Happy 90th Birthday to Bonnie Martyn |
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Photography by Alan Green |
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 The specially made plaque that DaC presented to Bonnie to celebrate his 90th birthday |
It may not have
ranked up with MI5 operations, but trying to surprise the ODRTS Founder
Chairman Bonnie Martyn on the occasion of his 90th birthday wasn't that
easy! After much arranging with Bonnie's daughter-in-law Sheila, the Dial-a-Cab raiding party of the Editor, Chairman (to present the plaque) and photographer Alan Green, managed to make the trip from the City to Edgware in the middle of the evening peak hour to meet up with Sheila and Stephen just before Bonnie and Carol were due to arrive - when the four were scheduled to go out for a private birthday meal. When the terrible trio emerged from their hiding place in the kitchen, Bonnie looked briefly to be in shock! He hadn't a clue that we would be there and when Brian Rice presented him with the plaque, he had to swallow very hard as tears emerged from eyes rapidly turning a bright shade of pink! The following Sunday, Bonnie's official birthday bash took place at the Potter's Bar Golf Club with over 100 guests. Pride of place at the top table was the DaC plaque that Bonnie is now so proud of. For those unaware of DaC's long history, we were formed (unofficially) in the back of Bonnie's taxi which was parked on the Grosvenor Gardens cab shelter in early 1952 when Bonnie, together with several others including our long-time Treasurer Frank Duncan - now sadly no longer with us - decided that a radio circuit for owner drivers was a priority. Within a year, ODRTS were dispatching the first job from their first premises in Pentonville Road. From everyone at Dial-a-Cab Bonnie: A very happy birthday... |
 Current and Founder Chairman pose together |
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 Bonnie toasts the current membership of DaC |
 A deeply touched Bonnie momentarily struggles to hold back the tears! |
