HACKNEY CARRIAGE DRIVERS 23 JUNE

One of the livery movement's more distinctive companies are the Hackney Carriage Drivers.  Esssentially the only way you can join the Company is to have passed the 'knowledge', the unique test that requires every black cab driver to have an encyclopaedic recollecrtion of all the streets within six miles of Charing Cross. 

The Company is very active chartiably and, in particular, organises the Magical Taxi Tour annual trip to Eurodisney for children, and their families, who are bravely fighting serious medical conditions.  Longstanding readers of this blog will recall I saw the departure of the last outing to Paris from Canary Wharf some ten months ago.  For more details of the Company go to their interesting website http://www.hackneycarriagedriverscompany.com/ and the Magical Taxi Tour at http://www.magicaltaxitour.com/

On Thursday Rosemary and I were invited to attend the Company's Founders Day Dinner that was held at Drapers' Hall.  As I have mentioned in earlier posts where I have been a guest in my own Hall it was a most relaxing and enjoyable experience.

The guest speaker was Sir Christopher Meyer who is probably best known when he was our ambassador in Washington from 1997 to 2003 and his subsequent book on his experiences DC Confidential. As was to be expected he was a tremendous raconteur covering a huge range of topics and ideas with wit and pace. 

I particularly liked an anecdote from Blair's first visit to see George Bush.  It had started very well.  So much so that Bush stayed up after 10.30pm, which was most unusual, to watch a film with Tony Blair.  It was Meet the Fockers.  In the opening sequence of the film when it became clear that the hero was called Gaylord Focker Bush went into hysterical fits of laughter almost choking on the popcorn served in special buckets bearing the presidential seal.

Master Jim Rainbird is having a most successful year leading his Company and both Rosemary and I much enjoyed being the guests of such a friendly and effective company.

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.'