Wednesday 29 September 2010

DEPARTURE OF MAGICAL TAXI TOUR 24 SEPTEMBER


Richard Channer, Recovering from an operation, myself and Ronnie Henderson, Head of East house at Canary Wharf with one of the two sponsored taxis proudly bearing the Bancroft's badge.
On Friday morning Liveryman Richard Channer, who is Housemaster of East House, Bancroft's School, invited me down to see off the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers annual children's Magical Taxi Tour to Eurodisney, Paris.
The Hackney Carriage Drivers is exclusively comprised of London taxi drivers . Further details are at http://www.hackneycarriagedriverscompany.com/  Their annual trip to Eurodisney is an opportunity for children with life threatening illnesses and their families to have a few days of relaxation and fun. The Company raises a huge sum of money for the 100 taxi convoy that drives from London to Paris. The taxi drivers involved give freely of their time not only to drive to Paris but also to set up and manage the hugely complex logistics required to look after the children during the outing.

This year East House, Bancroft's School raised £2500 to sponsor two taxis. Mr Phil Davis, the organising force behind the Magical taxi tour, was coincidentally a Bancroftian parent, whose children had been in East House. Ronnie Henderson, the Head of East House, represented the pupils in seeing the convoy off.

The start was preceded by a breakfast at Canary Wharf. The Lord Mayor attended and gave a send off speech; he managed to avoid saying, but others did not, 'You can never get a taxi to take you south of the Channel and then two hundred turn up.’ At 8.00am the convoy, packed with children, parents and toys, set off for its long journey to France.

The Bancroft's School badge, which is also the Drapers' coat of arms, was recognised by many of the taxi drivers who clearly knew the bit of the Woodford High Road where Bancroft's is sited.

A great achievement and a most impressive effort by our sister livery of Hackney Carriage Drivers and, more particularly, East House, Bancroft's School.'

1 comment: