Beach boys and other such happenings....

Well, well, well, following my last post on who's who I have a tale to tell which tops that and some.....

There is as some of you may have seen a bunch of guys who have got together and created something call The Black Cab Sessions and seeing as I have a foot in both camps, I decided to contact them.

We've been emailing since April and only recently could we agree on a mutually suitable time and date.... so 3 wks ago I rock up to Abbey Road studios and await the arrival of Mr Brian Wilson - yes that Brian Wilson! - he artistically arrives half hour later than scheduled.

In the meantime I have assisted in the tech set up and sound check (for which we could only settle on "Happy Birthday"). So all ready to go, as you may know, the licensed number of people in the back is 5, so we had to bend the rules slightly when Brian and 4 band boys get in, so Jonny, filming, had to squeeze between the jump seats.

So off we go to their hotel in Park Lane, trying to avoid as many bumps as possible! (easier said than done). A tune off the new album and a verse and chorus of "California Girls" later, job done. The fruits of this journey will be on the Black Cab Sessions in Sept to coincide with the release of the new album, word has it that it looks good.

Other than that, it's been fairly uneventful, I've taken to doing just days for now, it suits me and family better for now.

Thanks for reading, have fun

My who's who....

As promised, here's a list of some of my passengers in recent weeks, 2 from my meanderings today....

Joanna David - from Kensington up to her house in Little Venice.... lovely lady, was chuffed that someone remembered "the old bag" - her words not mine!

NB - Mum of Emilia Fox and married to Edward Fox......

Paul Merton - from HMV Oxford St to Adeline Place - he'd just bought a copy of the best of Paul Merton, his agent had yet to send him it so he wanted to check it out...... For anyone interested he has just done another trip for Channel 5, this time to India and it features an interview he did with the world record holder for consecutive kicks to the groin..... the record is 45!!

Stephanie Cole/Simon Shepard - Hot off the press, picked these two and 3 other luvvy types up from Equity House and took them to Pitfield St. They were all discussing the fortunes of a theatre in Bristol, read here for more details........

Other than that have had more jolly japes with various folk, got my first run out to SW19 today which was nice as it came around 10.30 when city traffic can be a bit light..... fairly busy most of the day and the last run of the day was Berkeley Square to Hanger Lane.... twas to the Diageo building there, which is accessed by using Hanger Lane roundabout and then coming back into town and doing a left at traffic lights...... this however was mentioned too late by one of the passengers and meant we had to go down to Greenford and come again..... oh well, it's all on expenses!

I'll try and write at least weekly from now, cheerio.....

Blimey, it's been too long.....

.... sorry for taking so long to post anything else, doing the job full time has taken a fair bit of adjusting and to be honest I've just not found the time to do t'blogging. Am taking advantage of the hour I have while Mrs Jester and the kids watch "Dr Who".....


Well it's been an interesting few weeks, the sheer physical nature of the job has been amazing, I know I'm not digging holes or anything, but driving for 10 hrs or so a day is bleeding knackering.

In the last two weeks I've tried my ideal working week, which is Mon-Wed in early and home by late afternoon/early eve and Thur-Fri, take kids to school and go in after lunch until whenever.

So far so good, although from talking to others long in the tooth, things are slow and the credit crunch etc (I do hate that term) have taken their toll - my philosophy is that if I can survive in this climate, things can only get better.

I've had some very interesting customers, a couple who I said I'd mention on here, as they're doing good things,

One lady, I picked up from Borough High St and took her to Waterloo, she runs a pet insurance company called Animal Friends Insurance , and had just had lunch with a journo who she had paid towards his trip to China to investigate cruelty to animals. The company are a non-profit organisation, and plough the profits back into animal welfare, have a look at them and if you insure your cat's 9 lives, think about using them.....

Another was a guy I happened to pick up one Friday as I was heading back down Regents Park Rd from Primrose Hill, we were equally surprised to see each other, but neither of us complained. This guy, a fellow SE Londoner originally, now living in Notting Hill, runs Reach To Teach, who run mobile schools for rural Indian villages that don't have access to these facilities.

It was great to here this guy speak with such enthusiasm for what he does, the area is where his parents are originally from, so he has an affiliation with the country and isn't just doing it because it'll look good on his CV - Good Luck Sanjeev!

In terms of the day to day cabbing biz, I must say that I have got all my nerves out of the way, and am starting to get used to the regular tram lines that you travel, rush hours meaning stations to office, lunchtimes offices to watering holes and evenings any of the above.

As I said before most people are very nice, giving you a preferred route if you ask, or in a lot of cases leaving to you "cos you know the best way...." However, this rule is always subject to exceptions, the example I cite I'm sure will be repeated many times as I travel this road to retirement.....

I'm ranked at London Bridge and I reach the front of the queue,

Lady X "Knightsbridge please, I'm going to Harrods"
Me " OK "

So off I set, seconds later we're at the bottom of London Bridge St

Lady X "Knightsbridge please, I don't want to repeat myself 50 times!"
Me "That's ok, I did hear you at the station"

Before we go further, let me paint the scenario, it's a weekday, it's 5.30pm, we're going from SE London to SW London.......... I've elected to go to Blackfriars/Embankment/The Mall/Constitution Hill etc etc (apologies to those non-techies among you).

So we're in the inevitable traffic in Northumberland Ave, when she pipes up

Lady X " You're supposed to take me the quickest way, I don't want to go the scenic route"
Me "Well madam, I'm sorry but this is rush hour and I can assure you I've taken the route that is best and others would do the same"
Lady X " I don't care, what choice do I have"
Me "Madam, you are entitled to get out if you are not happy, they're are plenty of cabs around"
Lady X " I can't do that can I, I need to ring my friend who I'm meeting" (no phone call made, intriguingly enough)
Me "Well, I'll do my best"

We then eventually get to Belgrave Sq and I cut through to get to the rear entrance of Harrods, anything to get this cow out of my hair!!!

Me "that'll be £13.40 please"
Lady X "Here you go (hands me £20), you'll need that on the dole queue, the DOLE queue is very long you know!"

And there we parted company, hopefully never to meet again....

Oh well, that's all for now, I'll post again tomorrow with my who's who list of recent customers..... you can't wait can you!

Blogging on a Sunday.....

Evening all, this is the first blog written from home.... the only place I have regular PC access now - as I'm full time self-employed - no longer having the ability to use and abuse the Internet from the office!

Well, after a great farewell drink up in the old Cross Keys in Gracechurch St, I eased into the first of May very gently. The kids were off as their school was being used as a polling station, so we eventually made our way to our allotted station and added our X in each of the 3! ballot papers - I didn't vote for either Ken or Boris as 1st preference - lets hope Boris makes a good bag of it...... Then back home and some lunch, off we go day 1 of a brave new world.....

It started off small, with a very short journey, Eastcheap to the bottom of Mark Lane, £2.60 on the clock, but I think out of sheer embarrassment * the good lady gave me £3.

Then another less upwardly mobile gent, Old St just W of the roundabout, to the junction of Clerkenwell Rd/St John St.

Next up, a Korean lady with infant in tow, going from Gt Portland St to St Paul's, nice enough, but she was relaying the story of her journey to Gt Portland St - to see her paediatrician, who had complained that she was 5 minutes late - she was tempted, and I think she should have, tell to shut up as she was getting £250 for all 10mins of her time!

If it's possible, I saw someone who is weirder in the flesh than on the box, the one, the only ex- Mr Liza Minnelli - David Gest......

he was so far up his own rear, that I think he would have needed a proctologist to find his way home - very glad he was not in the market for a lift anywhere......

A few more jobs, of lesser note, and then decided I'd done my lot for the day and returned to ye old homestead.

Out on Friday, for a long day in the saddle. Went up to pay the rent and then on to the job in hand, it was quite slow, I think a lot of folk had taken the opportunity of extending the bank holiday weekend.

Fell in a trap which I'm sure befalls all of us of at some point...... picked up at Addison Rd going to Cadogan Square.... get to Lennox Gardens only to discover the bloody meter wasn't clocking up any money...... arghhhh!!!!! oh well, luckily it's only happened a couple of times.....

Then, almost in a sick repeat of an appearance with dear old Mr O'Connor - I was flagged in Grosvenor Crescent to go to the Hungarian Embassy... ok, off we go I pull up in no time, for tis only the other side of Belgrave Square, outside the..... Bolivian Embassy - sugar I think to myself.... fortunately for me the plucky Hungarian was understanding and after a few moments we were at the correct embassy and he was out with a smile.

Heard a great story on the radio, they were asking people to relay how apprentices/new folk at work were wound up by their new colleagues, and someone rang in to say how a new person at an artists studio was asked to provide a copy of her artistic licence - boom boom!

Next I saw an ex-colleague (who for very good reason cannot be named, for fear of his current colleagues knowing what his purpose was there!) in Victoria, so fingers crossed for him, whoever he may be!!

Thought I'd occasionally feature a lesser know part of Londinium in these mutterings, but one of many that are rattling around my head from the years of knowledge to get where I am today....

This sculpture is called ‘Seven Ages of Man’ by Richard Kindersley, inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’is a rather totem like statue in Queen Victoria St, almost up near Blackfriars Station, below is a pic, and it's quite bizarre

I've discovered that my nemesis, for want of a better word, are jobs to Primrose Hill/Hampstead and any points in that general direction - I can only describe it as a sinking feeling when you hear anything in that region - especially when, after asking for a preferred route, they say "oh, I don't mind, whatever you think!!!!" . Well, I'm sure with time the panic attacks will lessen...

Oh well, my Friday finished not so late, with a job from Margaret St to Ilderton Rd, unable to drag myself bag into town, I decided to call it a night.

More soon, have a good bank holiday if you've got one tomorrow where you're reading this....

* it's amazing how many people ask if you mind awfully taking them to here or there, it's quite strange - after all, they're the ones paying!

Blog oh haze-blog!

Bonjour, today is my last day of office work after nearly 20yrs and it feels very strange.... tomorrow onwards I'm officially a cabby!!

More tales follow of my days in the saddle......

As I'm in shipping (albeit for an hour!) it was interesting to discover that the Danish guy I took from Portman Sq to Portland Place was a good friend of the CEO of Maersk Line - the biggest shipping line in the world!!

Met someone for lunch near the office in London Bridge and saw The Hoosiers and Robyn recording a BBC programme in Borough Market..... you can watch it here Hoosiers were playing their new one which is earily like "Love Cats" by The Cure.

Had the best job yet last week, got flagged in Gresham St to wait in Goldsmiths Lane for someone, eventually after 2 people reassuring me that someone was coming, 2 Spanish guys arrive, imagine my glee - engine off meter on, up to £10 before we select drive, and they only went to Blackfriars!

Great example of making sure you establish the exact destination when it has an almost identical soundalike alternative. This one being a young lady going from Roland Gardens to the O2 centre - Greenwich says I, thinking I'll make this home afterwards..... no Finchley Rd she says.....

A good start the other day, 2 jobs which involved taking customer from point A to point B, waiting and then a return to Point A....... they were

Southwark St - Spa Rd
NSPCC - Hatton Garden (for wedding ring to be adjusted/altered)

A couple tip on whats good, I've always been lucky with Grays Inn, dropped off and then got another on straight out - so worth hanging around for minute or two.

The Connaught Hotel now has no loo facility, think there used to be one in the basement before but no more!

Well that's it for now, more soon

More tales of the unexpected....

The length between posts are getting longer, but at least this will be a bumper edition..... I've taken to jotting down memorable journeys while I'm out, otherwise they all become one!

Took a lady from London Bridge one morning, she asked me to take her to Deutsche Bank on London Wall, then she says "and once you've dropped me off, can you run me over and kill me - cos I don't want to go!" I think I'd be with her if I hadn't made the choice to do the knowledge.....



My first possible chucker (he/she who looks like they will vomit!) from Victoria to Brixton, she kept hiccuping all the way, and wasn't interested in my suggestions to open the window "I'll be fine" she kept saying, she was quite clearly trollied - fortunately she kept it all in and was last seen meandering up Tulse Hill.


Met up with some new boys at the Astral cafe, one of which was Headlong, check out his blog as well. Swapped stories of fun customers and the best toilet breaks in town!

Got another celeb the other Friday, was almost finished for the night and heading east along Tooley St, hailed by a gent and his partner was Paula Wilcox - she of Man About The House and more recently, as she was eager to point out, Emmerdale (she plays Hilary Potts) they were going home to Albert Bridge Rd, then changed their minds en route to the City Inn Westminster. Very nice couple....

A good example of when it goes slightly awry...... took a lady from Seymour St to Waterloo, so I was doing my best to avoid traffic - but importantly didn't say this at the outset, a cardinal sin as I'm learning - so went down thru Berkeley Square/Piccadilly Duke St St James/Pall Mall/ etc down to Gt George..... as I'm waiting in the traffic (the first major lot) just before Parliament Sq, I ask which entrance she wants.... then she says "well we've come the long way, so the taxi rank pls"... I apologise etc and then feel quite uncomfortable until we get there - meter finishes on £13,20, I say let's call it a tenner, she says oh no, lets say £11 and we leave each other on a good note.

Got some more but I'll add them to the next post - am full time from 1st May, so looking forward to a full stretch...........

Beachcomber

It's been a while since the last one, been a bit snowed under at work handing over to my lucky successor.... and also Tiscali have continued to work at snail's pace in re-connecting our broadband!!

Been out over the last few weeks and mostly it's been ok, had a great encounter on Friday night with a guy who I picked up outside the Hilton Olympia in Kensington.

Me "Where to sir?"
He "Soho"

So of we trundle, I then decide to narrow the destination down....

Me "Where in Soho sir? do you have a venue"
He (sounded like) "Beach, I need beach"
Me "You need a club called Beach?"
He "No I need a beach, I want a beach for pleasure. I want to pay, I don't want a club. you know a house I can go to?"
Me (errr this isn't in the information pack?!?) "I know the area (I don't in that sense if my wife or mother are reading this), I can take you"

So I decide Brewer St is favourite, aiming for the variety of "Massage" signs that are evident.

He gets a bit impatient around Vigo St, obviously he's been away from home for some time and is anxious to release his frustration! We arrive at Brewer St - although not too early (boom boom) and he jumps out and duly pays the fare.

I see another couple waving on the other side of the road and take them up sharpish on their request to go to Old Church St!! Let's hope he left for Naples the next day with a little less baggage than he came with....

The evening finished very conviently for me, as I live SE and needed to end up at Millwall FC for the annual re-setting of the meter to take in the recent increase (around 4%). I get flagged on Fulham Rd nr Chelsea's ground, and get a fare to Eltham, we agree £40 and it comes to £45, so everyones happy. Off I go to Zampa Rd and in 30mins am re-tariffed and away to bed.

Went out Sat around 1pm and a slowish afternoon which improves from around 4.30ish.... I did a few jobs out of London Bridge, one down to Long Lane SE1 and then an nteresting job for anyone doing the knowledge, from Long Lane SE1 and they asked for the other Long Lane nr West Smithfield......

I'm sure I picked up a high class (although with a touch of mutton about her) call girl, she was going from the Crown Plaza in Buckingham Gate to a private members club (no pun intended, those were her exact words) in John Adam St.....

Hey ho, just over 2 weeks to go before the final plunge in full time cabbing......