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s Boris wishesRadioTaxis

a veryHappy 60thBirthday!

WE ARE NOW OVER HALF WAY THROUGH THE YEAR and things do not get easierwith all of the financial woes going on. It is the time of the year when those Taxdemands start dropping through your letterboxes again, for some a time ofdread. Our Credit Union has once again been inundated with applications forloans and savings withdrawals from members, not one has been disappointed,all have great peace of mind to get over this hurdle. The concern for many ofyou who do not belong to the Credit Union has again caused headaches forsome of you; if you need a loan you will pay an exorbitant rate, that is ifyou can get one.

If you join now you will be eligible, if needed, to take a loan to cover this expense for the

next demand in January 2014, or just save as much or as little as you like.

Once again I cannot emphasise enough how useful being a member is, you may apply

for a loan for whatever reason you may have, no questions asked. Apart from the tax issue

you may want to take a holiday or buy items for home, or you can just save for a rainy

day, your choice.

Ask any of your friends who are members just how easy it was to raise money for

whatever reason they may have had.

Join now, it is so much easier to have money deducted from your account work

than having to come in to pay, alternatively if you wish, you may pay by Standing

Order direct from your Bank/Building Society, you decide how much you wish

to save each month.

A TYPICAL LOAN FROM RADIO TAXICABS (LONDON)CREDIT UNION LTD IS AS FOLLOWS:£1,000 over 12 months will cost you £88.85 a month, total loan

repayment is £1,066.20, interest payable is only £66.20, beat that if

you can. In addition to this all loans and savings are insured and

fully protected in the event of an untimely death, this normally

costs a great deal more with other lenders.

For an application form or other information, or you just want

to discuss anything relating to the Credit Union just give us

a call and we would be happy discussing this with you.

Call Selam Haile on: 020 7561 5180 from Tuesday

to Friday, or Maria Collu on: 020 7561 5199

Monday to Friday.

Email: selam.haile@radiotaxis.co.uk or

maria.collu@radiotaxis.co.uk

CreditUnionRadio Taxicabs ( London) Credit Union Ltd No. 90C

Mountview House, Lennox Road, London N4 3TX

Tel: 020 7561 5148 Fax: 020 7561 5166

Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority FRN. 2132322

Why not join the Credit Union now!

4 Roger Sligo’s ‘Ed Lines’Your roving reporter… reporting!

7 How the Taxi trade might look in 60 yearsPeter Gibson peeps into the future of London taxis

8 Light at the end of the tunnelGeoffrey Riesel is getting optimistic

10 Wraps, apps, ads, banners and stickers...Steve Cooper – the importance of promoting Radio Taxis

11 PCN’s – Some GuidelinesJohn Vigus gives us some really useful information

12 Brotherly LoveRoger Sligo tells us the moving story of Warren Lewis

14 Modern Technology – where is it going?Dan Ellis on Google glasses, gadgets and gizmos!

15 Operational update of the LondonUnderground AccountAlan Franks on the high level of service for this account

16 NFC = Near Field CommunicationSteve Cooper explains the wonder of it all to us

17 NEW! Taxi’ng Times Meet Terry, the street-wise Radio Taxis cabbie!

18 Letters & Messages of CongratulationsMany received, a few shown here regarding our 60 years

20 Curiosity CornerRoger Sligo on The Dog & Pot & the Michelin Man

22 Annual General MeetingRobert MacDonald Watson on what went on in May

23 Interview with Lady Victoria Borwick –the Deputy Mayor of LondonGeoffrey Riesel interviews her – read the full transcript

25 Tea at The Mayor’s PantryRoger Sligo takes tea with Lady Victoria Borwick

26 Is that really them? – Some funTwitter parodiesGeoffrey Riesel the fun on Twitter that makes you titter!

27 16 Pints of Beer for a £1Gordon Brown takes us back to life 60 years ago

28 Looking Back at Sport in 1953Roger Sligo jogs down a sporting memory lane

29 Float OnRoy Hughes on the buoyancy of our business

30 The Mountview News Caption ContestGet funny, win money (well… a £25 M&S Voucher)

30 A Special MessageAnd an important one from Chief Rentals

31 The Mountview Puzzler PageGrab a pen and work those little grey cells

THE MOUNTVIEW NEWS EDITORIAL TEAM IS:Roger Sligo – Editor & photos / Penny Cuckston – AdministrationDoug Canning, DC-Graphics – Design, layout, artwork, print & distributionGeoffrey Riesel & Peter Gibson – Board productionDesign, Layout & Print: ©2013 / DC-Graphics / High Barnet / Herts / EN5 5TP

T: 0208 440 1155 / W: www.dc-graphics.co.ukContent: © 2013 / Radio Taxis Group Ltd / Lennox Road / London / N4 3TXThe information and images contained in this Newsletter are subject to copyright.Unauthorised use, disclosure or copying without prior written permission from RTG Ltd is strictly prohibited.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

3

MeetTerry,our street-wise

Radio TaxisDriver

See page 17

BEFORE YOU CAN OBTAIN a Transport for London(TfL) Private Hire and Taxi (TPH) drivers licence youmust fulfil certain criteria. For taxi-drivers it’s asound Knowledge of London and a taxi driving testto establish your ability to drive professionally.You will also need proof that you are a fit andproper person to hold a taxi drivers licence whichincludes CRB checks and a medical examination byyour own doctor.

Unfortunately it doesn’t finish there as you will need to payas well for the CRB check and driving licence every three years,which costs at the moment just a couple of quid short of £300.This is fair enough as it pays for the LTPHD administration –we know the costs and we all have to pay the same; except that isfor the doctors medical, which has to be carried out at ages 50 –56 – 62 – 65; then after we obtain the age of sixty five we need tohave one yearly for as long as we continue as taxi-drivers.

These medicals can cost anything from £50 to about £170 forexactly the same medical, depending on how greedy your own GP is.I have a few family members who are also London taxi drivers,two of them are live in Dagenham, both use different surgeries –one pays £50 the other £165 – can this be right? Some driversmay recall back in the 1980’s seeing adverts in trade papers formedicals undertaken by what was then the Chelsea Clinic inRadnor Walk, clients of theirs included footballer George Best –the charge was £25 for the taxi medical while my own GP out inthe sticks charged me £60 at that time and for exactly the sameexamination! Until recently I was paying £135 but afterchallenging my own doctor as to why a seven-minute eye andblood pressure test and a short questionnaire regarding my heathhistory cost me so much money – he dropped it down to £65.

What was in those days the Public Carriage Office, sent outwarnings that only your own doctor with your medical recordscould perform this examination! So for drivers trying to savemoney it was back to uncompetitive doctors who couldn’t careless what it cost you, after all you have no choice...or have you?

Doing some research I have since discovered that the medicalmust in fact be undertaken by a qualified Medical Practitioner(Doctor) who has access to your medical records.

Some enterprising doctors usually in highly expensivesurgeries such as Harley Street are, with the aid of moderntechnology, now able to gain access to client’s medical records,

with their prospective patient’s consent, at very competitiverates, with appointments to suit the patients!

It is also the present government’s new policy to make suredoctors check with their patients as to whether they would liketo allow other agencies to view their patience medical records ornot, so if you are thinking of having a medical done outside ofyour normal GP’s practice it would probably make sense to giveconsent for this to happen. I found one mobile medical centrewho charges only £51 including VAT for weekdays or £59including VAT for weekends, although they did inform me;“We cannot obtain the medical records but the individuals canask for a copy from their GP and then bring them to the medicalwith them.” I decided to do some further research and found outthat; Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you have a legal rightto apply for access to health information held about you.This includes your NHS or private health records held by a GP,optician or dentist, or by a hospital.

A health record contains information about your mental andphysical health recorded by a healthcare professional as part ofyour care.

If you want to see your health records, you don’t have to givea reason. If you want a copy of the health records, the fee willdepend on how the records are stored:

• on computer: maximum £10 • partly on computer and partly in another form:

maximum £50 • entirely in another form: maximum £50

The maximum charge includes postage and packaging.So as you can see it depends on how your records are stored

how much you will be able to save. Most doctors’ surgeries thesedays, I would guess, have records stored on the computer – butdo check!

I decided to check out the legality of all my research withHelen Chapman, Interim General Manager of TfL’s TPH to findout if drivers can take advantage in saving some hard earnedcash. I asked her if it was legal for a driver to have a doctorcarrying out their medical other than their own GP – sheconfirmed what I had already suspected that; “Yes as long as thedoctor has access to medical records its fine.”

After several months of talking with drivers, I know that it isa big concern, especially those who are paying well over £100 fora seven minute check-up, with many taxi drivers over 65 havingto cough up these large amounts annually; by shopping aroundI think you could save hundreds of pounds over a few years.

THE CHIP AND PIN COVER-UPSome drivers think that putting a Sainsbury’s bag over their chipand pin machine is a good idea, although I fail to understandwhy! During the slack spell over theEaster holidays I pulled onto the TateModern rank, or what I should say isthat I was over ranked, lined upbehind three cabs before being ableto join the official rank. Then twoAmerican youngsters came runningover to my cab and before they saidanything, I said they needed to go tothe cab on point as I was last. Thefather came over to me and said that

4

Is Your Doctor Taking You For A Ride?

RRooggeerr SSlliiggoo’’ss

NNEEWWSS

none of the other cabs accepted credit cards, although I did seethree cabs nearer the point than me with Hailo logos. “Fine jumpin” I said. We were off to the Bayswater Road, Notting Hill Gateend and I felt rather pleased having just saved myself about anhour’s wait, after which I could have well ended up with a localto Southwark Underground Station for four quid. The trafficalong the way was really very bad, there was a Garden Party atBuckingham Palace and Park Lane was at a complete standstill,this was also because Edgware Road was closed off at MarbleArch due to a fire. I eventually arrived near the Notting Hill endof the Bays with £43.60 on the clock.

More recently I picked up a fare in St James’s who was onlygoing to the Holiday Inn Mayfair. When he discovered my chipand pin he asked if I would wait for him while he picked up hiscase, then could I take him to Jermyn Street, where he needed tobuy something very quickly before going on to LAP Terminal 3.He told me on the way that he was pleased to pay by card as hewas out of cash and did not want to change up English moneywhich he didn’t need when getting back to the USA. The jobwent £83.80 with – wait for it – a £12.57 tip, together with all thecash on him – three pound coins, which gave me the grand totalof £99.37 – not bad for an hours work! Many passenger ask me ifmy credit card machine is working, only they say lots of drivers“claim” they are out of order – sorry, am I missing something? –Hello – I only go to work to take as much as I can in as short atime as possible, doesn’t everyone? Obviously not; so if you areone of those irrational drivers, then don’t complain to me aboutthe work.

BEYOND THE FRINGEDuring those long slack days at the end of July, I was luckyenough to pick up an account job at the National Theatre stagedoor. As the details loaded on my screen I saw the passenger’sname was Alan Bennett (above), the great British playwrightand actor who started his career back in the 1960’s with the firstof the satire shows “Beyond the Fringe” – a British comedy stagerevue written and performed by Peter Cook, Dudley Moore,Alan Bennett, and Jonathan Miller. It took London and theworld by storm and was probably along with The Beatles,responsible for making England in general and London inparticular, the centre of the swinging sixties. Although I haven’tseen much of Alan Bennett in films or on TV lately, and he isapproaching his eightieth year, he was still in pretty good shapeand is a very nice person to talk with. As I drove him home Iasked which play in his long career was his favourite – he said itwas his first play “A Day Out” made for the BBC in 1972 a black

and white piece of nostalgia about a Halifax cycling clubpedalling to Fountains Abbey in 1911, before the First WorldWar, featuring Bernard Wrigley playing the mentally handicappedErnest riding the tandem with his dad. These wonderful TV playsare unfortunately a thing of the past, with reality shows takingup much of prime-time TV nowadays.

Alan was a real gentleman who was kind enough to let metake his picture for Mountview News. As soon as I got home thatevening I watched his first TV film “Days Out” – on “YouTube”and ended buying a box set of his early BBC plays from Amazon– there were still a couple left if you’re quick enough!

DAY-TRIPPER TO WORTHING

The week prior to the 65th annual outing to Worthing onTuesday 11th June, the weather had been very nice and warm,which gave us all false hopes that we might be taking our bucketsand spades with us on the outing this year! The only buckets wegot to see were the buckets of rain that greeted us on our longjourney to Worthing. I picked up Tracey Fuller manager ofDrivers Services, in North London, before arriving at KentishTown to collect John Wynne, our veteran for the day. As weheaded south through London, exchanging the built up city forthe leafy suburban countryside, we got to find out more aboutour passenger John. He told us of his service in the Royal AirForce during the 1950’s and about his love of aeroplanes.Just after half past nine we arrived for breakfast at SouthHolmwood Village hall, where we gathered with over onehundred other cab drivers also going to Worthing. While liningup for our teas we met with our Chairman Geoffrey Riesel, hiswife Jacquie and with Radio Taxis’ Penny Cuckston who alsoworks with us on Mountview News.

Geoffrey told me that as a young taxi driver almost 40 yearsago (1974) he first went on this outing and that he hassupported it ever since and that his wife Jacquie’s late dad,Freddie Franks was a former secretary of the association.

By 10.30am we were all back on the road to Worthing with allthe taxis arriving at Worthing Town Hall shortly before noon.Cadets from the Merchant Taylor’s School were on hand toescort our veterans from the taxis.

Once everyone was seated in the Civic Hall for lunch, MrMelvyn Zeff, (Radio Taxis V146) Master of Ceremonies, calledfor a minute’s silence in remembrance of those no longer withus. Mayor Councillor Robert Smytherman then spokewelcoming us all to Worthing; he said that he hoped we wouldall have an enjoyable day. While lunch was being served Mr PhilKelsall MBE entertained us with tunes played on the Wurlitzerorgan, rising out of the stage, cinema style. The Secretary of theLondon Taxi Benevolent Fund for War Disabled, Mr Paul Davisread messages from Her Majesty the Queen, from HRH PrinceCharles and from the Duchess of Cornwall, wishing everyonewell and expressing the hope that everybody would have an

5

Alan Bennett – The British playwright and actor

John Wynne and friends

enjoyable day. After lunch the Master of Ceremonies announcedthe Chairman, Mr Richard Hudd, of the London TaxiBenevolent Fund for War Disabled and who then welcomed usby announcing; “With us today we have two people who went onthe very first outing 65 years ago back in 1948 – one is ourPresident Mr Harry Joel MBE and the other is Mr Bill Moylonwho is now a resident at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. A glass taxiwas presented to Bill Moylon. The Chairman then thanked MrsAudrey Sherry for her donation of fuel money for the driverswhich was greatly appreciated. The guest of Honour was GeneralSir Redmond Watt KCB, KCVO, CBE, DI and he is Governor ofThe Royal Hospital Chelsea. He went on to say how many of thepensioners receive free taxi-rides from us London cabbies.He also said London taxi-drivers were always welcome to visitthe hospital. After a good meal many of us went for a walk to thepier although it was a little windy and the grey skies had turnedto rain on our way back.

Whilst we were walking I managed to have a word with ourRadio Taxis Group Chairman, Geoffrey Riesel who told me howproud he was to see so many of our Radio Taxis Group driversgiving their time and energy taking part in such a worthwhileevent. Indeed many of our drivers are key members andorganisers of this and other charities including fund raiserDennis James U069. Once back in the hall, again it was time forsome entertainment with afternoon tea. The new forcessweetheart KAS (Kelly Ann Sprout) was there to entertain withsome of the classic war songs. As popular as ever were The JiveAces who got everyone’s feet tapping, with some of the veteransbopping it up on the floor with KAS.

After the show I chatted to lead singer Ian Clarkson, whosaid that originally most of the band were from Essex, but Ianwent on to say they have got a bit “posher” and now live in Kentand Sussex. They have a new album out at the moment called“King of the Swingers” Their version of “Bring Me Sunshine” isalso the theme tune used for the Joanne Good Show on BBCRadio London. At the end of the evening the band was in thefoyer lined up with veterans and guests, wanting to have their

photo taken alongside the group. I managed to get hold of theMayor of Worthing and asked him to pose for a photo with aveteran and the Jive Aces, which he was pleased to do.

After all this it was back to South Holmwood Village for somemore tea and food before we all finally said goodnight to oneanother and headed back home.

Thanks go to all the hardwork of the organisers, SouthHolmwood Village for providingbreakfast and evening tea, TheWorthing Mayor RobertSmytherman and MayoressNorah Fisher and special thanksto my veteran for the day MrJohn Wynne for his lovely set ofpictures.

Roger Sligo.

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A vintage Austin on the beach

The Jive Aces rocking the joint!

KAS on stage

The Mayor with The Jive Aces

KAS dancing with a veteran

7

RADIO TAXIS IS CELEBRATING60 years of business in December

2013 having been founded in 1953.Throughout this year we have been

marking the past 60 years in variouseditions of Mountview News and on line E-View. At aneditorial meeting for this edition someone suggestedthat we look forward another 60 years and try tovisualise what being a taxi driver or a Radio Taxisdriver may be like in 2073.

All of what this article contains is what I think might be inplace in some form or another in 60 years time – it doesn’t meanthat I think it’s a good thing.

December 2073 – coming up to Christmas. Some of the olderdrivers are still bemoaning the amalgamation of Licensed Taxisand Private Hire drivers licensed back in 2048 even though it wassome 25 years ago – older drivers have longer memories. TheKnowledge had been reformed in 2022 after a two year transitionperiod whereby “Knowledge Boys” with more than two yearsinvested in The Knowledge were given “Transitional Licenses”allowing them to work certain areas at certain times for twoyears and then qualified for a full London Taxi Drivers License.As this touted change had been “common knowledge” there weresome 6000 candidates that flooded the taxi driving market in twoyears as so many Private Hire drivers had signed onto TheKnowledge knowing that they could benefit from the “short cut”.So in January 2026 there were some 32000 licensed taxis workingthe streets of London. The Knowledge now took one year for85% of candidates and up to 18 months for the other 15%.

Because of the changes in The Knowledge testing procedurethe balance between Taxi Drivers and Private Hire driverschanged and there were 75000 minicab drivers in 2026 whichwas 5000 less than three years previously.

Fast forward 20 years or so and there are two years of demos,lobbying and protests about the proposals to “merge” Taxis andPrivate Hire licenses into a single GTL (Ground Transport(London) License). This battle was lost to the Taxi trade and inOctober 2048 London woke up one morning with 136000 GTLdrivers – who, theoretically, could all pick up from the street.There was a transitional period whereby the vehicle typedetermined whether you could ply for hire on the streets ofLondon or not that lasted for four years. This was the beginningof “Silver Service” which is the equivalent of the “Black Car”industry in New York. Mainly silver Jaguars (remember when itwas always Mercedes?) operate a “chauffeur” or “pre-booked”service – there are about 60.000 Silver Service Cars that can (anddo) pick up off the street but mainly the workhorse of theLondon streets these days is the MosDrosh (the Russian taxi thatstarted life in Moscow back in 2060) and the “Batcab”, so called

because of the prominent logo on the frontof the vehicle looks like the “Batman” logo,both are hybrid electric/fuel cell, so the cabs carry a reserve tankof hydrogen in case the vehicle exceeds its 1000 mile range on asingle charge and both are capable of carrying two wheelchairbound passengers.

The Knowledge, as it is still known, is now just a customerservices module, an English speaking test and proof ofoperational knowledge of the in vehicle manual SatelliteNavigation system just in case the live automated system fails.All vehicles now have live traffic data feeds that will map themost efficient route for any trip because it knows where thecurrent “pinch” points in traffic are.

All wheelchair accessible street hail taxis are sponsored bydigital media and the all-over exterior livery changes to advertisesomething in the vicinity that the vehicle is located or istravelling to. Passenger fares now represent 50% of the driversincome as advertising revenue makes up the other 50%.

Radio Taxis Group Ltd is one of the many paymentfacilitators that drivers can elect to use. Most drivers have adozen or so Trip Providers (these used to be called Apps manyyears ago) and they do approximately 75% of their work fromthe Trip Providers like Google, Radio Taxis, Aviva, CabForce etcand 25% street work. RTG is one of the Trip Providerconsolidators and creates a daily payment file for the 42000drivers that subscribe. The subscription of 1% enables all TripProvider journey payments into the driver’s bank account.These payments are fares, advertising royalties, all insurance andvehicle tax payments deducted and paid on behalf of the driver.A completed annual tax submission file. Loyalty motoring andbattery replacement/recharge discount card and paymentsdeducted.

The cost of replacing the battery packs on a taxi, every tendays or so, is now approaching Euros500. There is pressure onmanufacturers to lengthen the life of a CabPack battery to 1200miles to make them similar to the industrial battery packs thathave a lower tax rating.

Finally, London was again the recipient of the Taxi Globeaward for 2073. This award is an award that is competed for byall of the capital cities of the G50 richest counties in the world.Travelers’ vote for the best taxi service using set criteria and afterlosing out over the past three years to Stockholm, Canberra andNew Delhi it has returned home to London – the best taxiservice in the world.

Peter Gibson.RTG’s Group Strategic Director.

Peter Gibson takes a daring lookat how the London Taxi trademight look in 60 years from now...

London Taxis... 2073

I THINK THERE IS BEGINNING TO BE SOME LIGHTat the end of the tunnel. All of a sudden over the lastsix months, our sales people are coming back to basewith anecdotes of “victories,” both small and not sosmall. One former client who last year decided to closetheir account to go to Addison Lee has now sensiblydecided that actually they should re-open all theaccounts for their most senior personnel because, weimagine, cars are late arriving, PH drivers don’t knowwhere they’re going, they can’t use the bus lanes – ohand probably they’re not really cheaper in any case.

As long as that light in the tunnel isn’t a train comingtowards us. And “the sales pipeline”, said one of our guys is “asbig as England.” So if they then convert some of those into realrevenue for our drivers (which is already happening) maybe thenall this optimistic talk is being vindicated. Let us hope so, it’sbeen a long and rough ride.

LAW COMMISSIONThere has been a lot of “background” noise recently in the tradepress about the “Law Commission’s report. Indeed some sectionsof the taxi trade are worrying us, suggesting that it could be the“end of the trade as we know it” So is that a real possibility?

Well it’s a thoroughly complex issue, with numerouspotential pitfalls for the trade and for London in general, but doI think it will spell the end of the trade? No I don’t.

In terms of the direct impact there will be on London’s taxiindustry I don’t expect any significant changes at all. Radio Taxishas presented evidence directly to the Commission and I ampleased that they have listened to us and as a consequence theyhave said that they do not propose any changes to the way inwhich London’s taxi industry itself is regulated.This means that TfL will continue to have control over the extentof all licensing standards including the driver’s knowledge andthe quality of the fully accessible, purpose built or specialistvehicle. These factors are key ingredients in making the servicewe offer admired the world over.

So why are some of the trade bodies unsettling us all?There are some areas where we believe there is still some concernfor the Taxi industry in London. It is likely that we will againspeak to the commission themselves before their final report ispublished, due at the end of this year.

Those issues are the proposed introduction of NationalStandards for Private Hire for services. The commissionrecommends “that national standards should apply to privatehire services.” The commission goes on to say that;“We appreciate the concerns of those who thought that localknowledge tests and signage should be retained, but (we) thinkthat appropriate national standards, including driver training,and vehicle signage, can address these concerns, alongsideadded customer protection through up-front pricingrequirements for private hire journeys.”

This of course would mean that TfL would no longer set the

standards, and while we might at times wish they (Private Hire)had more rigorous standards, a national standard couldpotentially see these standards diluted even more with the likely(but not certain) relaxation of two areas

The first area is in respect of signage rules, currentlyadvertising of anything but especially of the company’s name, inLondon, is only allowed on the rear of PHV vehicles.Throughout the country wherever signage has been permitted,the more signage they have the more evidence shows that PHdrivers are tempted to illegally pick up off the street. This isbecause the public at large don’t understand (and mostly don’tcare) about the difference between taxis, immediately availablefor hire and Private Hire – pre booked only. That is the first riskfor London.

The second area of risk is that although PH drivers, inLondon, only need a CRB check and to demonstrate localtopographical knowledge (currently deemed by TPH to be mapreading) it is conceivable that a national minimum standardcould be even less of a topographical test than they do now.This would be the further possible consequence alongside thedanger of losing added customer protection through up-frontpricing requirements for private hire journeys.

From TfL or LTPHD’s point of view, that leaves the Mayorand TfL with the potential of no longer being the authority to settheir own standards for PHV’s in London. Boris, in myobservation, will certainly not welcome a loss of powers. Andfrom our perspective while we might at times wish they (PHV’s)had more rigorous standards, a national standard could, on thecontrary, see these lessen even more with the possible relaxationof signage rules and topographical testing. That would of coursemake the already uneven playing field tilt even further in favouraway from the taxi industry.

8

Light at the end of the By RTG Chairman & CEO Geoffrey Riesel.

So we continue on our quest of quietly talking to thecommission and then to the legislators should it become a draftbill at some stage, which at this point is still not by any meanscertain.

WEST END COMMISSION (WEC).In the latter part of 2012 I was approached bythe London Chamber of Commerce, to speakfor both the Chamber and for the taxi industryas a West End commissioner (no connectionwhatsoever to the law commission at all)

looking at the future of the West End. I was duly appointed as aWest End Commissioner alongside luminaries such as ChairmanSir Howard Bernstein (Leader of Manchester city council andprobably among those responsible for the stadium which heldthe commonwealth games and Manchester’s amazingregeneration) and also legendary music promoter and West Endresident, Harvey Goldsmith. There were professors andspecialists from every area of city planning, business andgovernance.

The commission spent its first six months gathering evidencein a series of hearings, listening to all from housing associations,local government officers and local councillors fromWestminster, Camden, from BIDs (Business ImprovementDistricts), from the GLA and TfL. Some of the most prominentpublic figures came down to give evidence to the WEC whichincluded for example Michelle Dix, MD Planning TfL andTransport Commissioner Sir Peter Hendy.

The report of the commission was publicised in April thisyear and is available onlinehttp://www.westendcommission.com/Report.html

For me the central issue for a successful West End, for ourindustry, for business, for tourism etc is this. The West End ismade up of a number of Boroughs, primarily Westminster andCamden. But also Kensington and Chelsea border on to it as doSouthwark, the City of London and others. So while for examplethe City of London has a defined strategy and a single voice, it

9

tunnel

has been able along with Manchester to establish a special dealwith the Treasury where some of the business rates (whichcurrently go directly into the Treasury) are retained in order tofund and (re) generate the strategy for success of those areas.Some of those areas are transport, the roads, housing, planning.

The obvious thing that became apparent was that when youadd, TfL, the Mayor and the GLA to the general melee of voicesof the different boroughs who have an interest in the West End,you have a perfect storm or a Tower of Babel. It’s a wonder thatanything ever gets done, let alone a strategy to improve the areaand to get a special deal with government. With a clean sheet ofpaper you wouldn’t start with a system like that.

The main recommendation of the Commission was that thegovernance of the West End be reformed and that a West EndPartnership be established, including personnel from all of thesurrounding or interested boroughs, so as to synchronise thestrategy (currently none exists!) and indeed to help to form astrategy, as well as to interface with the Treasury so as to get aspecial city deal.

From our specific point of view in the taxi industry, everyoneon the Commission wanted Pedicabs banned; all of us felt thatthere were far too many empty buses along Oxford Street andthat it was being used as a logistics rolling bus garage; prettymuch the whole commission felt that the taxi industry does anexcellent job, there was however, a ‘broad church’ of opinion onpedestrianisation.

Both myself and Harvey Goldsmith spoke passionately abouthow pedestrianisation was a total abject failure, only causingtraffic holdups, turning areas into run down seedy parts of town(eg: Leicester Square) and making the point that the flow oftraffic is the “life-blood” of any area.

The temporary, but very limited, street closures for festivalsand events was a compromise reached as being beneficial interms of attracting people to Central London at the weekend.However in these cases the use of mixed areas (cars andpedestrians) was commended such as Exhibition Road.

Subsequently Leader of Westminster Council, Phillipa Roethanked us all for the extracurricular and non-partisan work wehad done with a New West End partnership being formed as aconsequence. I am glad that I was able to be there to put the casefor our industry, which frequently gets forgotten, unless one ofus is there reminding all and sundry about what a good job theLondon taxi trade does.

Geoffrey RieselChairman & CEO.

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Wraps, apps, ads,banners and stickers...THE LAST FEW YEARS have seen a numberof opportunities come to the trade that cangenerate additional income for taxiproprietors and for drivers alike. I’m thinkingof super side adverts, taxi wraps and rearwindow adverts and more recently rooftopadvertising. If that’s how drivers want tobuild their income that’s fine however, thereare far too many radio drivers displayingadvertising for alternative taxi bookingservices.

I have had to remind a number of drivers that Radio Taxis has a policy thatrequires the fleet to carry Radio Taxis branded logos and that in promoting analternative booking service; this is in direct conflict with the company’s interest.

I have been astounded by a few drivers that say they don’tunderstand why it’s inappropriate to display promotionalmaterial that competes with the excellent service that youprovide to your account base.I have also had occasion where a (Xeta) driver has allowedhis taxi to be liveried by an app company and fails toacknowledge that it’s not appropriate (no pun intended)as we despatch work to him from accounts that these app

companies would give their right arm to be able to service and hethen arrives outside the account clients premises in a vehicle that would purportsto appear to be provided by a third party company. That is just not on.

Although this instance of a full livery is an exceptional example it is only acouple of steps removed from displaying a window sticker or tip up seat advert.Let’s face it, who would think it appropriate for a footballer to play a match inanother team’s kit or emblem?

In conclusion being part of a radio circuit like ours, which prides itself asbeing driver friendly and that looks to provide drivers with quality work at thebest rate we can achieve in the current market place.

It also requires commitment from you as drivers to support the service thatwe provide and it does not deserve to becheapened by the actions of a few.

Any driver needing his logos replacing shouldcall in to Station Road where we will get themfitted with the minimum of downtime.

All the best for the up coming busiest time ofthe year.

Steve CooperDriver Services Manager.

“…who would think it

appropriate for a footballer

to play a match in

another team’s kit?”

PCN’s – Some Guidelines

11

DURING THE COURSE OF DEALING WITHthe PCN’s that are issued to RTG drivers inthe course of making contact with ouraccount passengers, it has come to myattention that there is another initiativethat relates specifically to parking onprivate land. To differentiate between aPenalty Charge Notice and a ParkingCharge Notice, JOHN VIGUS, RTG’s advisoron all things parking related, has put inwriting the following guidelines for PCN’sissued while parked on private land.

PARKING ON PRIVATE LAND ENFORCEMENTParking on Private land legislation was introducedunder the Protection of Freedom act 2012. Under thisAct, the clamping of vehicles parked on private landwas made illegal. However, if a car park on private landhas a barrier then that barrier may be locked even ifyour vehicle is on the land. A release fee is not payableimmediately but the parking company may issue thevehicle with a parking charge notice.

There has been a big increase in parking companiesusing this legislation to issue tickets to vehicles parked,this is in contravention of the terms of parking whichmust be displayed prominently on signs on the relevantland. Many of these companies use Automatic NumberPlate Recognition technology (ANPR) at the entrancesand exits and there will be either a time limit for freeparking or there may be a charge. Where this is thecase the parking charge notice is sent by post to theregistered keeper.

Some private land car parks are patrolled andvehicles allegedly parked in contravention of theterms and conditions are issued with a parking chargenotice which will give the driver the opportunity topay the charge. If the driver ignores the notice thenthe parking company will send a parking chargenotice by post to the registered keeper giving 28 days

to give the name and address of the driver otherwise he(the registered keeper) is liable for the charge.

These companies must have an appeals procedure andif an appeal is turned down then you have the right toappeal to an adjudicator at POPLA (parking on privateland adjudication service). Appeals to the adjudicator aredealt with only by post. There are no facilities forpersonal hearings and the assessor will make a decisionon the written evidence as to whether or not there is aliability to pay the charge. If he/she decides that noliability arises then the parking company must cancel thenotice and that is the end of the matter. If howeverhe/she decides that there is a liability then it is the landowner who must then take further action to recover thecharge. This is where the legal position becomes morecomplicated.

In the English law of trespass, the land owner isentitled to recover his loss but how can he determinewhat that loss actually is? Also, the registered keeper maynot have been the driver at the time and therefore wasincapable of ‘making a contract’ by reading the signs andagreeing to the terms and conditions.

SO WHAT THEN IS THE LEGAL POSITION?This is a grey area because there has to be certain termsin the contract between the parking company and theland owner which would allow the parking company totake the matter to the County Court on their behalf.If no such term exist, then the parking company has nolegal standing and has no right to collect from the allegedoffender. They will however send threatening letters fromdebt collectors and solicitors who also have no legalstanding. They have simply been asked to write theseletters using big red threatening words in the hope thatthe recipient will be frightened into paying up.

There are a number of standard appeal letters whichcan be found on the internet but ignoring allcorrespondence usually works just as well.

Alternatively, you could respond by saying that youhave spoken to the person who was driving the vehicle atthe time and they are willing to compensate the landowner for their loss which we estimate to be £1.There is no simple way of dealing with these notices soto avoid having to do so, it is advisable that driversshould be aware that they may be on private land, tolook out for notices containing the terms and conditionsand comply accordingly.

Examples are Ealing Broadway station, McDonald’scar parks, shopping centres, motorway service areas,airports, industrial estates, and business centres.

Hope that is helpful.

John Vigus.

WARREN LEWIS, a Radio Taxisdriver for more than thirty years,had been working late thatSaturday night in 2003 and wellinto the early hours of Sundaymorning.

As he lay sleeping in bed at his Redbridgehome, his wife Janice was woken-up at 7amby the repeated chimes of their door bell.She was surprised to find one of Warren’scousins standing on the doorstep asking tospeak urgently with Warren. The cousinhad come all the way from North London,so at this early hour of the morning Janicethought maybe someone had died so she

asked what was wrong? The cousin would only say they wanted to speak to Warren urgently; Janice said hewas sleeping and she was not going to wake him after his late night unless she knew what it was all aboutfirst. Still the cousin refused to say anything so Janice called her son Adam, who lived a few streets away; hecame by within a couple of minutes. What was about to be revealed would not only change the life of aJewish taxi driver from London’s East End, but also that of a Baptist minister born in the Welsh countryside.

Derek Overfield was born in 1944 in a small mining community in South Wales where his father Albertworked in a colliery and his mother Elsie was always in bad health, from Derek’s earliest recollections.By the time Derek was fourteen his mother Elsie had died and by the time he had turned nineteen his fatherdied too. Derek spent most of his childhood being brought up by an aunt and uncle which he confesseswere the unhappiest years of his life. His aunt just could not relate to having a teenager around the house,having had no children herself. When Derek’s father died his aunt asked him to leave, already deeplyunhappy, he was about to be dealt another blow! In order for Derek to claim his inheritance he needed abirth certificate, the local solicitor Mr Griffiths sent off for a copy and then called Derek to his office.As Derek entered the office on a cold January expecting to receive his inheritance money he was informedthat they did not know who he was. He discovered there and then that he, Derek Overfield did not exist.It was like someone had cut away nineteen years of his life, left in a daze and not knowing where to go.If Derek Overfield did not exist then who was he and why had he been taken in by the Overfields?

Mr Griffiths the solicitor began making inquiries about Derek in the village and he was given varioussuggestions including that Derek’s mother was older than his father and being a virile young man he was offhaving affairs. Mr Griffiths uncovered a document drawn up by the man Derek thought was his father, itappeared however, to confirm that Derek was not even his own son!

Since then Derek had been searching a long time for his identity, when in 1983 he got hold of a birthcertificate of a child born on the same day as himself, in a hospital in South Wales not far from where he wasbrought up. The child on the birth certificate was Peter Lewis, Peter Lewis’s mother was recorded as beingHester Cohen (Lewis) and his father was reported as being Dick Lewis, although Dick was away in the Armyfighting in the war at this time and had been for some years. The person in charge of Peter Lewis wasrecorded as Fanny Bernstein, Cohen and Bernstein were Jewish names which suggest the child was Jewish.

When Derek came to live in Hampshire in 1997 he went on the internet and started searching for Jewishfamily websites. It was on one of those sites that Derek’s second cousin found connections with the Cohen’sand Bernstein’s, which he emailed to Derek.

There was a discovery of a family member who was just fourteen at the time of the pregnancy when shewas evacuated along with Hester Lewis to South Wales. Derek explained; “My mother Hester had come toWales from London to avoid the bombing and had brought with her three of her nephews and nieces the oldestof which was fourteen at the time and of course she remembered my mother, she told us what had happened,that Hester fell pregnant and in due course a child was born. Peter was given away for ‘adoption’ and the cousinwas warned not to tell anybody and she didn’t, she kept the secret to herself for fifty-nine years.” Derek went onto say “The cousin with the secret was discovered living in Israel when she was contacted by us in November2003. We explained there was a problem; we had found someone who claims to be a member of the family.She ultimately divulged her secret that Peter or Derek as he was now called was the first born child of Hester

12

BrotherlyLove

Cohen and that he also had a brother Warren who had been born after the war and that was it!”After the discovery was made Derek travelled the 180 miles from Andover in Hampshire to meet with his

long lost brother Warren. “Although we are really half brothers Warren and I count ourselves as real brothers.Our immediate family, Warren’s wife and children and my wife and our daughter regard us as full family members.”

Speaking to both Warren and his brother Rev Derek Overfield, a retired Baptist minister who now works asa chaplain to the head quarters of the British Army; he is also chaplain to the Ministry of Defence as well as theHampshire Fire Service, I found they both have no remorse at all towards their mother. Warren said he wasdisappointed that his mother did not leave a message with solicitors or a letter with someone to explain whathad happened and Derek is still left wondering who his real father is.

When Warren’s daughter Laura married son-in-law Daniel, Uncle Derek Overfield blessed and marriedthem in a civil service. Warren told me a story of his son-in-law Daniel’s father who’d had a major stroke aboutnine years ago. Before his stroke he had been fit and healthy working as an engineer with Coca Cola. “Daniel’sfamily are not Jewish, not that it makes any difference” he recalled. “As Daniels father Andrew was lying criticallyill he asked me if Derek would say a prayer for him. I got Derek on the phone and he spoke to Daniel’s dad for twohours, remarkably, since that call, Andrew has made an amazing 85% – 90% recovery. He has since met Derek onmany occasions.”

Warren’s son Adam married the daughter of Radio Taxis long term Mountview driver and erstwhiledespatcher Ray Waxman. Recently Warren and wife Janice celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with afamily get together at the Morello Restaurant in Woodford, which of course included Derek and his wife anddaughter.

Warren told me “People often ask if I keep in touch with Derek, well of course I do! You know one of thefunniest things to have happened; just after the TV documentary called ‘Becoming a Jew’ was shown, I was on therank at Victoria Station, when a cab driver “built like a proverbial brick-house” came over to me and said; ‘I wantto talk to you – I saw your film on TV and I just wanted to give you a big hug’ and he picked me up off the ground.He was a complete stranger to me and do you know what? I have never seen him again!”

Roger Sligo

Postscript: BBC Channel 4 made a TV documentary about Warren and Derek “Becoming A Jew” which was firstbroadcast on 12th October 2004. Directed and filmed by Emily Conroy.

13

The Lewis/Overfield family picture –Left to Right: Derek’s wife Hilary – Warren Lewis – Reverend Derek Overfield – Warren’s wife Janice – Derek’s daughter Carys.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND THElatest gadgets, will this affect me or willall this skip past me and I won’t evennotice? Maybe you think that you don’twant this new technology, but lets havea look at some things you may alreadyhave that you didn’t think you wouldwant when they first came out.

SAT-NAV CITY?Sat-Nav, judging by theamount of cabs I see with aSat-Nav, a lot of drivers findthese very useful, not so muchin town, but if you are lucky

enough to have a long journey the passenger can giveyou the post code tap, it into the Sat-Nav and away yougo. Especially if the passenger falls asleep in the back orthey don’t know where they are going. An electronicA-Z beats looking through a hardback A-Z in the darkwith a magnifying glass; especially when with a few tapsof a button you can find what you are looking for on adigital screen all lit up and you can zoom in and outeasily, they can even track where you are.

THOSE CLEVERMOBILES Mobiles phones from 1990 to2011 grew from 12.4 millionto over 6 billion mobilesubscriptions worldwide, soI am confident that at least99% of you have a mobile by

now. This is going to be even more important to younow, as with our App jobs, passengers will be able tocontact you directly and visa versa. So if you think wedon’t have your correct mobile number, please contactus straight away so that we can update our records.Mobiles are getting even cleverer; you can now order atakeaway, book a ticket to a theatre or measure yourblood pressure using your phone, not to mention booka taxi. So what will be next the next big thing?

NOW THERE’S SMART TV’sSmart TV’s are currently on sale now but what are they?A Smart TV is any TV that has internet access built inallowing it to access a range of online services including

video on demand, social networking and instantmessaging. Some Smart TV’s even have full internetbrowsing and come preloaded with everyone’s favouritetopic of the moment, App’s, such as iPlayer andYouTube. So from now on you could be watching thefootball and order a pizza for halftime all from your TVwhile sitting on the sofa.

GOOGLE GLASSES Google Glasses are still in development and likely to belaunched at the end of the year at the earliest but whatis it? This really is a new technology that has comestraight from the pages of a Sci-fi movie. Google Glass isan attempt to free data from desktop computers andportable devices like phones and tablets, and place itright in front of your eyes.

Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, display,touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacleframes so that you can perch a display in your field ofvision, film, take pictures, search and translate on thego. Google Glass can also provide sound, with bone-induction technology. This vibrates your skull to createsound, which is both more grisly sounding but muchless cumbersome than traditional headphones. It’s stillvery much in the early stages, but maybe before long youwill be getting your sat-nav, work dispatched, e-mails ormaybe even chatting to a Chinese passenger and gettingthe translation of their speech instantly for you on thescreen, all from your glasses.

Is Glass cool and entirely novel? Yes, it certainly is.Is it a device that will change lives, or even just proveuseful to the average consumer? That’s doubtful, but itcould be the future.

14

Modern Technology–where is it going?Technical Report by Dan Ellis.

15

Operational update ofthe London UndergroundAccount...

THE LONDON UNDERGROUND ACCOUNT(LUL) as many of you know, carries staffto and from stations when they close atnight and when they re-open in themorning. Therefore it is important thatwe do this work as efficiently aspossible. We are responsible for thestations opening and the undergroundtrains running.

So may I start by asking all of you to please makeabsolutely sure that you read your driver notes fully andthus pick up all the passengers?

Another issue very occasionally, is that some driversare not sending a delay advise if they are running late,this is enormously important as there may be a knockon effect to the other passengers that you have to pick-up en route.

Remember that the pick-up for a station is notnecessarily where you think it would be and you willneed to refer to your LUL calling point’s sheet. If youdon’t have one or if you have a very old one, pleasecontact driver services who will always be happy toeither send or email one to you.

If you have not yet given Driver Services your emailaddress, then contact them on driverservices@radiotaxis.co.uk

It is vital that we maintain the high level of servicethat we give this account, they use us virtually every dayof the year and provide us with much needed work,especially for you night and early morning drivers.This is particularly true at weekends when there arefewer drivers out and coverage is challenging.

However, I would also very much like to direct agenuine thank-you to all the drivers that cover thisaccount, you do a magnificent job and you do itthroughout the year.

WESTMINSTER ACCOUNTThe Westminster account that transports special needschildren to and from school is another account thatneeds particular attention to the details that you receiveon your terminal.

Under no circumstances should you change thedestination or deviate from the instructions youreceive, if instructed by either the escort or the child.

Only the office can authorise these changes.Again, occasionally some drivers are not sending a

Delay Advise if they are running late, it is very

important that you do send one even if it is only for afew minutes as this enables the schools to take theappropriate action to safeguard these children.

Again I know that you do an excellent job coveringthis unusual account, well done and thank you.

NEW SOFTWAREWe are currently rolling out new software for driversterminals, there is no need to come to Station Road asthis can usually be done automatically direct to yourterminal.

We have repositioned the OK button if you receive amessage during a job offer; this prevents youaccidentally accepting a job unintentionally.

When you receive the “Have you made contact?’’message you now have a number of options not just“Yes” or “No” as before.

When you press “Arrive” and the passenger hasrequested “Advise Arrival” you will not need to pressAA and you will get a message saying that the passengerhas been advised.

If you do not get this message when you press“Arrive” and you want us to call the passenger you willonly then need to press AA as you do now.

There are other smaller changes to the softwarewhich we hope will further improve the service to youand to the customer.

Be Lucky.

Alan J FranksGroup Operations Director.

16

NO, THIS IS NOT AN ARTICLE ON PARKING – NFC standsfor Near Field Communication and is a set of standards forsmartphones and similar devices to establishcommunication with each other by touching themtogether or bringing them very close, usually no more thana few millimeters apart.

In other words you put your smartphone up close to an image on a label oradvertisement and the phone will read the “chip” embedded in the ad and direct the phoneto a specific downloadable App or web address. This is all very clever stuff to me but it’sjust another day to anybody under 40 years old.

We at Radio Taxis will soon be sending out NFC stickers to all our drivers withinstructions about “exactly” where the stickers must be fitted (otherwise you mayencounter the wrath of (PCO)TPH). These stickers will enable passengers to place theirmobile device next to them and direct the device to download the Radio Taxis App.Once this App is on the phone the user will be able to order a taxi with a single press onthe App button and will use our service again and again.

NFC By Steve Cooper

The Radio Taxis NFC sticker – one to be placed on each side of the passenger compartment of your cab.

download the App or scan

http://bit.ly/radiotaxis

Tap here

17

Carb

onNe

utral® taxis that don’t cost the earth

Download theApp

So, these stickers are functional as well aspromotional. As mentioned there is a chip embedded inthe label and “most” smartphone users are familiar withNFC technology and how it works. Please ensure thatyou fit these two stickers alongside the arm rests in the

back of your taxi so that your passengers can downloadthe Radio Taxis App. This App will bring you work sothere is absolutely no reason for you not to fit these twosmall stickers in your cab – please do it straight away asyou will be helping us to generate more work.

Download theApp

CarbonNeutral® taxis that don’t cost theearth

18

Message from Ken Livingstone

I would like to wish Radio Taxis and all the staff many congratulations on its60th anniversary.

This former drivers’ co-operative has been invaluable to Londoners over theyears and provided excellent and efficient transport throughout the 2012Olympic Games. I am also very pleased that it was the first taxi firm to becomeCarbonNeutral and is a major part of London’s transport sector.

Letters and M

19

Dear Geoffrey,

I would like to take this opportunity to convey the best wishes of everyone atComputer Cab plc to the Directors, Management, Staff and Drivers at RadioTaxis Group on the occasion of the company’s 60th Anniversary.

In this day and age, to mark up such a notable milestone is no mean feat, andit is a testament to all concerned in the business over the past 60 years thatRadio Taxis is able to commemorate such a remarkable achievement.

When the company first formed in 1953, Eisenhower was President of theUnited States, the Cold War was in full swing, Ian Fleming published his firstJames Bond novel and, of course, there was the Coronation of Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.

In many ways the world has changed immeasurably, in other ways less so.It has been the ability of Radio Taxis to adapt to changing times that sees thefirm still going strong today.

Just as our Queen has celebrated her Diamond anniversary so too does RadioTaxis Group. Diamonds are renowned for their toughness and resistance towear. How appropriate when Radio Taxis has weathered so many years ofchange and remains steadfast and strong.

It’s important on such momentous occasions to also consider those who helpedbuild the business over the years, many of whom are now longer with us, ourthoughts extend to the families of those now departed, who should be proud ofwhat those early pioneers achieved.

Our most sincere congratulations to you all, enjoy the Diamond celebrations!

Warmest Regards

Malcolm PaiceGeneral ManagerComputer Cab plc

essages of Congratulations

Post scriptFor 20 years, whenever any driver who has been on thecircuit retires, I write to them, thanking them for theiryears of service as a Radio Taxis driver.

Occasionally I hear back, here is a nice response fromone of our erstwhile colleagues.

Geoffrey Riesel

20

Roger Sligo on themysteries of hidden London

CuriosityCornerCuriosityCorner

The Dog and PotSOMETIMES NEW CURIOSITIES APPEAR overnight on ourstreets which were not there before, as in the case of theDog and Pot. Since December 2012, opposite the new TfLPalestra House on the corner of Blackfriars Road andUnion Street you would have certainly noticed the effigyof a dog licking inside a pot.

This replica of a distinctive shop sign was well known to CharlesDickens and was therefore erected as part of the celebrations for theauthors’ bicentenary year. The original sign of the ‘Dog and Pot’belonged to the ironmongers Messrs’ J.W Cunningham & Co, tradingat number 196 Blackfriars Road, from where it was mounted on abracket that projected from this corner during the 18th century rightup until 1931.

Dickens passed it regularly in the 1820’s as he walked home fromhis work in a Blacking Factory at Hungerford Steps Charing Cross, onthe way home to his lodgings in Lant Street. The ‘Dog and Pot’ imageswere also to be seen on the pavement outside the ironmongers, cast intheir factory as coalhole covers. The sign is referred to by Dickens in aletter, which he wrote to his friend and biographer John Forster during1847 which features in the book “The Life of Charles Dickens.”

He wrote; “My usual way home over Blackfriars Bridge and downthat turning in Blackfriars Road which has Rowland Hill’s chapel(Palestra now stands on the site) on one side and the likeness of agolden dog licking a golden pot over a shop door on the other.”

The sculpture we see today is an exact replica of the original sign,(the original brass and wood sign was sold during the demolition work in 1931 and is now ondisplay in the Cuming Museum) carved in wood, standing on abracket, mounted on a tall reclaimed Victorian Lamppost. Below is aninscription incised in stone by Dickens (which I have just quoted)together with an original coalhole cover in a circular area defined byVictorian-style railings, with the gardens of Nelson Square behind:Looking much more pleasant than the hostile looking CCTV cameramounted almost opposite our canine curiosity, I wonder what the“Dickens” Charles would have written about that thing!

THIS BUILDING WAS DESIGNEDby a Michelin employee FrançoisEspinasse as the first London HQ,with the construction starting inAugust 1910, and officiallyopening on 20th January 1911.

It served as a central London tyre fitting bay until1985 when Michelin decided to move to a newlocation.

In August 1985 Michelin House was sold toSir Terence Conran and Paul Hamlyn for £8M.

It was to re-open as the restaurant and barBibendum in August 1987. This glorious Art-Nouveau style building still houses the BibendumRestaurant & Oyster Bar with its beautiful tiled wallsand still has that French feel with a green Citroën vanthat is usually parked in the old loading bay.

First Published online in Curiosity Corner E-ViewMagazine August 2011.

The Michelin Building

The Michelin Man looking out from the top window

21

22

IT PROBABLY SEEMS INCREDIBLEto some that this year’s AnnualGeneral Meeting of shareholders ofRadio Taxis Group Limited, held on21 May, was the tenth in the seriessince demutualisation in 2004.

Attendance at most AGM’s of even smallish PLC’s is not typicallythat large even with a move towards shareholder activation over issuessuch as pay and pay-offs for directors. The AGM on 21 May 2013 washeld, as in recent years, at Mountview House. It was attended by all thedirectors including non-execs Stephen Greene and Brian McBride,the latter flying in again from the USA and then Brian staying on tojoin us at the European Radio Taxis Association (ERTA) conferencethat Radio Taxis was hosted immediately after the AGM this year.

Of the other shareholders attending, a handful of drivers show upand about the same number of RTG staff who are also shareholders.This small but quite intimate gathering first gets to hear the Chairman’ssnapshot review of the last year. This is coupled with a glimpse offuture plans and activities. It is not an occasion for speculation aboutwhat might happen as officers of companies have a duty not tomisrepresent or mislead when making statements to investors and theBoard are prudent in this regard.

Once Geoffrey Riesel finishes his review, shareholders are thengiven the opportunity to ask questions relating to the review and to theresolutions. This is the point when in other well-known companiesthey receive publicity over shareholders complaining about directors’bonuses, environmental issues and the sizing of clothes by retailers.However, at RTG AGM’s, it can feel more like an informal drivers’forum. Questions seem to consistently be mostly about operationalissues that are bothering drivers at the time, possibly there might be agripe about equipment or communications problems. This of courseshould be the time when directors are called to report on or even,occasionally be praised for the performance of the Company as theshareholder perceives it to be.

Annual General Meetings of Companies have a core of matters toconsider and other items of special business that arise from time totime. The ordinary business of the meeting is as follows:

• to receive the Annual Report of the directors and the auditedaccounts for the previous financial year together with thereport of the auditors

• to receive and adopt the directors’ remuneration report forthe previous financial year

• to re-elect any directors who are retiring by rotation or inAccordance with the Articles of Association (this year AlanFranks and Stephen Greene) were re-elected

• to reappoint the auditors and to authorise the directors to fixtheir remuneration

All matters are dealt with by being proposed as a resolution andthen being voted on by the shareholders. They may either vote inperson or by sending in a proxy. The small numbers attending wereaugmented by the receipt of about 33% of possible valid proxies.For a shareholder register such as ours, that is fairly typical and apretty respectable response. All the proxies and indeed all thecounting of votes are handled independently by the ElectoralReform Services who specialise in the proper running of elections.

All the ordinary business of an AGM is passed by ordinaryresolutions requiring a simple majority of those voting inperson or by proxy. Votes being on the basis of one vote for eachshare held.

Special business might include such matters as altering theconstitution of the company, others known as the Articles ofAssociation or looking for authority from shareholders in relationto issuing further shares. Depending on the type of resolution, thismay require a special resolution needing a majority of not lessthan75% of the shareholders voting in person or by proxy.

It is clearly public policy as promoted by the EU and thegovernment that public companies be increasingly accountable toshareholders. At RTG although it is a private company,responsibilities to shareholders are not taken lightly, not least asdirectors themselves have also invested their own money in shares.It is a good time to sign off one year and look forward to the future.

Shares in the Company can be bought or sold by drivers on theRadio Taxis or Xeta circuits and by members of staff. This is doneby participating in the quarterly share auctions managed by TheShare Centre on the Asset Match share facility. All new joiners aresent details by The Share Centre.

Annual General MeetingMay 2013 – A brief look backBy Robert MacDonald Watson,Group Company Secretary

23

GR: Well, Victoria, thank you very much indeed foragreeing to talk to Radio Taxis. We wanted to ask youfirst about the fact that you stood for political office inLondon. You have got a marvellous understanding ofthe taxi trade through your husband who was veryclosely involved in the industry with his connectionwith London Taxi International, producing the iconicFairways and FX4 and TX vehicles. What view did thatgive you of our London Taxi trade?

VB: Well how absolutely vital the taxi is to transport inLondon. I’m very conscious that they are part of theimportant transport mix we have. Yes of course mostpeople now take the tube and bus but taxis definitelyhave an important role to play, particularly now they areaccessible for people with prams, wheelchairs or that haveany mobility needs.

GR: Let’s talk about your observations of 2013 andwhere we stand now looking to the future. What doyou think the taxi industry most needs to address toremain at the forefront of London life?

VB: I think it is so important to have the Knowledge.Visitors come to Britain and then they go away and theysay that London cab drivers are the best in the worldbecause they always know their way around. So, thereally important point is that there must not be anyreduction in standards. People have expectations;Londoners have expectations of the taxi and of taxidrivers. I think that the fact that they always know theway and that you’re safe in a taxi is so important. Thefirst thing I am committed to is the high standards thatyou very much promote as part of the taxi industry.

GR: Victoria, you have been involved in politics inLondon for many years in fact I know you stood in theoriginal election against Boris to be the Mayoralcandidate. Looking back do you believe that creating aMayor and a Government structure, specifically forLondon, has been a success?

VB: Well quite interestingly, if you look at the statistics,once the GLA came into creation again both with KenLivingstone and then of course now with Boris, we haveseen an upturn in London’s economy. That’s good forLondon, and therefore that’s good for the cab trade.

We are seeing continued population growth; thepopulation of London is now over 8 million. Yes ofcourse, that’s brought additional problems, particularly

with housing and jobs and infrastructure, but actuallyLondon is booming in comparison with the rest ofBritain, so I think this is the most exciting city, I think itis the best capital city in the world and as we know, wedo more business in London than anywhere else in thecountry, so it is really important that we make sure thatwe have London’s infrastructure right.

GR: What would you say Victoria are the GLA and theMayoralties biggest priorities for now and in theimmediate future?

VB: Well, as an overall importance, the big thing is toimprove London’s economy and to get people back towork and obviously then the most important thing is toimprove London’s transport infrastructure so that peoplecan travel easily. Then there’s the housing crisis toaddress, so there’s lots of quite important strategic pointsfor Boris to work on.

But if we are talking about taxis as part of thetransport mix, I think we are obviously going to continueto see inevitable changes over the next few years in theemissions standards with the rules and regulations set byEurope. We are going to have to bite that bullet howevermuch we love our older and iconic taxis, we are going tohave to move forward and to see how we can help reducethe emissions and that’s also better for the driver.Drivers too are breathing in London’s air, just as much astheir vehicle puts out those emissions so we must helpmake those taxi drivers healthier as well.

GR: Can you tell us a little bit about the role of whatit is like to be a Deputy Mayor, in other words, whatdoes it entail on a day to day basis?

VB: Well of course it is a fantastic honour to be DeputyMajor to Boris, it is tremendous fun! I couldn’t feel moreprivileged. It’s very busy. Often there are things sevendays a week whether it is over at City Hall, meeting andgreeting people on the Mayor’s behalf. For example evenyesterday we had a delegation of 50 Russians who cameas part of a sort of friendship mission and learning aboutLondon government.

Boris was there so we popped down to his office andsaid hello and he greeted them all and they sat down andasked some quite important questions about thefinancing of London, our relationship with Londoncouncils and the different tiers of government.

Then there’s going out and meeting people. Sadly, ofcourse, sometimes visiting the bereaved and visiting thosethat have been victims of crime in London. But there arefun events too; going to festivals, cultural events, all sortsof things, it is amazing. If I think back over the last week,I’ve been looking at potential sites for museums orregeneration projects, potential sites for new schools –

Geoffrey Riesel interviews theDeputy Mayor of London –Lady Victoria Borwick

24

academy’s and just generally going out.I went to see the air ambulance recently. In London

we only have one air ambulance whereas most capitalcities have more and so I wanted to go and have a look atthat so that I could do a report for Boris on how we canhelp them raise some more money in order to get anotherair ambulance because the air ambulance saves lives.I have also been to the London Lifeboat station and youknow the London Lifeboat Station, despite us being anisland, the London Lifeboat is busier than any otherlifeboat station around the country. So, don’t fall into theThames anybody because they are quite busy enough!

GR: Is it true to say that as Deputy Mayor you are aheartbeat away from the Mayoralty, I mean if Boris let’ssay were to be ‘indisposed’, does that mean you are incharge?

VB: Well yes it works rather like the American systemwhere as you know if the Mayor is out of the country,then I so to speak, step up to the plate and obviouslyI was very worried that day when Boris got stuck on thatzip wire but I am happy to say that it was a happyending and Boris was back on land nice and soon soI didn’t have to step up on that occasion.

GR: I want to ask you a little bit about Boris himself.Does he listen to you when you tell him to do thingsdifferently? Is he prepared to hear what you have to say?

VB: He certainly always turns to me and says ‘Victoriahave you got a view on something?’ If I have said, ‘LookBoris I have been to visit these people’ or I have been totalk to these people. Yes, I have not found it a problem Iam rather a meticulous sort of person, I pay greatattention to detail and as I think was said in one of LadyThatcher’s speeches, if you want someone to speak ask aman, but if you want something done, ask a woman.That is very much my mantra. I do go and try to makesure that I am well briefed and therefore I can pass onany one of those briefings or any of the information toBoris which may well help him in his final decisionmaking.

GR: Plans for the future? Would you like to be Mayorone day when Boris goes off and maybe becomes PrimeMinister?

VB: Well that is for the electorate to decide. I am justvery much enjoying the honour of being Deputy andworking very hard and I am enjoying it very much.If people decide that I am a candidate well then so be it

but at the moment I am having a great time supportingBoris.

GR: We are riding in a Mercedes Vito Taxi. What doyou think of the fact that there are new taxis on thestreets of London other than the traditional ones?

VB: Well, initially I was a bit resistant because havingalways grown up with the traditional taxi I think thatwas where my heart lay*. (*Lady Victoria Borwick’s latefather was Dennis Poore, an erstwhile racing driver,entrepreneur and owner of Manganese Bronze. Then ofcourse husband Jamie Borwick headed up thatorganisation) And of course you know. But actuallyhaving got into the Vito and heard what the drivers havesaid I think it has been very well received. It has certainlygot more room, six people can sit in comfort, the driversenjoy driving it and I think generally it is very good.

I do however, slightly resent the fact that I do notseem to be able to open the window and of course Imiss what we used to have in London taxis which was alittle mirror in the passenger compartment, but that isa personal point. Overall it is a great vehicle and Iknow that those taxi drivers that have tried them havereported back a very good service, a very good vehicleto drive around London.

GR: Finally, if I may, have you got a message for RadioTaxis drivers, it’s staff and of course it’s customers on thisthe 60th Anniversary year of Radio Taxis’s inception?

VB: Keep up the good work and I know and I want tosay it again about the amazing charity work that youall do which is really valued. We are all very aware thattaxis drivers have hearts of gold, you are the best taxidrivers in the world, so customers keep booking withRadio Taxis and Radio Taxis keep working as hard asyou do and thank you for all you do.

GR: Deputy Mayor of London, Victoria Borwick,thank you very much indeed.

VB: Thank you.

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Tea at the Mayor’s PantryThe Royal Borough of Kensingtonand Chelsea is one of London’smost popular and expensive placesto live. The Town Hall takes uptwo streets, Hornton Street andCampden Hill Road dominatingthe surrounding area, even with allthe large houses and shoppingarcades close by. Could such arelatively new structure, whichSir Basil Spence wascommissioned to design, officiallyopening on 31st May 1977, have

anything hidden away for curiosity seekers? I was invited to visit The Mayor’s Parlour in the Town Hall by

Boris Johnson’s deputy Mayor of London, Victoria Borwick.I was greeted in reception by Jim Babbington, Civil Officer and

Private Secretary to the Mayor, who also has a keen interest inhistory and therefore a good person to show me around.

He began by explaining about the Mayor’s Parlour, which wasoriginally built very much in the style of the seventies with low chunkysofas and geometric pattern carpets. About twelve years ago it wasdecided it needed refreshing so it now has gold furniture and vivid bluecarpets, with very adaptable space and the wooden panels being able tobe moved back and forth, making much more space when needed.

“You could easily do a reception for three-hundred people, on theother hand you could have a small meeting with half a dozen people

around the table, and it all works very well.” Jim assured me.The reason Kensington is a Royal Borough is because it was the wishof Queen Victoria who was born in Kensington Palace on 24 May1819, living there until she was eighteen, when one morning twohorses rode up, one containing the Prime Minister and the other theArchbishop of Canterbury, to announce that her uncle had died andshe was now Queen. There are now four Royal Borough’s;Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston, Windsor and Maidenhead; and last

year to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee; Greenwich was also madeinto a Royal Borough.

In the Town Hall display cabinet are two Maces one for Chelseaand the other for Kensington there are also two Mayors’ chains onefor each borough. “Maces date back to medieval times when thewealthy would have someone carrying a solid wood pole and they wereoriginally used for protection.

While their staff were waiting around, they would carve thesethings and some of them became intricate designs. Eventually theybecame symbols of authority instead of being used as weapons and thatis why the Mayor now has one.” Jim went on to say, “On the shelfabove is a wonderful silver fruit bowl which was apparently found in askip outside the old town hall and the dish had been painted black sonobody had any idea what it was worth. It was cleaned up and given tothe Mayor’s Pantry and over the course of time all records have beenlost as to who had donated it in the first place!” Jim explained that“The Victoria and Albert Museum have said it is a very rare piece anddates from the middle of the seventeenth-century.”

Coats of arms in their collection date back to 1901 when the firstMayor of Kensington was elected. Some coat of arms have symbolsadded either through name or trade link. For instance E. P. Tomlinwas a baker with a Wheatsheaf added on top, John Cox had an apple– Coxes Apples, Christmas had a holly. Jim said “Take a look at thisone belonging to Tim Ahearn; he had a half moon added to his one.When we asked him why a half moon? He replied with; Ahearn,Ahearn-i-a scar, the half moon represents the hernia scar.” Jim saidthere are a few more like that where some of them are funny. VictoriaBorwick explained “I like some of the older ones; the nineteen-hundredsare just fantastic. Every Town Hall has their own collection; we all havesuch wonderful history.” Here are also the military shields like the SAS,Special Air Service. I pointed out one with the Guinness Harp logo –“That’s the London Irish” Victoria said.

I was then shown the Council Chambers which look a little like theGeneva Conference Centre with all the microphones. Once every sixweeks the full council meets with the Mayor seated up on the top.“It looks really lovely when it’s set up” Victoria explained.

“Councillor Christopher Buckmaster is the current Mayor. He hasthe honour of being one of only a few Mayor’s to have been Mayortwice, which is excellent with the significant year we have just had withthe Queens’ Jubilee and the Olympics’ they wanted someone who wouldbe a good representative of the borough, so he was chosen and both heand his wife, the Mayoress have been wonderful.”

The three of us went back into the Mayor’s Pantry where wesettled back with coffee, tea and biscuits with a chat before I tooksome photographs.

My special thanks to both Victoria and Jim for making me mostwelcome on my visit.Roger Sligo.

COATS OF ARMS

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Conference Centre

Account Twitter Name Top Tweet

Elizabeth Windsor @Queen_UK Having given a great deal of careful thought torecommendations to increase MPs salaries, one has decided that they can sod off.

Soccer Guy – Expert soccer journalist, @usasoccerguy So, the Ashes are just some dead guy that gotespecially on the English EPL League burnt real bad playing this ‘cricket’ sport, right?

You Brits got some real crazy sports!

Wenger Knows Best – My players @wengerknowsbest We’re back in training today. I must tell you,have top quality, exceptional this group has exceptional sun tans, outstandingcharacter & an outstanding attitude. haircuts and poses of top, top quality.Theydrop little bit physically inthe second half but have great mental strength.

HRH Prince Charles of Wales – @Charles_HRH The Emir of Qatar has handed over power to hisFuture King, husband to Camilla, son. It’s absolutely wonderful what some parentsDuchess of Cornwall, father to do for their children.William and Harry.

Harry Redknapp – Currently the @hazza_redknapp Not been on Twitter much as I’m trying toQPR manager, either until we get copyright talking to people out of the carrelegated or something better window..!comes along.

Angela Merkel (not) – @Queen_Europe We should definitely complain about US snooping,Fake Chancellor of Germany, not getting nearly enough dirt about @FHollandeChairwoman of the CDU, member of the Bundestag, hand gesture icon,velvet jacket aficionado, exasperated,NOT panicking.

Not Roger Federer – Humble tennis @PseudoFed FYI everybody fans. 5 is the new number 1player. Everybody says the best player #excited #seedlingsever and I like to agree. All opinionsand tweets are #humble™

26

TWITTER IS A GREAT TOOLfor staying in touch withnews about London. I knowincreasingly, drivers are findingit a useful service when they

are out on the road.In past editions Mountview News has given you tips aboutTwitter accounts to follow that provide helpful information toassist with the job of being a taxi driver and keep you on topof current events.

But Twitter is also a good source of fun and entertainmentand there are lots of accounts you can follow that will bring a

smile to the day.If you’re a regular on Twitter, you’ve probably come across

a few famous celebrities on the social network with massivefollowings and verified accounts. But that’s not all there is tocelebrities on Twitter.

There have been some witty and creative people who havetaken on the personalities of some of the most well-knowncelebs and fictional characters, successfully turning them intofunny parodies for everyone to enjoy.

Here below, Radio Taxis lists someof the more fun parody accounts foryou to try:

Is that really them? – Some fun Twitter parodiesby @radiotaxis_boss

16 Pints ofBeer for a £1By Gordon Brown,Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director.

FOR THIS ARTICLE OF MVN I have beenasked to look at the economy in 1953when Radio Taxis was formed. As I wasstill a twinkle in my mother’s eye at thattime, I got some help from our friend themonolith which is Google for much of myinformation. So for those of you out therewho can actually remember those days(and according to our records there are afew!) please accept my apologies if thereare any errors.

Obviously the first place to start is down the pub!A pint of decent real ale (none of this lager nonsensethen) would have cost 1s and 3d (6p) which equates to16 pints for a £1.

Sounds great value, though there are two problems:pubs were only open from 11am until 2.40pm and then5pm until 10.30pm so I’d have had to drink very fast tospend my £1.

The other problem would be my earnings – theweekly wage as it was called then, was just over £9 for a45 hour working week (for any working women it wasjust £5!)

For the London Taxi trade – there were about 5,500taxis at the time with only around430 being on radio – you wouldhave had a flag fall of 1s 3d (theprice of a pint again!) for 3/5thsof a mile with each 1/5th of amile then costing another 3d(11/4 p) for each click of themeter and similarly 3d for 21/2

minutes waiting (about 30p anhour). However, you would

have earned an extra 6d for each passenger and an extra3d for each piece of luggage.

You would also have probably been driving anAustin FX3 “Gold Seal” petrol engine taxi that wouldhave cost you £1,319 brand new if you were mushing,or probably it’s the price the fleet garages would havepaid as most were rented out to journeymen. To buy acab you used to have to leave a £10 deposit with Mann& Overton of Wandsworth Bridge Road and then waitabout a year for your cab to come through. Your brandnew FX3. It would have done 17 mpg and a gallon ofpetrol would have set you back 4s 4d (22p)

Also you needed about a third deposit because of

credit regulations, another reason why there were somany journeymen and most cabs were rented out “onthe clock” back then. Also most cabs were doubled andsome were even trebled.

As a journeyman, it meant that you got apercentage of the fare and of the extras the “Guvnor”(or the “Master”) got the rest and to be frank, thepractice of “stalking,” which was not engaging the meterfor a journey, was not unheard of! The word is that oneEast End fleet owner said to a driver, “do me a favourSid, do a few jobs for me tonight!”

If you were lucky enough to own a home (manyrented) it would have cost you £2,750 with a mortgagebased on a base rate of 4%.

The roads would also have been a lot quieter –there were only 3m cars and vans (now there are 26m!)though it was a bit riskier as there were just over 5,000deaths per annum (now under 3,000)

If you had decided not to become a taxi driver, thenthere was a very good chance of being employed asthere were only 380,000 people unemployed – althoughthis figure didn’t include most women who wereregarded at the time as ‘economically inactive’. Youwould have retired at age 65 but with a life expectancyat 66 years (71 for women) you wouldn’t have had toworry too much about your pension!

The dentistry business was probably just about topick up as they stopped the rationing of sweets in 1953(sugar had been in short supply) and personally Iwouldn’t have recommended a holiday to Australia byplane as the flight would have taken 53 hours.

Most average Britons went on holiday in thiscountry as the package holiday and flight abroad wasstill more than ten years away.

The last bit now – and back to business – the firstcredit card (Diners Club) came to the UK in 1953 andunbelievably there are a few taxi drivers that even now(they must think it’s still1953) don’t want to accept anycards today – so not much change really!

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London Taxis 1953

Looking Back at Sport in 1953VINCENT LOMBARDI AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL player,coach and executive is quoted as saying “If winning isn’teverything, why do they keep score?” In our 1953sporting timeline we are looking back at some of thewinners throughout that glorious year.

The 1953 FA Cup Final, also known as the Matthews Final, was the eighth tobe held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War. The football matchwas contested between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers, with Blackpoolwinning 4-3.

The match became famous for the performance of Blackpool winger StanleyMatthews, after whom it was nicknamed. It remains the only Wembley FA Cup Final to feature ahat-trick, scored by Blackpool’s Stan Mortensen. Blackpool was making their third FA Cupappearance in six years having been losing finalists twice, in 1948 and in 1951. It was the firstfootball match attended by the reigning monarch, Elizabeth II, who would be crowned Queen ather coronation a month later. The first division champions were Arsenal on 54 points with closerunners up Preston North End also on 54 points and just behind on goal difference. ManchesterUnited finished eighth. The other top London clubs, Tottenham Hotspur finished tenth andChelsea was fourth from bottom in what was then the first division.

The cricket season in 1953 saw the Australian cricket team tour Britain to play a five-matchTest series against England for The Ashes. England won the final Test to take the series 1-0 afterthe first four Tests were all drawn. England therefore recovered the Ashes for the first time sincelosing them in 1934. Sir Alec Victor Bedser CBE at 35, an age by which many fast bowlers have

retired from first-class cricket, demonstrated his longevity by helping Englandregain the Ashes by taking 39 wickets at an average of 17.48.

Golf Tournaments during 1953 saw golfing champion Ben Hoganentering only seven events, but winning five of them – including all three ofthe majors he enters (US Open, British Open and The Masters). It wasHogan’s fourth US Open title.

The 1953 Wimbledon Championships ran from 22 June until 3 July 1953taking place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club inWimbledon. Winner of the Men’s Singles was Kurt Nielsen of Denmark,defeating Vic Seixas of the USA with a winning score of; 9-7, 6-3, 6-4. TheWomen’s Singles was fought by two Americans with Maureen Connolly

Brinker losing to Doris Hart; 8-6, 7-5.The 1953 Grand National was the 107th renewal ofthe world-famous Grand National horse race thattook place at Aintree Racecourse on 28 March 1953.The race was won by eight-year-old Early Mist atodds of 20/1. Early Mist was the first of trainerVincent O’Brien’s three consecutive GrandNational victories, and his jockey, Bryan Marshall,would also go on to win a second successiveNational the following year on Royal Tan. Pinza(1950 – 1977) was another thoroughbred racehorseand later a sire. In a career which lasted just over ayear – from July 1952 until July 1953 – he ran seventimes and won five races. He was the best Britishcolt of his generation in 1953, when he won theEpsom Derby and the King George VI and QueenElizabeth Stakes. He was then retired to stud.

The ninety-ninth Oxford and Cambridge BoatRace of 1953 was won by Cambridge, who took theeight length lead in a recorded time of 19 minutesand 54 seconds. � Roger Sligo.

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WILL HUTTON writing recentlyabout the UK economy, observedthat economies are like “corks” thathave “inbuilt upward momentum”and like a cork the economy will“eventually bounce back to thesurface” i.e; where it would havebeen had the recession not happened. However hewent on to say that the current recovery is “theslowest recovery for more than a century”.

The ground transport market ‘cork’ is still below the surface; withdemand yet to recover to anything like pre-recession levels. There aresome positive signs that a limited degree of confidence is returning tothe corporate market; particularly in the legal sector. The Banking andFinance industry seems to be slowly loosening their spendingconstraints and our sales people are increasingly busy with pricing

proposals and tender submissions. There is also some evidence that ‘the race to the bottom,’in terms of pricing, may have started to level out, with ‘quality of service’ re-appearing as avalued consideration. However there is no doubt that the ground transport landscape haschanged fundamentally with stricter travel policies, mixed vehicle use, ‘best value’ and Apptechnology, here to stay.

Hailo and their App brethren have changed the game, through (principally) targeting theconsumer and by default, individual corporate users anxious to capitalise on technologicalconvenience and reduce ‘ancillary’ taxi charges. The question is, how do we respond? The group has developed a Mobile Booking App that allows corporate users to makebookings via their smartphones, providing all the convenience and benefits of a consumerapp, with the significant advantage of capturing the detailed passenger journey and costinginformation required by corporate clients to manage their business. This mobile bookingapp also has the advantage of being configurable to individual corporate client businessrules and requirements.

In addition we are actively developing our consumer (cash and credit card) business andto this end we also have a Consumer Taxi App ready to launch, which mirrors thefunctionality and best features of the most successful Consumer Apps in the market (asOscar Wilde said “Talent borrows, genius steals)”. We have also launched an online Taxibooking facility for cash and credit bookings on the Radio Taxis website.

A year ago we successfully delivered a ground transport solution for the 2012 OlympicGames and subsequently we have been increasingly active in promotion and placement ofour services in the public sector. After a near twelve month tender process, we have beenappointed, as the only taxi supplier, to the largest local government transport ‘framework’ inLondon. Further news of what this will mean to you will follow before long.

Additionally we have been engaged in building third party partnerships. Essentially thismeans working in partnership with other service providers to the public and private sectors– such as Travel and Facility Management Companies and specialist transport companies –to supply RTG vehicles to their customers.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that we cannot depend on the traditionalcorporate ground transport ‘cork’ recovering to pre-2008 levels of buoyancy and thereforeincreasing diversification of our business is not only a smart move but one of necessity –float on!

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Float On By Roy HughesDirector of Commercial Development

And the winner of the Summer 2013 Issue was...We had lots of witty suggestions for our Summer Issueof the Caption Contest, with the winner of the £25 M&SGift Voucher going to Tim Harlow (G54) with thecaption: “I had that Sir Michael ‘You’re only supposedto blow the bloody doors off!’ Caine in the back of mycab....” Tim wins a £25 Marks & Spencer Gift Voucher.

The Mountview News AmusingCaption Contest

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If you want a chance to win, then please send usyour caption for this picture on the leftalong with your name and call sign byemail to: mvn.editor@radiotaxis.co.ukOr send it by snail mail to:

The Editor, Mountview News CaptionContest, Mountview House, Lennox Road,London N4 3TX.

The winner will beannounced in theWinter Issue and willreceive a £25 Marks &Spencer Gift Voucher.

A Special MessageSince launching our non-fault accident, vehiclereplacement service to RTG drivers, we are pleasedto remind you that in addition to it’s own successwe are also able to extend this serviceto any RTG drivers’ family membersand friends who should require it’sbenefits.

This means that should they beinvolved in a non-fault accident, wewill provide them with a replacementvehicle so that they can continue with their dailyduties, as well as managing the repairs to their ownvehicle and dealing with any personal injury they

may have suffered.If you have any questions at all with regards to this

aspect of our service, please contact Gavin Cooperon: 07833 474 121 or by email atgavin@chiefrentals.com who willalso be pleased to hear from anydrivers with their experience of ourservice after having used us.

Finally we would like to thankeveryone involved in making this

service the success it is and look forward tofacilitating RTG and it’s drivers for the foreseeablefuture.

Give your brains a reallygood work out!

HAVE A GO AT THIS ISSUE’SSUDOKU PUZZLE!

The object is to write in the missing numbers in theempty boxes below. But to satisfy only one condition:

each row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain the digits1 through to 9 exactly once.

What could be simpler?Hooked?

Well you can find many more Sudoko puzzles online FREE by going to: www.sudoku.cc

The Mountview Puzzler PageCLUES ACROSS6. Saloon7. Having the form of a cube8. Grey10. Device for catching rats12. Plain-woven cotton cloth14. Move about restlessly16. Central part of a wheel17. Institution for mentally ill19. Within22. Inhabitant of Malta24. Sealing compound26. Pole thrown by

Scottish athletes27. Murdering

CLUES DOWN1. Helps2. Outing3. Extreme4. Protruded5. Monetary unit of Italy8. Proclaim with approval9. Christmas foliage11. Ceramic ware13. Unit of electrical resistance14. Law enforcement agency15. Reflect18. Workshop machinery20. Teat21. Student tables23. Apart25. Hue

Jotting space

???

MOUNTVIEW SUDOKU

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Mountview News – Graphic design, layout, print and distribution by DC-Graphics, Barnet: 0208 440 1155 | www.dc-graphics.co.uk

CHIEF RENTALS is proud to announce that theyhave joined forces with Radio Taxis as their mainsupplier of replacement licensed Radio Taxis fortheir drivers who find themselves involved in theunfortunate circumstance of a non-fault accident.

This specialist service enables Radio Taxis drivers who areinvolved in such an incident to get straight back to work andmore importantly, back on the Radio Taxis circuit as allreplacement vehicles supplied by Chief Rentals are fitted witha Radio Taxis terminal.

Other aspects of this exceptional service also include repairmanagement of the driver’s own vehicle as well as the handlingof all personal injury claims, either from injured drivers ortheir injured passengers.

Not only are these services available to Radio Taxis drivers,but Chief Rentals has also agreed to expand them to drivers’

families and friends who may also find themselves in a similarpredicament following a non-fault accident and requiring alike-for-like replacement vehicle.

Chief Rentals look forward to working with both RadioTaxis and their drivers long-term into the future and endeavourto provide them with an outstanding service that will keepeveryone ‘on-circuit’ and at work during difficult times.

To find out more with no obligation, please call us FREEon the number above.