 Okay So, yeah, you're able to How did you do that? It's like you sneezed at yourself. Yeah, so um I thought because uh Because my kids are going to ask me all these questions about He was as a taxi driver in the 60s I won't be able to answer any of it because I'll probably have Alzheimer's myself but um It's just sort of stuff that I didn't know about You know what it was like uh becoming a london taxi driver in the In the 60s. So all I know is that you were you were driving already. Yes, because you were um Are you trying for a film company? Oh, no, what it was we tried like a 80 8 no 12-seater van Or box wagon that you could open, you know open the sides up and you could put all the sound gear For whatever all the camera gear there and You know the these film companies just hire stuff out I mean it's pointless then buying a van or something like Italian television coming over here and Just hire for three or four days And you were a unit driver for other film companies, yeah And we used to live Movie rollovers or something like that You used to drive down Dean Street pick these things up and deliver to companies all over london But some it was ideal because some days you were sort of the Any any work so you could take your moped and go and see all the points of set rules of london And that's that's when you're doing the knowledge. That's doing the knowledge. Yes, and it was very very helpful because You're doing you Doing deliveries all over london that you certainly started to know your way around you didn't know the names of the roads But once you're doing the knowledge you could sort Pick the names out and you could Put yourself going along And it's only 18 months So when you were So you're driving already and then you you got the idea to Get a Taxi license. Yes, because I was always skinned and never had any money and I think it was Before two christmas, you know, you just didn't have any money. Fuck it was a horrible feeling So you think well Fuck a taxi license lease off and go to work and earn some money and keep me out the pub And when they came in what year this was rough? Yes, I'd About the third fourth of January 1967 I went along to the carriage office and signed up and you get a pep talk and the fella says 90 percent of you will fall out of it. I think he was right And you would take like so See sign up and then do they do they give you a book? Called a blue book Which is white and had about 300 different runs that you do like man the house station to a thongry thongry square and and you just got a What you just do it's the easy way of doing it And and in the book do they list all of the streets and no place, so you've got to Look up all of the places of interest hospitals police stations Anything that's an interest to London and um How long Can you roughly how long they give you to your first because your interviews are called appearances? Yes Can you remember how long it was to your first appearance? Yeah in those days because of their short drive cab drivers. It was 28 days all right I think nowadays it's 56 days or even longer than that And then if you They didn't really nobody knew how it works, but they sort of worked out if you did a run Uh more or less spot on you got two points if you Coughed it and splattered your way through you got one point And I think when you've got 18 points or 20 points they put you down to Fault nights 20 points overall or 20 points in one appearance no more or less. I don't think they would let you do it in um less than 18 months all right So on each appearance could they ask you anything from the 300? And anything My favorite one was they used to ask you the institute of meat to the institute of management And I've just fascinated me this one It was in Bristol Institute of Meat was in Bristol house and you said to get your bike and look at all the names in there and the institute of management was behind uh whole one police station It's just a short run, but I did just fascinate to me the uh It's 50 years on you still remember that that's why that's what I take it whenever you say um You because you don't talk much about the the famous people you've been in the cab But whenever you do so like Abba in the 70s You remember the rum that you do the fair still as well It's you know, it's just strange these things stick in your mind What what were the appearances like? What were they? Terrifying. Yeah, because mum said you used to be like really I couldn't drink it. Oh, yeah, I couldn't drink a cup of tea, but if My if I was out having a cup of tea before I went up there. I used to throw it up And I found what calmed me down. I would walk from Harmony Street to the public carriage office Up the angel and off that helped But everybody was all the same It was all sitting there petrified. I don't know why it's the form stage fright, I suppose. Yeah, because you know You don't know what they're gonna ask you And if you're doing it part-time you need the money you just want to pass out Actually get there and sit down And you just want to say no no no no, I don't know it don't know it and get out But they were there to test your temperament You know one fellow if you went in there mr. Finley And do you understand there and wait till he told you to sit down if you sit down He wouldn't mark you you had to go back and come back in a month's time. No, they could bump you out that quickly Oh, yeah But it's all designed to wind you up. Yes, you couldn't call What's it the qv and queen victor and morville outside back on the howler's. I mean slick nickname was the Wedding cake, but no way would you allow to you know, if you ain't round you call it a wedding cake Or the other story was if you get the tower bridge and the fellas that will keep on he said well the tower bridges the bridge is up And of course that didn't go down very well. Did they do it to you? Or you just heard about So petrified, I mean Yeah And when you when you were learning the The knowledge where you want a a moped or a bike moped with no crash helmet Like a double cheese cutter your head on it was sort of part of the uniform And what are they like a clipboard? Yes, yeah And would you write the stuff out Before you went out or would you like tear pages out of the book? No, no, you just write usually it was four runs you could stomach that or Uh, get it in your head if you went any more than that, you know, it was too much and the run was more or less All the road you went through. I mean I I felt a finished knowledge and he gave me all the runs so and then some you could Easy top of your head someone you stumbled and some you Couldn't remember at all mine was all over south london. I don't know like three piles Now the easy ones Not so easy ones and the hard ones and you used to call it over with your girlfriend. I used to call it over with Vera. Yeah wife So then you so you you'd have them written out. Yes each road and it'd be that stuff like I don't know. Um Is this how they used to set it forward down agar grove Left into your quay. Yeah, and do you like comply round about their left leave by Things that belongs you sort of knew which way you're going. I think they fell asleep She started the knowledge and then you had Some appearances at 28 days. Yes And then you got the points That you needed To bring it down to like every 14 days. Yes And usually had two appearances of that And what they did what once you passed that they could view your wreck, but then you do the suburbs Afterwards. Yes kind of a couple of parents, you know Can't think of it I hated it So you said I'm going to barn it or something like that. Yeah And you'd had to know what street names in world roughly. Yeah, there was a lot of big big names, you know, like Marble Arch of Hedgeway, you know, you don't think sort of the Hedgeway road and about to other words and that was it. We're there I used to call in rhubarb Did I imagine that now that's the hand they call hamster garden suburb Hamster garden suburb they used to call that rhubarb So And then what happened was they like was there one appearance where you knew it was the last one Or did you do they just suddenly turn around and say you've done it? Yes So you knew there'd be like one more You knew you'd done it or and if you blew that one, you know, there'd be another one come back in a fortnight's time God, then what happens? Do they do they just give you like a piece of paper then or I think they you've had to pay half a crown for your badge or something Pay for the postage for them to send it to you And and that's when you get the green badge. Yes No, but I lost I lost her of them My first one was one two eight five seven. That's the one they gave me You still remember it. Yeah Well, it's just such an ordeal we can go through You see fellas when you first went up them They've got nice suits on nice polished shoes But after 18 months your suit was all polished at the elbows. You could see your shoes worn down And the frayed shirt because you've got no money So you had to dress up for the appearance. Oh, yeah, I still do. Oh, really? Yeah No, if you lost it you had to go to the police station and fill out a form and they gave you Another sort of Form just in case you got stuck by the police. Yeah And then once you once you got your green badge How How does the taxi work? Do you back then did you have to buy it or rent it or It's called on the flat And you had it for a week I can't remember how I must be about 13 pound for the week and you Put your own diesel in Or you could have it What they call on the clock on those meters that You do a percentage, you know You give the owner 70 percent no 60 percent you kept 40 percent and all your tips But usually the cab when it on the end of the day or end of the night when you're finished Either you call half on the flat you could share it with somebody but that more or less everybody went on the On the full flat Why they call it that I don't know but you could keep it use it as your own For your own use as well, which is quite handy. Yeah And you um, where was that was it in town somewhere? Yeah, it was off of um, Westlenday It carries there. I mean, yeah, it's two houses now. Yeah It's luxury block. Yeah, but back then it was uh mechanical meters Yeah, and when they put fares up they'd have to You'd have to drive in wouldn't you they'd have to Physically a new meter And you sometimes have to Wait for the cab to go overhaul because they just couldn't eat all to all these mechanical meters at once It used to be like I remember there used to be like a A thing in the back that explained the fairs But there was another thing for when the fairs went up that would convert What's on the meter with the new all you should call them bingo cards? Cause more Functions and everything people But because you've got to explain that the fair on the meter isn't the government's big place here And the more intelligent the people the less ones that could work they ones who couldn't work it out. Yeah Yeah And yeah, that's the other thing that I remembered the um The overalls They sounded just as stressful as the as the knowledge because every year it's not like an mot. It's like a proper They go through everything. Yeah, they go to have it steam cleaned first And then just everything needed doing because they could fail you on Silly stuff The cigarette Thing was full up Another thing I used to get in the I'm used to have to get the state I used to get in because it meant, you know if you cab had failed It means another couple of days off the work Sometimes a good thing sometimes is a bad thing Yeah I thought it was a good thing because it's a bit like your body if something's not slightly right You let it go it gets worse and worse worse. I remember you had the um the hub caps. You had a hub cap syndicate Where you Was it you and three mates each owned a hub a brand new hub cap? Yeah, so when one of you went for overhaul Yeah we had Had um Yeah, we've put all the new hub caps on the side. Look nice Of one garage end of the street Taxi flee he had bumpers Overhaul bumpers it'll take bumpers off the Taxi and put these new ones. I'm taking out when it came back put the old bumpers back on again. Yeah, yeah Yeah So you were on the flat for a bit so which is like renting a renting a taxi And then what stage could you buy one? Well, it was when I got the money Mine was about nine months. It's the things they hire on the flat in those days. We were just clapped out It was horrible to drive And you know if you take it in the garage and get it back for a service and it will Steering will be greasy the seats used to be driver's seat used to be greasy But with your own one, you know, if you take a bit of pride in it How did that feel when you got your first cab down? Petrified again because you just laid out one thousand two hundred and fifty pound and you're driving around and but after a week it was It was whizzing around like anything Where do you get them from that was like one place? Yes off the Wandsworth bridge road There's a garage there. It's the only place you could get them. Yeah, I found I had a manual to start with and Gearbox was so hard. You needed to sort of have a diver's boot on to change gear I'm getting in because they have the monopoly Was that uh, was that lou 52p? No, he had to a a was agp 34 3g What model was it was what were they called x4 and fx4? Yeah And then when you when you passed How did what how did the the radio circuits work because Could you drive a cab without being on a Oh, yeah, when I first started. Yeah, that that was you know, it was self self-indulgence But you know if you wanted to be but I wanted to be on the radio because people You know the many camps were coming in and people wanted to Pick you up your door. They didn't want to stand in the street in the rain and yeah Women complaining about their hair and you had um See you had what four radio circuits in london. So there was lords No, there was two. I was a two to start with. Yeah when I was there We just two people had a row with each other one circuit And uh one went one way No, it was just one radio circuit. Yeah, we just started off leave is you know that big garage at the end of yorkway It was started there Which end of yorkway as you just come in from King, you know houston road on the right. There's a big Big place there. I mean I used to call it's called diesel in up every two nights, you know fill up with diesel I remember it's like a courtyard. It's now it's all now all shops and coffee shops. Yeah But it used to be like this muse cobbled muse that you go in to get your Derv And he give the fellow filled it up a couple of bob and he checked your water and your battery But they had a radio circuit there, you know radio. Yeah Because he had some premises there where you went downstairs And I think this fellow leavey who would have been to americans seen it and tried to start it up at There but then someone else I can't remember names of the fellas Jock it over and move that bend and feel roaded and started it there So then and was that going before you became a driver, you know, there was already a radio cell Yeah, and then so then they split. Yes, but before your time Yeah And one was called mount few mount here and one was called lords. Yes. That's because of That was the phone number. Right. That's the the name the exchange. Yeah in london, right, so Where was mount few based Right at the top of high gait hill in one of those flats And lords was in In pentonville row pentonville row So when you phone up for a cab you'd either phone that number or or your number lords and um and then so then When did you join lords was that Soon after you'd passed or no, I gave it Oh, it's 1970 Was it 1970? I think it was february 1970 Was it easy to join? Yes in those days But it was there again. It was like the kipper season Uh, there wasn't much work about this of my lot most of fellas didn't buy their houses because February was absolutely dead It's hardly any work amount When did they call it the kipper season? Why did they call it kippers? Nobody knows They do not know why Because you had to eat kippers. Yeah, I think really that's the best. That's all we could afford to put on the table You always you've always said over the years that um The first two groups in london that know what the economy is doing are the prostitutes and the taxi drivers and publicans So then you join the radio, so do they Then put a radio in your taxi. Yes I think you had to pay for the fitting It was pie As you go up I gave hell It's near your school. You go underneath the bridge. You see oh god Or if you came along gordon house road turn right, you got the pub there And underneath you know these muses underneath the bridge had muses. Yeah, and it pies place was there That's py pie and radio outfits. Yeah And they they just like wire up an antenna and the Put something in your boom the big we had a big box in your in your boom. Oh, the transmitter. Yes, you had a big mouthpiece there That's right. Well, I care. It's like the mcdonalds drive through. Yeah Microphone one. I used to take you to school. We used to hold on to that And on these days I just come over cold because just sit there holding this thing Because I was sat in the front There was a petition there, you know, you sat on the petition and they held this thing You couldn't do that these days. Mind you things were a lot slight the cams were a lot slight Such full memory. So yeah back in the 70s you could Well, you could go anywhere in a car. You know, so you'd be in the boot But in the taxi you could sit in the front in the luggage compartment. I used to love that Um, and yeah, like you say, so you'd have like this armrest I'd sit on and hold the microphone I'd forgotten that No, well, I think when I think about it these days Yeah, I suppose so Oh, it was fun. Yeah. Oh, it's fun. That's living a little isn't it? So you had a radio fitted and the other thing I remember with the radio was that With two things there was a secret button. So basically it was like a proper button. Yes. So that if So you were apple 31. Yes How did you get that number? No, just dished out anyone, you know, john the circuit number was empty And they gave it to you as someone might have left the circuit, right? So you were a 31 Yes, apple 31 And then could you hear other No So you couldn't hear other you could always hear the central control Yes, but you couldn't hear what the other Drivers would say no But you'd hear their call sign. So they they call out. I don't know. What would it be? That's dutch harley 2 2 or something Black 6 5 with the pipe Black 6 5 with the pipe. Yeah, because he's always smoking a pipe So you was called black 6 5 with the pipe. Well, this fella was Were there any others? I can't remember any And how did that work? Would you like start the cab up? And would you let them know that you're that you were there? They'd just put out a general call. They would say like a yard growth going to king's trust And you had a court open call first call If he was so many yards on top of it, then he was a Quarter for mile, then he was half a mile but You could sort of cheat on it, but caught fellas always got caught They're giving a false position. What happened? You go for all the complaints thing and they could have been told off or Less off or Whatever So it's like a manual uber isn't it so so they put out a call as pick up from agile grove and Right, so the open call is just to see who's there Yeah, so you go apple 31. I'm in St. Paul's Crescent. Yeah And the nearest driver got the job But some people don't just come out so they're they're called like Hey, I'll go over to king's trust. I love people didn't want to do it. I just love doing it smaller ones Because they'd be like a minimum on the clock already. Yeah How did you know what to say? Did they train you or just like a protocol of what you're supposed to say? Yes Well, you just say apple 31 then the dispatcher used to come back to you and say like, where are you? And you give a position and then someone else will come in they give their position And you couldn't hear what they were saying and no and he just repeated it what the other fellow has said Did you get to know the dispatchers over time? Not really? Oh, you do but you never sort of met them Just probably along And they were based in Pentonville road? The first Pentonville road then they moved to Maiderville, right? Right Yeah, because it was so the circuit was called lords, but the the the company the The organization's the owner driver taxi radio od rts the owner drivers radio taxi service for the mouthful And then that became dialer cab dialer cab, that's it And what did mountview become when they did they oh they came radio taxis and then what computer cab came along Yeah, because it was so much work. We couldn't cover it. So then a third circuit came up. Yeah Then they couldn't And then none of them now they're starting to fold back down again Yeah, it's Join up but it's modern technology. I mean if we had all been one circuit you just couldn't cover cover the work Yeah, it's what this technology that's changed the job. Yeah, I mean instead of asking Where apple 31 is they know where it is because they What they call it gps Yeah And then the other thing with the radio was he had the the big button that you press um There was um There was a secret button wasn't there? I think emergency I think all over over the years I can only remember one One incident where one of our cabs some car wouldn't let him out of a muse So he pressed the button them all the other cab to go around Right, so to say in an emergency you press this button and it would cut out all the radios So you could only hear this one taxi. It's like an all like an all points emergency I think no what what the fellow said he pressed the button and they just say Right, we've got emergency Shut you all be quiet And then he could hear what he was saying Right And then the idea was that you everyone could go down there to help him. Yes But but like you said that only happened once in like 30 years Yeah, it was all But then there's that thing in the 80s, which was that the someone was pressing this button The and you were basically you had your cab fitted with like detection equipment It was like a meter that could measure the strength and you were you were they were called rat catches Secret swirls Eyes rat catcher in my head. Okay And then what was that about well some fellas got the hump to the circuit instead of getting ripped out They would just sit in press that button And just sing or make it make a noise they just had to hump to the circuit Well this sort of shows in sort of the mentality of some people and we used a The London Underground map you find it's a bcd e fg and Is about four or five of us and when we were working And if they said the noise is coming from our fella fixed his cab up that he could Hear the other drivers and they could tell which area you had a A screen Uh, I can meet you on your cab and if someone else was Misusing your meter would come up. Yeah, it would measure the signal strain. Yes, and then they try and hone it down Hone it down Did you did they ever catch him? No, because I joined when There was more than one When people started to realize that they're going to get caught so they didn't do it too much all right And then a count work came in so that someone could book through the circuit Yeah, and then what you'd get like a statement at the end of the month. Yeah back then Yeah, what you do a job say I'll go over to houston. It was on a bit of paper at the end of the evening You you blew what but what was on the meter And we had so much work. I mean you could fill fill this room with the bits of paper because they get lost and This plays What would you take these bits of paper into the office or no? Yeah, you had a book we put every job you did. Yeah, and then Say once a fortnight they paid up that paid up He went to the shop went to say made a veil where the office was And they give me a check For the work you had done All your favorite ones They were supposed to well, I know it was true. I never did him and this I don't know it's mr. Huntley or mr. Palmer. He was you know going to this Connected to at Harvey and puntley's biscuits Yeah, and they've just given him a few bob just to get him out of the way because he was a bit And it is the story where it goes into this hotel in swiss cottage And they wouldn't give him a room So they went back Back next next day and he bought the hotel and gave all the staff the set of the set I think that's a bit of a story But he used to book Take a taxi on the friday night to go to south end or South of the chairing cross or fencing at street and you had to wait for him And they used to change anybody come back like sunday night, but the driver would do 12 hours And change it over to another cab would do 12 hours and another kept 12 And he used to pay you get paid because he had an a1 account with coopsies Or he would go jogging At three o'clock at about two o'clock in the morning Then you go down to Fleet Street. There was an open the cat That was open all the time john is And he used to fill a vacuum flask up with mashed potatoes or something something you have then eat it in the back of the cab And then you take him back to the um The hotel Well, that was one of hunt me or parma. Yes And it was true Where was johnny's? In fleet street. Oh, I used to eat there And then my pal was off to the pub on a friday night Oh, because they worked at the printworks. Was it those mates? No, that was before. Oh, right Well, these are the cab driver mates. No, no, they're just fellas You knew from the pub I wonder what's at johnny's now It's probably a tesco express or something. No, it's some mcdonald's Oh, I know it. Yeah. Yeah, it's just somewhere there. Yeah And then when we used to get a doctor retired doctor Who lived just over batter seed bridge and he used to go to the feeny arms The best used to go And he used to use it 364 days Yeah, 364 days a week And there's one day missing it was christmas day and he didn't go then because the pub was shut And they used to call it, you know who going to you know where well on the radio. Yeah, because everybody knew it And who was it a doctor a retired doctor And when he just used he used to get always get a cab. Yeah, ever more over What time would it be about a half one? Yeah, and then you take him back at Three o'clock then he used to go down at half seven to closing time And they used to do that every day of the week. Oh my god. Where did they pick him up from? Oh, I can't think of it. It's it's a road off of Prince of Wales Drive Yeah And he used to go to what the same pub. Did you say it's george best? No. Yeah, it's the feeny arms I mean that's gone now. I think FHE NE I know where it is. I can't think of a name. Yeah, it's it was just over Chelsea bridge or something about the same bridge. Yeah And it's to say I did it so long They said, you know who going you know where What are you doing? I remember you used to have a night Night dispatcher called johnny. I can't think of his name Um, he used to Another posh area Of across street. Yeah, and they used to take him to Made of out And it was a little fella with a bit dodgy leg and they used to go pick him up. Yeah Once he got he's got a bowler hat He's got an umbrella stuck on his right arm And the other underneath the arm. He's got the Jewish Chronicle I remember um, I remember you telling me that the um The good mixer was called the good mixer because For a reason there was a cement One of those things Made cement where you turned the wheel And it come out and I think they did some renovation in the pub And they couldn't get this thing out. So they just left it in there in the basement Yes, and then they called the pub the good mixer. Yeah What it when was that can you remember? Oh, no, this was 1966. All right, because it's quite a famous pub now. Yeah It's still there. Oh, johnny onions He Yeah, that wasn't his second name. It was because he said where the cinema was not there used to be a cinema in chalk farm road As you come over from camden high street It might be camden high street used to be a cinema on the left And they the the local fellas just used to Still harders gave him a couple of sacks of onions to sell So johnny onions would just sell He lived in uh Harlingen house And he was quite happy though often he used to drink with in a few fellas from there Yeah, and they were petrified They've always done good as from camden council wanted to give them flats and they said You know we're happy as we are We don't have to worry about gas bills electric bills or anything like that. Well, wish they'd leave us alone Carlington house was the house for down and outs. Yeah Or they pretty didn't call it But that's sort of the posh bits where One, they had their own locker around And they And they were quite happy with that And that's funny And then can you remember what your when you passed your test? Your your taxi license test. Can you remember what your first? Job was. Yes. Um, because the first job we don't chance them Because it's supposed to be unlucky. Oh, it's just okay. That's just a tradition. Yes It was I was on the camden town rank and I went to elton road elton road. Yeah, where mum worked The coincidence She was actually in that street. Yes Trying to think we used to call ranks by the pub There's often another good way of calling work without sort of that. We used to come to the newest cab rank So if you was on the cab rank, you automatically got the job Uh, because it's saving a lot of messing about a lot of time What if it's sorry, what if someone hails you at the rank or or no, they used to call the rank And I can't think well like the jewellery drank up in hamster hamstead I'd have rolled free what they'd have like a telephone there No, the the fellas you used to rank up there Yeah, and they say call the jewellery drank going to kings cross And then you just blown and say you're on first second or third and if you was like Radio taxi on there. You've got the job Well, there are many ranks around umpton Yeah It was just made the job easier so we got more busy and busy I was just trying to be nuts the camden town. You can call it a camden. Well, there used to be a pub on the left hand side And there was a foam shop now boy. It changes every couple of months. Yeah I can't think of a name a bit. What's what's this? Sorry. This is the rank in camden town in the high street You know where the toilets are. Oh, yeah. Yeah in the middle of the road there. Yeah Yeah, but what actually in camden high street. That's it. Are they still there? Yeah, it's still got rank there Yeah, it's got busier again. It not many people ranked up there, but now we're not so busy. It's always That's three or four taxes on there. So if someone phoned in wanting to be picked up from camden high streets they just go they just Radio the rank. No Now what what happens would say they you wanted a cab? Well, suppose present They used to call like if there's a taxi on On camden town rank I gave it you give it to them and the way why you came it was just Not easier right because they knew they'd be a cab there. Well, yes, or it'd be more likely. Yes And often I used to green used to you used green shelters We're going to sort of climb over it to get in or because of the benches. Yeah, it's literally like climb over the table to Did you use them much? No because I live too near Home where a lot of the drivers who lived out saying romford and chingford I mean they couldn't go home for lunch or go home for a cup of tea though. They use these I'm amused to um Yeah, get a baby monitor So you could go and have a cup of tea And you'd still be able to hear when the when the carbon job when the dispatch. Yeah, I'm not sure I should have done that That was just another bit of radio. Isn't that count? He's doing other people out of work. Oh, well, I'm sure others had found ways around it You didn't stay in for long it was just like toilet breaks and Yeah Statue of limitations on that sure See you you passed your test. Yes, you got your green badge. Yes You've done your first job. Well, how did the how did the fair react to Getting it for free. I think you just ran away before I remember Jack's like your your your mate jack he had um He was in traffic and the the the fair was moaning about the fact that He was stuck in traffic and he just turned around to get out and I mean, you can't do that. Okay, but you could it's your your cab your rules, I suppose, isn't it? Yes, it's You we see a trouble is you don't know why you're picking the person that of art be could just being or her just being Diagnosed with cancer and just wants to get out or vice versa. Just been clear the cancer In a happy mood. You just don't know why people are Using you and so you wait for them to what I did talk to you Did you ever have any weirdos? I remember one story Are you driving along? There's something on the back of your head and you and it's that there's a A bloke in the back. He was just stroking the back of your head. Do you remember that? Yeah, I was a good looking fella I was a pretty boy Did you get a tip I just just want to get him in out on the way we go There's so much I want to ask you and it's probably Yeah, I should have they all say once you get your badges you get an exercise book and write all these things down, but you never do. I wish I had done though. Yeah, after all these years. Well, if you remember it, you know And and and the the radio circuit would have a An annual I don't know what you'd call it an AGM or a bino. That's it AGM I've just How you could approve it and you vote for wants to be on the the board of management. Yeah And you know, he's gonna get one fella who's gonna get up and say to staff and he was in too much Toilet paper, you know, because you've given a What a call Accounts accounts and what's going on. We had to attend these meetings if you didn't you got fine 50 pound Oh, right. So it's mandatory always We'll see some fellas just used to get up and His wife doesn't let him speak at home. So he comes up and he's rabbiting on Because you went up Half understand there was a microphone and you said whatever you wanted to say, right because everyone had because everyone had Shares in that, you know, you're all part of I've forgotten what it's good. Is it like a co-op? Yes Yeah, because for tax reasons for something he was done that Oh, I can't remember the names And it did things right. So you Um got your badge in what 66. No, I've got it first of july 1968 Oh, forgive me. First of july 1968. That's when you did your first job first job from Cabin high street to Elson ride and then Did it did it change over the 70s? Or They get easier or harder. We did because we had a three-day week in the 70s And what what is that because um, that's when the miners went on strike another Teddy said, well You needed a calm to do, you know do all the lights and electricity And then they found To keep it going but it didn't have enough coal. So we made every work. Well, you have a three-day week I think it was monday to wednesday Always other work going on but most of you know, the offices had to shut down And that so it was really quiet the rest of the week very very quiet I think the other worst time was in the 90s when um doing the uh The base rate was 15 percent Now in mortgages and if you wanted to buy a a cab or something like that was there's a ridiculous high amount of Boring so people never bought cabs Didn't do a lot of things. Yeah. That was hard but they can So different then most of the fellas lived in in council faves and their wives had good jobs So it weren't especially me My wife had a good job. I don't know what I would have done Yeah Or change your job. Yeah But you could um keep your own hours Oh, it'll work long hours. Yeah That that seems appealed to you about the job that you could just get in the cab whenever Yeah, but you still got to do your hours. You still got to take your money And that's a bit of a bit of a myth when you say Seems as if Work when you like and you can have some time up. Well, you come see the kids Take the kids for school, but then you still have to go for From say work work in the evening to take your money up. Yeah, it's very hard to understand that Yeah, because you don't know how much work you're gonna do when you go out. That's that's right Or if someone would say look, can you pick me up at 11 o'clock in the morning to take me to Wherever, but you had to stop an hour before because you never know where you're gonna end up I mean for 10 o'clock you're pulling King's ranks This person says Richmond It's like sod's law. You're not going to get back in time to pick pick the person up, right? So you had to turn work down Yeah We're not a good job, but A lot of it was just going round to the local stations and You had to stop an hour off good hour off before Yeah, which I found you know, it's very difficult to explain to people Yeah, yeah, because you've got a guaranteed job, but that means you've got to make sure that you're free For the guaranteed job so you're not ahead Airport jobs were they were they always good? Yes, but everybody wanted them Everybody was And then when you go to the airport it was really regimented wasn't it that when you got to Heathrow Oh, you didn't had to go into a very strict queue Yeah for the rank there use the average two hours and I couldn't couldn't be bothered by two hours You should come straight back Yeah Can't think of stories to tell Yeah, no, that's all right. No, it's just it's just you know, it's just the just the basics of it of how it works isn't um I wouldn't be able to tell anyone how You know how that works even just on a on a basic How do you get a taxi level? or You know quite how You know regimented it was to You know your license from the carriage office, you know really strict. Yeah, very very strict They didn't mind because you knew the rules If you had a peering corporate witness you had to work A big badge Really? Well, that's the law you've got to Yeah, because it was looked after by the um, Metropolitan police I wish it was Wish it was put back by the policemen because now it's transport for london. Yeah, no civil servants from it right It was difficult when you were off off the road, wasn't it if you had any, um Like a Action yeah or damage to the cab. Yeah, that that would be quite hard Well, then what their argument was that you could go and hire another taxi from the garage But there was so I can't say Pooh carts that he didn't be rather the time off. Yeah I mean you didn't get paid for holidays or anything like that bang holidays But we all survived somehow. Yeah. Yeah And would you pay like a like an annual fee to the radio circuit or is it like a monthly? And that was the the same whether you did lots of work or hardly went out. Yeah, that's right So that's quite a big overhead or it wasn't overhead. Yeah, but I used to enjoy the radio, I think If I hadn't had the radio I might have checked the job in a long long time ago I just made it more interested. Yeah, and you get to know the customers customers get to know you and it just Yeah, I'm just pleasant. We used to love doing those jobs. Yeah, but there was also one of those sort of these kids So it's supposed to be a bit loopy um Picking up from one score and the fellow in the back is about 13 14 and he gets out and he's chatting to me. He's leaned over And take him on watch Just took it without you noticing hardly it was so fast I mean it was an august one which I always Keep because of bashing it. I mean he's giving it back I thought well, this is if he can do that quickly and you've got a 10 000 pound Rolex on there. Yeah, it would have been Yeah, yeah, that's why I've never never would have an expensive watch. Yeah. Yeah, and this kid's must be loopy. Yeah. Yeah um You used to have a money bag. Yes, that's what everyone had. Yeah I Had it tucked down by the seats and his part petition I've had a couple of waterloo a couple of drug Alex. So who we've got a light mate and they're leaning in there Looking for it Makes you a bit more street wise. Yeah Yeah were you ever um did or You know, did you have people who'd run at the end of the the fair or yeah, I've had it Well, this is mainly it's the hours work because working days and first and not very very Well a couple of times someone wait for me, you know, you just drive off of wipe the face A couple of times like that But you you prefer doing early mornings and days because rather than nights Yes because of that. Yeah and being on the radio you're guaranteed Guaranteed your money and how the radio is gone Or dialogue has gone. Yes. No, no, I've not seen any mention of it. No coverage of it anywhere that the the radio circuit under building But they got what in the 80s early 80s probably just off city road No, we've got that in About 1998. I think it was yeah And the value of it went so high that this one was I know it is But we sold it then bought because we needed bigger premises bought this one in city road and then because that was before um Whole street roundabout when they call it silicon roundabouts before and then it was just luck being in the right place Yeah, because everyone sort of moved in there. Yeah It's a bit like the housing in central london if Luckily the buy one years and years ago and it was just I think it's all gone up So the radio circuit cooperative All jointly owned this Property that was just getting insane amounts of money being offered to it. Yeah, there was better to disband And split the profit. Yeah And then fold dilacab into Just what wind it up. Yeah Or they wind out and join these other two circuits Oh, thanks. Well, I hope it's yeah. No, it's just it was just the basics of how How you get a badge and how You know what it was like back then Did you ever forget to turn your orange light on, you know, see if you're driving around lots of times I think it is no work And I wasn't the only one to do it Did you ever have anyone fight over who got you first? I've had it once in Bond Street And I picked a woman up and now the woman come running over to me and said I saw you first And you always said your rule is whoever gets in first Like musical chairs I should I should have had this This book Writing book and write all these things down. No, this is brilliant. This is this is this this is absolutely That's brilliant. Thank you Now when I get asked these really basic questions about the history of Being a cabbie Now I know That's funny about the king's crossplace. I didn't realize that They'd split up More or less, that's why I like that up. It's not until I've actually stopped and noticed how much king's cross has played in my life I mean even St. Pancras underneath there I used to have all my taxi work done by Brian Oh, yeah, what in the arches underneath the arches there before they knocked them down for the euro star Yeah, it was in um prime suspect, wasn't it that the The it all ended in the arch. It was that was the arch. She's where you used to get your cab fixed No in prime some say they were the ones by the church All right, so it's further down the way down boy. You sat me electrical work down there This actually went in underneath um, st. Pancras Where one brewery used to put all their barrels in there. So they said yeah That's where you used to get your cab fixed. Yeah, and there used to be a cafe there A lot of the fellas used I didn't use it because I mean lived up the road was it on the Midland roadside or the Is it Bedford road? I can't remember. I used to went in by Well, you know, you've got king's cross there and I mean just went across the road and into Into the arches. Yeah Oh battery's gone. That's it Yeah, and of course I went to school in king's cross when first moved down to london Actually used to give the fella a couple I don't know a couple of shillings or something because if your battery Blew up or Didn't work you're off the work for a day. Why you've got it changed What's he used to top up your battery battery and water and oil? Oh, that's right The three things they used to check for you. So you used to You were just saying you fill up with diesel about once every two days. Yeah, when you finish when I finished work And you'd always get that done in king's cross. Yeah in your quay. Yeah quite a lot of fellas we all did that because we live there and um When they're filling up they check your oil and battery. Yeah, and didn't overspill the Diesel so it all went down the side of the cabinet saving doing that I never knew why it was called. Well, I know now, but it was always called derv In there. Yeah, which is is that because it's diesel engine something vehicle No, it's just derv is diesel is just sort of nicknamed for it Yeah, and you get another further. No, I say it was just Not quiet and simple times people didn't have 200,000 pound more which is And a cab And a brand-new cab that he's playing fortunes for yeah, you can relax a bit That's why some of the fellas used to get up so tight. They have so much money What in the later on or later on in the 80s. I'm no later. I've said more in the 90s Can you please help my daddy get 1000 subscribers? Just click on his face. Thanks. Bye