up

cialised in nefarious gossip, told of a BBC pro-

Additional security / security upgrades

ducer who had exposed himself to a young

girl on the tube on his way into work at TVC.

Safes opened, repaired and serviced

The producer was sacked, but the BBC weren’t

Grilles and security gates

keen on the story being broadcast in a taxi

Specialists in UPVC doors and windows / patio doors

mag and threatened to close the account.

Fortunately an apology - together with some

Free estimates / no call out charge

begging - did the trick! Considering how much

24hr service

money he could have cost the Society, quite

astonishingly, Big Al went on to become Call

Sign Editor!

You can find us at:

At that time, Radio Taxis (Southern) - aka

8-10 The Arcade, Farnham Road, Harold Hill

Mountview - were also involved with the Beeb

Tel: 01708 371115

account and a meeting between TVC transport

Call Sign May 2013

Page 28

Mailshot

Either write to Call Sign at Dial-a-Cab Houseor email us at

callsignmag@aol.com

loyalty, goodwill, dependability and reliability etc, etc into the

30-year rule

Society and you cannot put a price on these valuable attributes.

Hi Alan

To analyse the income of the 116 drivers involved, of which my

No hay mal que por bien no venga...

son is one, is nit-picking; for slowing down as one gets older is a nat-

I might as well brush up on my Spanish as I could be spending a lot

ural process. The BoM should consider using their reserves to cover

more time there. Having served 35 years on DaC, I have enjoyed £1

the costs, to stop sending out signals of desperation to other inter-

subs for the last five of them. Two years ago I wanted to give up

ested competitors and hopefully prevent any potential migration of

mushing and sell my cab and rent it back retaining DaC equipment

our drivers over to other circuits. Then we should look forward to

and my membership. I was told that this was not allowed and I had

the good times returning.

to have my own cab. Not being ready to retire, I shelled out 33 big

Tony Whytock (Ex-W20 / G76)

ones on a TX4. Two years on and I am fed up being forced to work

Thanks for the letter Tony and I’m pleased you still read the

full time or paying £700 per month to leave my cab in the road

magazine. As you know from my response to some of the sim-

whilst I am away for three or four weeks, which grieves me some-

ilar letters Call Sign has received on the subject, I too am £1 a

what. The only reason I am still mushing is because of DaC.

month driver and don’t relish having to pay extra. But whilst

I appreciate that times are difficult and an increase in line with

it’s true that DaC has substantial reserves in the bank, I suspect

inflation or even a modest jump to £10 per month would not cause

that had it not been for the fact that we are purchasing new ter-

me to bat an eyelid, but an extra £80 per month whilst it is standing

minals this year, then perhaps the topic may not have arisen -

idle gives me some concern. If perhaps some concession such as

but we have and it did! As a driver from - if you’ll excuse me

compulsion to subscribe only to half a year or a year off to reflect on

saying it - the old days, you may remember hearing of a former

one's situation without compromising one's membership might be

Mountview stalwart, Board member and a much-respected fig-

plausible, after all, not too long ago we were offered £4,000 for our

ure in the trade, Jack Moss. I happened to bump into him

share - although I don't think that will happen again.

recently and the subject of DaC’s 30-year drivers came up. He

On the point of membership, where do we stand if we give up

made the point that while he has a reduced subscription with

mushing and drive part time for another DaC driver? I don't object

Radio Taxis, it’s nowhere near as low as our £1. But I do take

to the Society hanging on to my £500 to cover any credit work I may

your point regarding loyalty etc because I - and I’m sure many

do as long as I don't lose any benefit.

other long-time drivers - used to run distances to account trips

Brian says that the reason for the increase is because we don't do

rather than see them scrubbed. But I have to emphasise that £1

enough work on account. Last year I did in excess of £12,000. I

subs was always a goodwill gesture given in the good times ...Ed

would have done more had it been available. On this point I don't

share the Board's opinion that it is all due to the recession. I think

the problem goes much deeper and affects the taxi trade in general.

Unless something is done about the tariff, minicabs will take it all.

You only have to see how many fixed-price fares we have to do to

see that. But then nobody listens to me.

So it looks like the end to a 35 year marriage and I shall have to

retire from Dial-a-Cab.

So as I said at the beginning: "It is an ill wind that blows no good

at all.”

Glen Tew (E54)

Brian Rice replies: Nice to hear from you Glen. We do actually

listen to drivers, so I will attempt to answer your predicament.

If you are a long serving member that has been with the Society

in excess of 30 years and you decide to sell your vehicle and

become a second driver on another Member's taxi, we will still

honour the half subscriptions. The subscription for a second

driver is usually £32.31 per fortnight plus VAT, however, if you

have served 30 years or more we reduce that by half to £16.15

per fortnight plus VAT.

However, as you can appreciate you cannot retain your mem-

bership (perhaps that's where the initial mis-understanding

came in), but you will enjoy half subs as the second driver.

I wish you well in your part-time capacity and I am sure you

will enjoy your time in the sunshine

...and

Dear Alan

I write as a retired DaC member who joined at Shirland Road and

left when I retired some 12 years ago at the age of 70. Prior to my

taxi driving career, I was involved with man-management and was

shocked to read in the March Call Sign that the BoM is considering

reneging on the thirty year rule. I feel that the Board should care-

fully consider the impact this will have for all members old and new.

They must realise that they need to retain the long-servers if they are

looking forward to the good times returning, for it is they who inject

Call Sign May 2013

Page 29

Mailshot

Continued from page 28

Ivor Belkin (C97)

...and!

Thanks for that Ivor. While you obvious-

Hi Alan

ly have a point re cost, you really can’t

It’s unbelievable! You wait all those years

talk about Hailo’s workload being due to

against the closure as it takes away passing

for £1 subs to come along and then anoth-

no gratuities. It’s the no run-in and free

trade. Do you know anything about it?

er 71 come along together!

5 minute waiting time that does it. If DaC

David Ballard (N28)

Alan Sullivan (F20)

adopted your no gratuity suggestion -

I sent a Call Sign reporter there to see

Hey Alan, I always knew you really

which the Board have said on several

what he could find out. A report is on

wanted to be a bus driver! ...Ed

occasions they are reluctant to do

page 23 of this issue ...Ed

because it would be so difficult to get it

back when things pick up - but you kept

Tattoos

...and the other side

Dear Brian

your £4.20 run-in, after 5 minutes wait-

Dear Alan

ing you would have £6 on your meter

Having seen the article and picture of DaC

I would like to show my support to yourself

and the Board on increasing the 30 year

whereas the Hailo taxi would have

driver Gordon Thompson (K48) in the

£2.40. So if your informants are doing 9

April Call Sign (Tatt’s enough), one doesn’t

subscription rate up to 50percent. Any clear

thinking driver knows that the

£1 per

jobs a day, they would be taking £3.60

need to wonder too much why Addison Lee

less on every journey, which means a

is doing so well with their smartly attired

month was just unsustainable in a reces-

sion. Also, getting a 50percent reduction

loss on a five-day week of around £160.

drivers who always look nice with their

What you are saying, Ivor, is that we

shirts and ties! Come back next year for re-

should stay forever and drivers should be

thankful for any reduction.

should start working cheaply, in which

election please Allen Togwell...but by then

case there would not be much point in

it might be too late if we don’t smarten our-

Roy Davis (D99)

This letter was originally sent to Brian

doing the Knowledge anymore and we

selves

up.

may as well all drive minicabs and work

Roy Martin (R42)

Rice but I asked Roy if I could publish it

on their App, Kabbee. So far as gratuities

There is no disputing that tattoos have

- not because his view backed the BoM

are concerned, it should also be pointed

had a huge resurgence in popularity.

on the 30 year topic, but because Roy’s

out that many drivers use it to pay their

You either like them or you don’t but the

was the first letter sent by someone who

rollerbond. So I don’t think everyone

question isn’t whether taxi drivers

hasn’t been here anywhere near 30

will agree with your suggestion.

should have them, but whether they

years. His comments reinforce my view

But as I said, you do have a point and

should be displayed. The clarity of

that any such vote on the subject would

I have started to accept cash rides that I

Gordon’s tattoos shows how well done

fall in dramatic fashion and make the

would previously have rejected. I swal-

they have been, but I have no current

Society look mean, something that after

low the £1.50 and have a normal run-in

view. However, David Beckham hasn’t

almost 17 years of virtually free subs for

instead. I’ve not had one complaint yet,

helped the cause of the antis and no one

those drivers, DaC is far from being ...Ed

whereas on the rare occasion that I used

knows whether AL drivers have tattoos

to do a radio cash ride and added the £2

under their nice shirts and ties! ...Ed

Gratuities

radio circuit charge, I would have kept

Dear Alan

restarting the meter rather than taking a

BOM changeover

When will drivers on Dial-a-Cab realise that

chance of getting hassle from the cus-

we have to do something very soon to

time after AGM’s

tomer.

increase the work and that could be to do

Hi Ed

Two years ago when things were look-

away with the automatic gratuity. When you

Your suggestion

(April Editorial) that a

ing even worse, I said in Call Sign - and

think that customers would save up to

changeover period be agreed for candi-

was criticised for daring to say it - that

£100,000, they could then use that to

dates losing and gaining a seat on the

we should have forgone that year’s

increase their use of taxis. If Hailo can get a

Board is, I think, a good idea, particularly

increase and clawed it back when things

lot of work by offering no run-ins together

with regards the outgoing member. It may

picked up. But we didn’t and lost a lot of

with - in most instances - no gratuities and

not be an issue for Board members who

work, so I certainly thought we could

you hear drivers say they are doing 7, 8 or

don’t have a hands-on role, but it could be

have done it with this year’s 1.7% award

9 jobs at a time, why then can’t we do the

for those that do and even more so for the

and that would have given us much-

same while still keeping the £4.20 run-ins?

Chairman should he one day be opposed.

needed publicity while giving passen-

When I ask drivers, many say they can’t do

He could have left a whole stack of unfin-

gers a far better view of taxis as being

without the tips, but I’m afraid they are

ished business on his desk on the Friday

reasonably priced. We took the increase

being a little small minded. I ask drivers to

before the AGM, including important

two years ago and lost huge amounts of

give serious thought to abolishing gratuities

appointments that nobody but him would

work. I don’t think just getting rid of

on account rides.

know what was involved. What if one of

gratuities now is going to help ...Ed

Gentlemen and ladies, look around you.

those appointments concerned the likeli-

Everywhere you look, shops are offering

hood of DaC losing its biggest account? If

50, 60 and even 70 per cent off their goods,

A load of bollards...

there was a changeover period, he would

that way they get customers in who proba-

Hi Alan

have the opportunity to personally intro-

bly spend more than they may have wanted

Read in a recent Call Sign about the bol-

duce his successor. As regards to myself, I

to because they can see what bargains they

lards that have been put up in Warren

had just finished designing the seat ads for

are getting. Why then can’t we offer cabs

Street to prevent it being used as a cut-

the DaC App. On completion of that project

with no gratuities and hopefully get them

through. One of our account holders who

I was going to propose to the Board that we

to start using us that bit more? Before you

lives there has told me that the bollards

follow it up with a drivers giveaway card to

boo-hoo the idea, please give it some

were put in at the instigation of a mere 15

match the ad, to give the DaC App market-

thought...

residents, but that local businesses are

ing impetus, but of course I never got the

Call Sign May 2013

Page 30

Mailshot

Continued from page 29

opportunity to do that.

Lightbulb who asked if I could facilitate a

DaC drivers and

I remember when I was first voted off the

meeting between Brian Rice and Roy

Board; I was in the middle of a project

Manor from GetTaxi. I just said that I did-

rented taxis

which concerned a reciprocal service with

n’t think it was the Chairman`s style to do

Dear Alan

cab companies in German cities. I had sent

things through a third party and suggested

Last month Brian Rice was kind enough to

out hundreds of letters and the response to

he made his own contact. Personally, I think

reply to my letter in Call Sign containing

one, which involved me making a visit to

he was trying to glean if I had any involve-

some ideas for changes this Society could

Frankfurt to a large taxi firm who were

ment within the day to day running of DaC

implement and it was gratifying to find that

extremely interested. A month after I came

- which of course I don’t. I didn't get

he agreed with my suggestions.

off the Board I bumped into the Board

involved after asking him to identify him-

Unfortunately, in the end it sounds as

member who had taken my place and I

self, but he (Lightbulb) refused. How peo-

though there will be no action taken on any

asked him about the German project. He

ple can take themselves seriously, but then

of my points. He says that my proposal

said: “Oh, I wondered what all those foreign

keep their identity unknown beats me!

whereby drivers with 10 years service can

letters were about; I dumped them in the

Tony Crothers (Dizzy) who is the UCG

remain on the circuit even if they start to

rubbish bin!” I also received a nice letter

Chairman, appears to have a strong dislike

drive a rented taxi should have been intro-

sent to my home from our then largest

for Dial-a-Cab. I had found out that the

duced at the AGM. But as I read rule 29 [b]

account who thanked me for the way I

UCG is actually a PLC and asked whether

[ii], a proposal for a rule change originating

looked after their account and it also men-

the reason he, the UCG and the LTDF have

from a member needs to be proposed by 25

tioned how deeply concerned they were at

an anti- DaC agenda might be because

existing members, and I do not even know

the manner in which I was dismissed, nine

other companies that get a positive press

half a dozen. If this is a desirable course to

months later the account went to ComCab.

such as some of the Apps, could do so if

take, and Brian agrees that it is, then a

Speaking of the April Call Sign, I was

they pay sponsorship money to the UCG?

postal ballot should be held before more

delighted to read of Claire Ottley’s interest

Unlike the RMT, whose members control

long standing drivers leave the Society.

in life/figure drawing. For many years I had

what the RMT supports through branch

As regards enclosing some hand out

an example in my office of the period when

meetings etc, the LTDF editorial gives the

cards with copies of Call Sign, I agree with

it was one of my hobbies. It was interesting

impression of being based on the highest

Brian that drivers should collect cards from

to note that she attended Goldsmiths

bidder. When asked about this, Mr Crothers

the office or Roman Way, but as most dri-

College, as I did

(I was also there for

could have denied it but chose not to

vers just do not do so, it may be necessary

German Language). I was also a student at

respond. He also recently criticised the

for the BoM to be proactive. Long gone are

Blackheath Art College and a small studio

DaC accounts, however the UCG accounts

the days when all drivers visited the office

in Greenwich Village that catered for five

should themselves be made available for

every fortnight to collect payments, and

students. On one occasion during a break I

scrutiny soon.

now it could be five years or more between

was talking to the female model and dis-

Regarding Allen Togwell`s venture into

visits, so a new approach should be consid-

covered she was also a hairdresser and we

the LTDF, I would say he was brave. Former

ered.

came to an arrangement that I would pay

DaC driver Mark White said that he helped

Laurence Kelvin (W88)

her to pose for me in private and also cut

Allen onto the LTDF, but in reality he

Brian Rice replies: As I stated last

my hair. People often wonder why a woman

helped him walk straight into the lion’s den

month, we can cater for your suggestion

would want to pose naked in front of a

and you were spot on in what you said

already although a Member that ceases

dozen or so adult students when the pay is

about it. They simply won’t allow you to say

to own a cab cannot remain a Member,

half the minimum wage. Well the reason is

anything positive about DaC, but that`s not

but if the changeover to journeyman is

the majority are art students themselves.

going to stop me from trying. Personally I

straightaway, then they can retain their

The strange thing is that I often looked at

feel that Dellone should come back and the

seniority. If they did not own their own

an attractive 18 year female stripped naked

more DaC members we can get on there,

taxi but remained as a member, it would

for two hours and the only thoughts in my

the better.

compromise the whole fabric of Owner

mind was capturing the form on canvas, yet

Finally, I hope all your personal issues

Drivers Radio Taxi Service (ODRTS). If

it was only when the model started to get

are becoming easier to deal with. As they

you wish to endeavour to change that,

dressed in bra and panties that it would

say, time is the greatest healer.

then you are free to do so! However, if

occur how physically attractive she was.

Richard Potter (T51)

you feel that strongly then you will have

Allen Togwell (ex W45 / Q08)

Thanks Richard. Call Sign also had a sec-

to put a rule change yourself, but you

Allen was referring to my suggestion

ond letter from a DaC driver that was

are correct in that it would have to be

that we take a mini version of the US

just as anti-LTDF, but the driver later felt

supported by 25 Members. As with the

Presidential elections where there is a

that he would not want to cause prob-

hand-out cards, you should not always

long changeover period should the sit-

lems for himself. Of course I respected

rely on the Board and me carrying out

ting President lose the election. I sug-

his view and have not published it. The

your suggestions. As I wrote last month,

gested a two-week changeover ...Ed

so-called voice of the taxi trade (LTDF)

Members should sometimes help the

seems to have an agenda that goes much

BoM to help them. It is all very well com-

LTDF

further than being just a forum on taxi-

ing up with suggestions, but you wish

Hello Alan

related subjects because if drivers are

for others to execute them on your

Just finished reading the April Call Sign

afraid to offer criticism, you have to

behalf.

and have to agree with the sentiments in

wonder just what it is all about. If DaC

Laurence, if the above sounds abrupt,

your Editorial regards the LTDF. Recently I

drivers want to join, then they are free

it is not meant to be but there really isn’t

was contacted by a member called

to try. But I won’t be one of them ...Ed

any other way for me to put it!

Call Sign May 2013

Page 31

Mailshot

Continued from page 30

us, let’s hope that things now start to

What’s the answer...?

pick up and that we don’t make the

Hi Al

SE13 to cover the job. I’m afraid I wouldn’t

same mistakes this time round. Be

Recent Call Signs have contained much

even attempt it today. I wonder if anyone

lucky...

about new terminals, but the way the work

would run such a distance with today’s

is at the moment perhaps the new termi-

Speaking of Blue

traffic?

nals should go on hold. I've been on DaC

Alasdair Kay (C47)

Peter badges...

for 18 years with many of those on nights,

Have you ever run a ridiculously long

although over the past few years I have

Hi Alan,

way to cover an important account? A

Re David Marks (R22) and Geoff Levene

moved over to days. In the last few months

Blue Peter badge for the longest! ...Ed

I have been having trouble covering my

(W32) writing about Warner Harris and

his offer of Blue Peter badges for drivers

subs. I used to do loads of Westminster

Margaret Thatcher

trips, now I can go a few days without a

who covered ‘difficult’ trips - even though

I believe that Margaret Thatcher once had

no badges ever arrived (April Mailshot). I

job at all. I've noticed quite a few drivers

an account with Dial-a-Cab. I just wondered

have left because of this. Like others, I've

have some other memories of those days

whether anyone ever picked her up and

including Manny Conway struggling one

tried Hailo and it seems to work. So what

whether she said anything of note...

if DaC fitted more drivers but charged 10

Christmas time and having to give the des-

Jon Robinson (E88)

tinations of jobs from the Finsbury Square

percent like Hailo with no run-ins etc? I

Yes Jon, she used it occasionally after her

would rather have a job with no run-in

rank - something that was almost unheard

resignation. There is an article on ferry-

of - in an effort to clear the work.

than no job at all. Have the Board got any

ing her cat inside this issue as well as

new ideas in the pipeline to try and get

While not missing the poor signals and

another on Maggie and some chips! ...Ed

static on voice, I do miss the humour. There

some more work or are they hoping to sit

it out until the recession is over? The trou-

used to be a regular job from 2 Alexandra

Avenue SW11 picking up Doctor Voller, a

Call Sign Online

ble is that our money in the bank won't

very old and infirm gentleman who had to

Hi Al,

last forever. Quite often I check the com-

be helped in and out of the cab. He caught

I'm making myself busy by reading Call

puter to make sure I've turned it on as I

a cab several times a day just crossing Albert

Sign Online on my iPad whilst answering

haven't had a job for so long. I can't be the

Bridge to the Phene Arms on the other side.

my regular call of nature shortly after I

only day driver who is thinking of getting

One day the despatcher was trying to cover

awaken each morning. Other than having

stripped out because of that. If things

a job from another number in Alexandra

something to do whilst contemplating,

don't change, how will DaC survive? We

Avenue - this one going to La Valbonne, a

nothing more should be read into any

really need to do something and it needs

disco/ club in Kingly Street W1. After calling

other connection! I must say it is a brilliant

to be sooner rather than later...

the job, the dispatcher queried if Dr Voller

resource and congratulations should go to

Dave Raymond (F56)

had miraculously recovered and was now

you and Vince Chin for making it possible.

DaC’s newest Board member, Garry

going dancing... Well it sounded funny at

Long may it continue...

White, replies: Hello Dave, we now have

the time!

Sean Farrell (B39)

the new terminals so they will be fitted

Unrelated, but to show how traffic has

Call Sign Online is at www.dac-call-

very soon to drivers. I myself have

changed over the years; on one particular

sign.co.uk. It contains issues going back

recently been working some days after

Sunday the despatcher was trying to cover

to 1998. It also has one Call Sign from

20+ years on nights and it really is a dif-

SE13 back to 74 St James Street, where

1987, an ODRTS Monthly from 1977 and

ferent job with more downtime, but if

McKinseys were based before moving to

a News and Views from 1967 for com-

you are prepared to work unsocial

Jermyn Street. I happened to be driving

parison. Vince does an excellent job in

hours there is work available on DaC.

past number 74, offered a time and ran to

keeping it looking good ...Ed

The Board are thinking of new ideas all

the time and have recently launched a

credit card app available from the App

Store.

Dave, please don’t take this the wrong

way but when times were busy, some

drivers were far choosier than they

should have been and licensed taxis lost

valuable work - the trips we didn’t fancy

doing - out to private hire. It isn’t the

only reason but it certainly hasn’t

helped us during this never-ending

recession.

I’m still learning, so I used your letter

as a reason to try and understand more.

So I looked to see how much credit work

you covered when times were busier

and we had that forty trip minimum per

month. You were actually advised on

four occasions to cover more trips.

That’s not to have a go at you but just to

show how these things can come back to

bite us on the bum! With Easter behind