Spring 2013

Celebrating60 Yearsof Radio Taxis

Spring 2013Mountv

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New

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OUR DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY YEAR

WELL CHRISTMAS IS NOW OUT OF THE WAY, we hope you all had a good one,it’s a little late but from everyone at the Credit Union we wish you and yourfamilies a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

That time has once again returned when your tax is due, for many causing big headaches trying to find the

money to pay your bill. Not for those who belong to the Credit Union as they have saved throughout the year or

have taken out a loan to pay this. We have been saying for many years that we really do not understand why

many more of you have not joined the Credit Union, the mind boggles, what are you waiting for, or perhaps you

like the headache when it comes to pay your tax or whatever else comes along. The peace of mind that those who

do belong is great with not having to worry how this is going to be paid, they know full well that all it takes is a

phone call to this office to arrange a loan or request a share withdrawal to pay those tax bills.

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

2013, or just save for a holiday, save as much or as little as you like, remember you have to be a member and save

regularly for a minimum of three months before qualifying for a loan, savings can be withdrawn anytime.

Once again we 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 income 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) CREDITUNION 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 5131.

Email: credit.union@radiotaxis.co.uk

Why not join the Credit Union now!

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

4 This Month’s ‘Ed Lines’Roger Sligo – Roving Roger reporting

8 60 Years of Radio Taxis!Geoffrey Riesel trips off down memory lane

10 1953 – A Year to RememberRoger Sligo jumps in his time machine taxi

11 Marsha MilesHer recent appointment as Customer Services Manager

12 The Affects of Taxi Apps on Radio TaxisAlan Franks talks with ‘app’itude

13 What is 4G?Dan Ellis reveals all

14 Twitter TipsGeoffrey Riesel on taxi driver tweeting techniques

15 RTG Driver’s ForumSteve Cooper on taxi drivers getting their say

16 Curiosity CornerRoger Sligo talks Kilns, Mice and Castrations!

18 Easter and all it EntailsRobert MacDonald Watson ‘eggs’plains it all

19 The Future of the High StreetGordon Brown talks shop

20 The London Cinema MuseumRoger Sligo and The Projectionist’s Dream

23 TMC or not to TMC?Roy Hughes and those travel management companies

24 What is the Farringdon Hub?Peter Gibson explains all

25 Parking EnforcementJohn Vigus parks up and gives some good advice

26 The Mountview News Caption CompetitionCome up with a funny line – win £25 of M&S Vouchers

27 The Mountview News Puzzler PageRack your brains while on the rank

MountviewNewsCONTENTS

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: © 2013 / DC-Graphics / 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 is strictly prohibited.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

3

Now don’t lose

your head over this

See pages 20 – 21

MountviewNewsCONTENTS

Now don’t lose

your head over this

See pages 20 – 21

ON THURSDAY 31ST JANUARY AT 10ammembers of London’s taxi trade were invitedto a pre-view of the NSL testing station atHeston. Due to a serious road trafficaccident during the rush hour near the JollyWaggoner’s roundabout, the whole area soonbecame gridlocked and because of thetraffic snarl-up only half of the expectedtrade representatives managed to show up.

In attendance were John Mason, Director of Taxis &Private Hire (TPH) and his Deputy Director HelenChapman. Representing NSL was Dale Wood with someother senior members of staff. The Meeting began ontime with Helen Chapman opening the meeting byannouncing that it would not be possible to walk throughthe large inspection area as the newly painted floor wasstill wet due to the weather. We could however see itthrough the viewing window where drivers will be able towatch whilst their cabs are inspected. We were informedthat all taxi licensing inspections will take place at one ofthe six inspection sites around London from the first ofMarch 2013 or in the case of Private Hire Vehicles (PHV)the 28th February. Both PHV’s and Taxis will be tested atthe same sites. The only difference between the tests forPHV’s and that for taxis, will be the need for taxis to beput on the ramps, purely for checking gearbox seals andretrofit exhaust systems and to make sure they comply.

Helen told us how TPH has reformed and modernisedsince she and John Mason first joined the Directorateback in 2009. The SGS contract had been very successfulhaving been outsourced and that it was due for renewal,so it was decided to look for alternative ways of licensing,with NSL making the most successful bid.

Bringing what was once the Public Carriage Office,with its out of date administration into the modern worldhas been no easy task. Moving into the 21st century withmodern IT systems and the new approach to vehicletesting could be what the trade has been crying out for.I spoke to one very large taxi garage owner who was nothappy with what he sees as a dropping of standards forcabs having standard MOT tests; unfortunately forgarages they may well be losing out financially from thecharges they have historically made for overhauls. Driversshould be a lot better off, after all drivers who haveregular services will only have to take their cabs to anyMOT station as they would take their private cars. If thetaxi fails, you will get the faults fixed and the taxi re-

presentedat noextra charge.The MOT certificatemust not be issued more than14 days before the NSL test. You will needto have the meter changed as normal, making sureto collect the Certificate of Taximeter Installation. Whenyou attend the NSL testing site you must take all therelevant paperwork that you would normally take, such aslog books, license plates, insurance certificate, road tax,approval notice and of course your new M.O.T withsmoke test less than 14 days old – what could be easier?

THE NSL TEST IS FOR TAXI SPECIFIC ITEMS ONLY

NSL will check over your cab whilst it stands on the floor.This is just to check things that are not a requirement forthe MOT test such as spare wheels, rear window washersand wipers, body work, interior lights, seats, taxi meterand seals, wheelchair ramps, ash trays etc. After thesechecks are carried out the taxi will go onto the ramps, asalready mentioned, for gearbox seal and retrofit exhaustschecks.

John Mason was surprised when someone asked aboutthe wheel hub caps, should they be on or off? He had notrealised that there was an issue, as SGS had alwaysinsisted that they must be removed! The spokesman ofNSL assured us all that it wouldn’t matter whether hubcaps were on or off. He said plainly that there would beno games played and there are no grey areas, for example,no meter or seal fitted would result in failure. If thebodywork is full of dents and rust and has unauthorisednotices fitted then again it will fail. If it does fail at NSLthe second test is free, however if it fails after the secondtest you will then be required to pay £102 again! You willbe able to book your NSL inspection either online or byphone, you will also eventually be able to upload yourdocuments online. The NSL test is expected to take 30minutes, it could be slightly longer at first until the staffgets used to doing the inspections.

If your plate runs out early in March make sure youbook your taxi in now because you risk missing out

4

Ed LinesNEWSNSL Testing SitesOpen from the1st of March

NSL New testing site, Heston

because there have not been the expected bookings andthere might be a backlog, so book now!

Dale Wood, sales director of NSL, began his speech byinforming us of the company background. Their HeadOffice is in Hanger Lane and they are governmentoutsourcing agents who include in their portfolio, streetenforcement, delivering hospital patients from home tohospital and then home again; they also run buses fromGatwick and Heathrow Airports and assist TfL with theCongestion Charge. Dale said how pleased he was to bedealing with the world’s renowned taxi service and heappreciates how important it is to get things running right.

Helen Chapman then said they would be takingquestions and answers; the first was involving leaks afterjust passing the MOT. We were told that if there wasvisually a substantial leak which could be either water oroil it was not for their inspectors to decide what thesubstance is and they would therefore not pass theirinspection. John Mason made it clear by giving hisabsolute assurance that they; “would not be prodding aboutto try and find things wrong. The tests that NSL conducts areper our instructions. I give my absolute assurance” said MrMason, “we are not trying to create a third MOT, we aredoing Taxi Specific checks and we are not intentionallylooking for things that are wrong, if there are things whichare obviously wrong then it will of course fail.”

When their IT system is up and running you willeventually be able to upload all documentation to theircomputer which will make it easier for driver owners andgarages alike. It is likely over the next few years thatdrivers applying for a licence online will see a reductionin the cost of renewing, simply because TPH are notallowed to make a profit and can only charge what it costsfor processing, with online bookings being cheaper inadministration costs, the savings will be passed on.

For the second MOT which is due six months after thefirst, a reminder will be sent and after the MOT test,VOSA will notify TPH that it has passed or failed. If thetaxi owner ignores the reminder a second one will be sentand if that’s not adhered to, steps will be taken to revokethe licence!

If you get a stop notice with the on street complianceofficers, if it’s a mechanical defect you will need to have anew MOT before it can be used again, which meanspaying again for the test. If however it is a bodywork stopnotice then NSL will have to pass it again and this testwill be free of charge.

Having taken a look and spoken in depth with seniormembers of TPH and NSL, I honestly believe the newsystem will save taxi owners a decent bit of money.

You do not need in future to pay large sums of moneyto have your taxi taken for passing. A normal MOT cancost as little as £25 up to £50 depending on where you go.Add the £102 fee for the NSL test and for less than £200including the 6 months tests you could save somethinglike £1,000 on a garage doing the job for you. After allyou wouldn’t pay a garage to take your car for the MOTso why would you want to for your taxi?

THE 6 SITES AT NSL ARE:� North Site – Watermill Business Park, Enfield

� South Site – Redlands Industrial Estate, Coulsdon,Surrey

� East Site – Acorn Industrial Park, Crayford, Dartford

� West Site – Air Links Industrial Estate, Hounslow

� Central East – 1 North Crescent, Canning Town

� Central West – Aquarius Business Park, Staples Corner

NSL – TESTING THE WATERS Friday 1st of March was the opening day for taxis at all thesix new TPH/NSL testing sites around London. To see howthings were going after my briefing at Heston the monthbefore, I decided to goalong to Canning Town andget some reaction first handfrom drivers. A littledisappointed to find onlyfour taxis in the parkingarea surrounded by PHcars, although there againthis is something we will have to get used to for being outnumbered, sharing the same test sites, performed by thesame examiners, to the same requirements and standards,which will forever end the years of complaining about thetreatment between us and them!

Although this was the first day for taxis, Private Hiretesting had begun the day before, although no one reallyknew apparently on both days, just what to expect. The NSLinspectors in their new smart navy blue jumpers, with thesmall royal blue logo badge on the left hand side, made themappear a little like Metropolitain Police Officers, but I had tokeep reminding myself those days were long gone and thesewere staff of a new company which had won the franchise toinspect our cabs, this time more for the comfort andcleanliness of the driver area and passenger compartmentsthan the mechanical safety aspects.

I got chatting to onetaxi driver fromEssex, James Stark,who had obtainedhis MOT from “JustTaxis” of Benfleet, afew days earlier. “Itpassed the MOT firsttime and as I’m a

customer of theirs anyway, they did the MOT test for freewithout charging me” he said. “Last year they did the overhauland took it to SGS for me and it cost over a grand, so I shouldbe quids in this year!” His appointment was at 1:30pm andbefore 2pm he had his new plates on the back of his cab ashe drove off to work. He was over the moon even though hehad to pay £159.00 instead of the £102 which is the chargeas from the 2nd April 2013 onwards, he still agreed he hashad a right result.

5

NSL at Canning Town

James Stark and his Cab

Whilst I was still waiting outside NSL I saw a brand newVito being driven by an examiner on its way to receive itsfirst plate. The rear wheel steering was being put through itspaces as the tester checked for the 25ft turning circle.

I noticed there was an MOT stationnext door advertising a “free MOT ifit fails,” so I went inside to speak tothe owner Mr David Murr whospoke with a friendly northernaccent. He told me how pleased hewas that this new NSL testing stationhad been sited bang next door to hisown garage. “I can’t believe my luck”he told me. I asked about the no win

no fee deal and he said that’s exactly what it is. “Book yourcab or car in and if it fails you owe me nothing. You are free totake it away and even if you don’t come back, that’s fine.Obviously I hope it passes, but if it fails then of course I hopeyou get the work done and bring it back to me for passing butthat’s up to you.” David assured me that there is no catch andhe is not looking to stripe you up, in fact he has got the taxiparts in stock to make any on the spot repairs. I am a fairlygood judge of character and David convinced me he wantsto be a good friend of the taxi trade and he hopes to see ussometime in the future.

I tried to make a deal for discounts on behalf of RadioTaxis and Xeta drivers, but on his £45 MOT, charged only ifthe cab passes, this was not an option. Where I did strike upa good deal though was after explaining stop notices – that ifyour cab gets an on-street mechanical stop notice from acompliance officer (you will need another new MOT to getit removed) he has offered an exclusive RTG half price MOT(£22.50) deal to get you back on the road.

So what do I think of the new NSL with two MOT tests ayear? I think at last we are free to go where we please and betested by whom we like – it will save us all plenty of moneythat’s for sure! The only ones who will not be too happywith the new set up are the garages who will lose the blankcheques we have all had to write to keep our cabs on theroad. I think TPH has given us all the chance to save money.Credit where credit is due; they have stuck their necks outand released us from some of the bureaucracy of the past.Remember to get your own MOT and take it up to NSLyourself – you will save ££££’s.

NEW DESIGN LICENCES ANDAREA IDENTIFIERS

In March 2013, TfL will commence issuing replacementlicences and area identifiers to all licensed London taxidrivers. The new licences and area identifiers will be of asimilar design to existing ones but will contain a number ofnew security features. In addition, following feedback fromthe trade, the new suburban area identifiers will have alarger space to show the areas for which a driver is licensedto ply for hire.

One of the key reasons for replacing all taxi driverlicences and area identifiers is to combat fraudulent licences.The introduction of the area identifiers has highlightedissues that have existed within the trade for a number of

years. Between March and December 2012, some 27 arrestshave been made by the police for the use of fraudulentdocumentation. Of these, a number were completelyunlicensed drivers, that had not received any character andmedical checks nor had they undertaken the Knowledge ofLondon. These drivers are putting the public at risk and alsodamaging the earnings and reputation of legitimate taxidrivers.

Accompanying the new documents will be instructionsadvising how to return existing documents to TfL.

Any driver who has not received his or her replacementlicence and area identifiers by 31 March 2013 should contactus via support@tph.tfl.gov.uk or call: 0845 602 7000.

In order to facilitate this change a number of driverswere recently asked to submit passport size photographswhich will allow a digital version to be reproduced on theirlicence. Any driver who has not yet responded to this requestis urged to do so without further delay. Until a newphotograph is provided we will be unable to issue thereplacement licence and identifiers.

Photographs can be emailed to TPHphotos@tfl.gov.uk orposted to:

Taxi Driver Photographs TPH, 4th Floor, Green Zone,Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road,London SE1 8NJ.

After 31 March 2013 any driver not displaying new styleidentifiers will be liable to a compliance action therefore it isimperative that drivers provide a photograph as requested.

THE FX3 REVISITED

On a rainy Saturday in November, with four vintage taxismaking up the quartet of Radio Taxis, taking part in the2012 Lord Mayor’s Show, I noticed one elderly gentlemantaking more than a keen interest in Stephen Dimmock’svintage Austin FX3 taxi. Stephen is the membershipsecretary of the Vintage Taxi Association, which hasprovided us with vintage taxis for the Lord Mayor’s Showover the last few years, including his own FX3.

The bystander checking over the FX3 taxi, I later

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An old FX3 Cab

7

discovered was Mr Ron Pummell.When I asked why the big interest inthat particular model with three otherclassic cabs present, such as a 1966Beardmore, an Austin Low Loader anda Morris ‘Nuffield’ – his answer waslegendary and led to him obtaining animmediate spot in the show!

Ron Pummell explained that he saw the taxi on TV inthe previous year’s show while eating his bowl of cornflakes. As the taxi appeared on the screen he said tohimself; ‘bloody hell SGO 196 – that’s my old cab.’ He vowedthen and there to visit the next Lord Mayor’s Show, so as totake a closer look over his old workhorse. He told me thathe didn’t actually own the cab himself but rented it for £12a week from North Eastern Motors of Three Colts Lane.

Coincidentally, when he rented it, the taxi justhappened to be fitted for Radio Taxis (known as theMountview circuit because of the phone number prefix),he explained; “So I began working on ‘Mountview’ in thedays of Monty Gold who was one of the despatchers at thetime” he continued. “Here is a name for you from the past –Mr Hunter – I wonder how many of your old drivers onMountview will recall Mr Hunter?” He recalled that “MrHunter used to be a passenger living at the Europa HouseHotel in Swiss Cottage. He would rent a cab and driver bythe hour; and when calling this job on the radio thedespatcher would just call it as “Mr Hunter” – no address oranything – Mr Hunter would pay £1 per hour.” Ronexplained, “if you did 5 or 6 hours with him and wanted toget off home you would call for another driver to relieve you,he would pay you the £5 or £6 owing and take over the job.Mr Hunter would often call the office at 2am for a driver topick up his sausage chips and peas from Nick’s Cafe on FleetStreet, which stood on the site of the present day McDonalds.”

Another revelation of Ron’s regarding this FX3 wasduring January of 1963, when he was stopped at HanoverGate, Regents Park and asked if he would go to theZoological Society, at which place he got to pick up all fourof the Beatles, John, George, Paul and Ringo; and theirmanager Brian Epstein too. Ron took them all to thePlayhouse Theatre in Northumberland Avenue, where theywere recording the BBC radio show ‘Easy Beat’ along withFreddie and the Dreamers on the same bill. On arrivalEpstein handed Ron a fiver for the 6/– (six shillings or 30p)fare and finding no smaller change Ron had to settle for 5bob – a shilling less than the fare (25p). Sometimeafterwards, Ron recalled, whilst stopping at traffic lights inRegent Street, he noticed Brian Epstein sitting next to himin his limo. Tapping on the car window Ron shouted out;“hey, you still owe me a shilling” Epstein closed his windowand took no notice. Brian Epstein tragically died a weeklater, although Ron stresses that there was no connectionwith Brian Epstein’s shilling debt.

After such riveting tales from the past, the least wecould do was to offer Ron to join the parade in style...As a passenger in the back of his old cab – something I’msure he will always remember!

NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRELondon Mayor, Boris Johnson wants to make centralLondon an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (zero) by 2020, raisingthe possibility that taxis (and any other vehicle which arenot zero/low-emission) could be banned from the cityduring the day.

Johnson thinks establishing an ULEZ in thearea covered by the central LondonCongestion Zone would help slash the city’sair pollution levels, which currently exceedsEU norms (inviting large fines) and it is saidto be the cause of 4,000 deaths a year.

He said: “My vision is a central zone where almost all thevehicles running during working hours are either zero or lowemission. This would deliver incredible benefits in air quality andstimulate the delivery and mass use of low-emission technology.”

Of course, as Johnson won’t even be around in 2020 (histerm ends in 2016) this could well be nothing more than aPR stunt to show that the government is thinking about theproblem, or a challenge for his successor.

This will do wonders I should think for the producers ofLondon Taxis, as I can see hundreds of us (I don’t think) rushingout to buy new cabs that have just 7 years of life in them.

HAT TRICKOn a windy day at the end of January, I was driving with mypassenger along Rochester Row, when suddenly a womanstarted running after my cab and shouting for me to stop.

Thinking she was looking for an empty taxi and that shejust hadn’t realised I was already hired, I carried on driving.As I came to a stop in the traffic just before the traffic lights,she finally caught up with me. I locked the doors just in caseshe tried to board the cab. She was still shouting excitedlyabout something so I opened the window to hear what shewanted. “My husband’s hat has blown onto your roof” sheshrieked! Just then I heard a knocking noise coming fromabove my head. Then as I looked around I found herhusband had hooked his trilby hat back with the aid of hiswalking stick. The trilby hat must have been caught on myaerial which kept it travelling along with us. Looking in mymirror I could see that my passenger was laughing and sowas the driver in the cab behind. Roger Sligo.

Ron Pummell

Roger Sligo

I can only go back about 40 years, so maybethat makes me a new boy?

Before my time, back in 1952 taxi owner/drivers werebecoming concerned that the fleet owners were starting up theirown radio circuits, wholly for the journeymen of their fleets.I think it was Levy’s in York Way who provided one of the firstradio circuits for their drivers at that time.

So, in true cab trade mode, not wanting to miss out, half a dozenmushes decided to start their own radio circuit.

RODAThis was called RODA, Radio Owners Drivers Association. And aftera year of constant bickering RODA split in two, each group followedtheir own protagonist. One faction followed a man called Bonny

Martin and this became Owner Drivers RadioTaxi Services, (ODRTS Ltd) now known as Diala Cab and the other side followed Joe Stern,with this becoming Radio Taxicabs (Southern)Ltd which was us.

After further spats about who owned theequipment Joe Stern went and bought an oldradio transmitter from a sailor, which herecounted to me, he collected personally fromLiverpool Street station and in his cab broughtit to the “office.” Then someone got hold of analuminium ladder which was to be used as theradio antenna.

Having purchased Murphy valve radios (which lived in the boot ofthe cab) and the PCO insisted on fixed “swan necked mikes” (even thenit was so that the driver didn’t get distracted holdinga microphone while driving) they were in business.

The first premises, was a lock up garage atMartin Motors, Townsend Yard, Highgate Hill:Joe said that he climbed up onto the roof to “lash”the ladder securely. According to Joe he also didthe first job in his cab which was from the BBC,Broadcasting House in Portland Place.

HIGHPOINTBefore too long Radio Taxicabs (Southern) Ltd, which was ouroriginal name, moved into the basement service flats of the famous artdeco block in North Hill Highgate, Highpoint. The local copper wouldcome in at night for a cup of tea and give the voice despatcher a breakoff the box. If you were despatching on voice you were “on the box.”

The company secretary sat in the loo (seat down of course) withpiles of cash and an adding machine slip, paying out drivers for theiraccount work.

My late father in law Freddie Franks (G98) told me thatsometimes on Sundays in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s he would

offer customers 30 minutes and “run” backfrom Victoria or Waterloo to pick up again inHighgate and then go back to a London Station.He explained that when he finished his shift hehad to go and “knock up” his other driver,Percy Jasper so that the circuit still had a workingtaxi out in London and covering the work. It is a far cry from the thousandsof drivers and taxis on Radio Taxis now.

MOUntview 3232As an outcome from those days when phone numbers had a name orprefix and we were based in Highgate; our number was MOUntview3232. Our erstwhile sister circuit, Dial a Cab was based in Maida Valeand their number was LORds 4848. So when anyone asked whichcircuit you were on, our drivers would respond “I’m on theMOUntview circuit!” And the nickname stuck.

Over the years it is also amazing how the technology ofdelivering a taxi to the door has changed, rather than the passengergoing out into the street to find one, often in rain or inclementweather. From voice radio back in those days and paper job dockets,the company moved from Highgate to 157 Stroud Green Road,Finsbury Park and steadily grew in numbers throughout the years.

From the 1970’s to the 1980’s the era of the yuppie materialised,the three hour lunch, the Filofax and the Big Bang in the City. RadioTaxis account work exploded, particularly in the City where no-onecould rival the coverage provided by the fleet growth of the circuit;among some of the most seminal clients of that era were the lateYehudi Menuhin, Bill Wyman and The Rolling Stones,Paul McCartney, John Cleese, Jack Warner and the BBC.

Also experiencing phenomenal growth at thetime was one customer of ours, advertisingagency CDP (Collett, Dickenson & Pearce.)That name might not spring to mind, but theywere responsible for so many of the memorableTV commercials of the era and that was the“wallpaper of our lives.”

They produced the TV ads for Harvey’s BristolCream, Bird’s Eye, Parker Pens, Fiat, Ford, PrettyPolly, and Ronson. They came up with campaignslogans which entered the national consciousnessinclude “Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet” and“Land Rover – the best 4 x 4 x far.”

And of course who could forget “Heinekenrefreshes the parts other beers cannot reach”(1974), Cinzano with Leonard Rossiter andJoan Collins and the Benson & Hedges advert.

Even more surprising is the list of peoplewho worked for CDP and went on to greaterfame and fortune. Names like, Frank Lowe

8

TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN, DOESN’T IT?

60 Years of Radio TaxisBy RTG Chairman & CEOGeoffrey Riesel.

The late Joe Stern

Townsend Yard

Group was the first UK Company to create an online transportmanagement platform providing a One-Stop-Shop of personaltransport, through the subsidiary One Transport. The Group was thefirst to provide both taxis and private hire from the same source:This was also a step change, but one which was not necessarilypopular with all of the drivers, but in time, many have begun torecognise that it was the only way to go if taxis were to retain someof the work, albeit as an important part of a mix of services.Most especially drivers have recognised that it is what our clientswere asking for and thus essential for our very existence.

These days Radio Taxis subsidiary is responsible for managing andproviding all of the personal transport and courier requirements forthe BBC throughout the country, especially in Salford, Manchester.Radio Taxis and Xeta takes London Underground both to work andhome in the early hours of every single day of the year. One Transportmanaged very successfully, to direct and provide all of the shuttletransport (for fewer than 20 seat vehicles) for LOCOG primarily intaxis but as part of a spectrum of services for the London 2012Olympics and Paralympics. Most of our clients use all forms of thetransport modes that the Group provides and there is no conflict ofinterest as the client receives whichever service they request.

Radio Taxis Network team, delivers transport locally andinternationally as well as UK wide: This means, that when calling fora cab to the airport, Radio Taxis, also will provide transport at thedestination, wherever that is, in the UK or almost anywherethroughout the world:

I wonder what the late Joe Stern and the late Len Pomerance,the first Chairman and the first Company Secretary, would havethought of that?

Geoffrey Riesel.

(now Sir Frank Lowe); DavidPuttnam (now Lord Puttnam); AlanParker (now Sir Alan Parker); JohnHegarty and Charles Saatchi as wellas Ridley Scott, who went on tobecome the director of Blade Runner,Alien and Gladiator. Also Chariots of

Fire director Hugh Hudson.At any one given time in the 1980’s Radio Taxis had a convoy of cabs

waiting outside their door in Chalton Street off Euston Road and another“shoal” of cabs waiting outside smart restaurants for lunch to finish.

SOME OF THE CHARACTERSAsk any driver from that era and they will remember some of thecharacters who were either staff or voice despatchers or Boardmembers, people like:

Derek Diamond, Gerry Chess, Morry Joel, Freddie Johnson,Sid Reagan, Harvey Student, Rodney Hussar, Rex Harris,Paul Orgle, Jack Moss, Ivan Singer, Bob Thompson,Charlie Coburn, Len Collins, Geoff Rich, Lou Angel,Gerry Richmond, Dick O’Brien, Gerry Harris, Gerry Graham,Ray Waxman, Henry Feldman, Bobby Petch, Freddie Franks,Jack Silver, Larry Burns, Sylvie Darling, Penny Cuckston,Rose Morris, Carole Harpin, Harry Cohen, Stanley Cohen,Alan Fields, J.J. Franks and Martin Rosenberg.

“THE CHEF”Throughout the late 1980’s at about 9pm or whenever there was ashort lull in the work, evening despatcher Gerry “the Chef ”Graham used to reel off a list off the menu he had “cooked” for the

staff that evening for dinner. Everyone wasreally envious of the staff on the eveningshift for the way they “ate” on that shift.Passengers in the back of our cabs would askhow could they “hire” Gerry for their dinnerparties. Of course Gerry was really more of a

Bon Viveur than a Chef; his menu was probably one that he hadenjoyed at the weekend in London at a restaurant with friends.The whole thing was really just a yarn, but one which both driversand clients would really enjoy.

DATA DESPATCH & DEMUTUALISATIONIn 1990, Radio Taxicabs (London) Ltd as the company then becameknown moved to their current premises, Mountview House(formerly Fonthill Mews). At the same time high speedcomputerised Zonal data despatch was implemented and the abilityto cover large volumes of trips and in an exceptionally timelyfashion, took a huge step-change forwards. Next in 1998 thecompany implemented an even better new system, a high speed autodespatch closest cab GPS system, Pathfinder. This was put intoservice probably ten years before GPS was in popular use. The newsystem made a further step change improving response times andreducing carbon output by cutting down on drivers dead mileage.

In 2004, recognising that it was time to change, that the companyshould not continue as a Mutual Society, the business took oninvestment, diversified and demutualised into a company with anexclusive online share trading system. Our friend and major investor,Brian McBride of the Yellow Cab Company in Cleveland USA,became part of our “Mountview” family.

The most important change was the diversification. Radio Taxis9

Key to the photos above:1: Drivers Learning MDI2: Control Room at ‘157’3: Derek Diamond4: Highpoint, North Hill

5: Henry, Ray & Phil6: The late former RT Chairman

Morry Joel7: 157 Stroud Green Road8: Brian McBride

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10

January 1st Country star Hank Williams dies aged 30.

January 25th 130 people die as the Princess Victoria sinks off the coast of Ireland.

January 31st Canvey Island flooded, with 58 people losing their lives and the Island was evacuated.

February 1st 20th Century Fox introduced Cinemascope.

February 14th Chinese New Year the year of the Snake begins.

March 5th Russian composer Prokofiev dies aged 61.

March 26th Polio vaccine tests prove successful.

April 15th Charlie Chaplin is refused entry into the USA.

April 24th Winston Churchill is knighted.

May 4th Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” wins Pulitzer Prize.

May 18th Jacqueline Cochran is the first woman to break the sound barrier.

June 2nd Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.

June 21st John F Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier become engaged.

July 15th “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” starring Marilyn Monroe opens.

July 26th Fidel Castro led guerrillas fail in attack on Cuban army bases.

August 13th France is paralysed by a nationwide general strike.

August 14th Soviets announce they have developed H-bomb.

September 7th British Hawker Hunter fighter plane breaks the speed record at 727.6 mph.

September 22nd US troops begin returning from Korea.

October 16th 40 are killed as US aircraft carrier explodes.

November 9th Welsh poet Dylan Thomas dies aged 39.

November 23rd North Korea signs a 10 year aid pact with China.

December 3rd US scientists announce first successful human pregnancies using frozen sperm.

December 10th Winston Churchill wins Nobel Prize for literature.

December 14th Radio Taxis (London) Ltd is formed.

• The price of a gallon of petrol in 1953 would set you back just over 4/– (20p).• A cab may be any colour, but when the Oxford and the FX3 were introduced, their makers supplied

them in a standard colour of black. Few buyers were prepared to pay the extra money for a specialcolour and so for three decades, black became the norm.

DURING 2013, RADIO TAXIS GROUP LTD WILLBE CELEBRATING ITS DIAMOND JUBILEE YEAR.In each of our issues this year, Mountview News will be lookingback throughout the past sixty years. In this technological age thatwe now live in with mobile phones, iPads and Taxi-Apps,communication in cabs has never been easier and yet before 1953it was almost impossible to phone for a taxi in London!

In 1953 London taxi drivers were worried about escalating costof running a cab, so much so that the then chancellor of theexchequer Mr Butler, made important concessions to the

taxi industry in his 1953budget, abolishing purchased tax(forerunner of VAT) on all newtaxis bringing the price of a newcab from £1,319 down to £847,whilst at the same time abolishinghire purchase restrictions.

The higher fares broughtin two years earlier of 1shilling and 3d (pence) permile, had not helped andLord Runciman, chairmanof the committee cameto the conclusion thatanymore increases woulddeter more customersfrom using cabs.

In 1953, London had 5,500 taxis, with more than 850 driversaged over 65, of these 300 were over seventy. The Timesnewspaper during this period commented on how taxi-driverswould do much better if they were; “more polite and less reluctantto surrender change.”

Early taximeters were totally mechanical in operation and theclock that recorded waiting time had to be wound by hand.

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1953 A Year To Remember

TIME LINE – 1953

11

I HAVE WORKEDfor Radio Taxis for6 years as an AccountManager looking aftera portfolio of keyaccount clients.

I was recentlyappointed in Decemberas Customer ServicesManager. I manage ateam of 5 Customer

Services Executives and we have recently streamlinedour processes in respect of any complaint or any querythat a customer might have. We handle theconsiderable amount of small accounts that RTG has.I personally report to Fiona Gavin (OperationsManager) and together we provide a one-stop shop forall our clients.

We are a commercial team and our role includesmanaging accounts and ensuring that our valuedclients benefit from our services, which includes, theNetwork (booking taxis at destinations both in the UK

and internationally) as well as helping clients to useour “On-Line Booking tools”.

Communication in general with our clients, on aregular basis is very important to our role, as we builda rapport with them and they can keep us informed ofany changes surrounding their own businesses, so thatwe can adapt when required.

We also maintain all of the administrative activitiesconnected with all of these clients, we physically opennew accounts for Radio Taxis Group, both for businessclients and for personal customers. In addition, we dealwith the day to day telephone queries, assisting thevarious departments in the company with any issuesthat they might have.

My main focus is to ensure that the team are multiskilled in all aspects of the customer servicedepartment. My objective is that we should deliver ahigh level of customer care to each and every one ofour customers.

We work very closely with key staff in theOperations department and this ensures that they arekept absolutely up to date with clients’ issues.

Marsha Miles –Customer Services Manager

ONE OF OUR DRIVERS – Paul Stone, has set up a new website,which encourages drivers to rent out their cabs (especially radio cabs) when they aren’t working.

It is also a great place to find a cab for rent, whether it be for a single shift, half flat or whatever is needed.

Just go onto the website and register or scan the QR Code above on your mobile.

Good luck to you Paul!

Alan Franks, Group OperationsDirector talks about…

The Affects of Taxi Apps on Radio Taxis

HOW ARE THE NEW TAXI APPS affectingRadio Taxis? Well firstly we don’t see themas a direct competitor for our businessalthough some have tried to be. And secondlyanyone who spends millions of pounds onmarketing for the Licensed Taxi Trade in London ispotentially doing us all a service.

What about the technology? Well most are usingstandard Smartphone technology utilising GPS tolocate the passenger’s address and then finding theclosest cab again employing GPS.

The passenger is then given an approximate time ofarrival based on these coordinates. Both the taxis andthe passengers are at that point displayed on a map sothat the passenger can follow the progress of the cab.

Unlike the major circuits, very little infrastructureis needed for this to work as the target audience is thecash and credit card market. So in many cases no callcentre is needed and the driver speaks directly to thecustomer. For this type of consumer business themodel fits quite well.

What is interesting is actually the business modelitself, which includes no run-ins and five minutes freewaiting (it’s the driver that contributes the run-in andthe free waiting) on arrival and then he/she pays apercentage of the fare to the APP company. In otherwords the driver absorbs both the waiting time andthe current fees of around 10% to the APP Company.

This of course contradicts the long establishedTaxi circuit’s model of seeking to pay drivers morethan the meter, so as to provide clients with apremium service. Although in the present depressedcorporate market this is proving harder to do than inthe past.

Is the new taxi APPS model the future? Do weneed to be looking at different ways to charge driversfor radio/APP type services? I’m sure that will makean interesting debate.

Radio Taxis welcomes everyone into our industryas long as it benefits Licensed Taxi Drivers.

Radio Taxis Group has currentlycompleted the development of ourown APP so that our clients will havethe same opportunities to use the latesttechnology to book cabs, just as they

might do using one of the new entrants to the market.This should be fully operational within weeks.

There will of course be those that think that the APP willbe the end of the Radio Circuits but in my view thiscould not be further from the truth. Radio circuitsprovide clients and drivers with a range of services whichhave been refined over many years.

Not all of the APP companies will survive, but thebest of them will play their part in the future of ourindustry.

As we have entered Radio Taxis 60th year wecontinue to innovate and as always we have been at thecutting edge of new technology, so the use of APPs willactually only strengthen our position in the marketplace.

We look forward with great anticipation to thenext 60 years.

Be Lucky!12

13

THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF HYPE OVER 4G,but what actually is it? First things first; the“G” stands for the generation of mobiletechnology installed in phones and on cellularnetworks.

Each “G” or generation of technology, generallyrequires you to get a new phone and for the networks tomake expensive upgrades.

The first two generations were analogue cell phones(1G) and digital phones (2G). The introduction of3G signalled a significant technology upgrade.The difference between 2G and that of 3 and 4G is thatthe mobile operators can now offer mobile broadband.2G was like your dial up internet at home, a bit on theslow side and 3G is a bit like getting broadband for thefirst time.

With 4G and 3G people can now watch YouTube, candownload movies and are able to “stream” music to theirphones, as well as being able to upload pictures,documents and to make calls.

4G is the next step for mobile data, allowingsuperfast downloads. So when you want to watch avideo clip there is no more waiting for it to load.

SO WHY THE SWITCH FROM 3G TO 4G? With the demand for mobile data and in particular, videoconstantly increasing, 3G is beginning to show its age.

With the increasing availability of Smartphones andwith Mobile operators offering flat-rate bundles, withlarge usage allowances, it increases people’s use ofdevices indoors, as well as outdoors, creating vastamounts of traffic on the network.

We’re already seeing, in some built up areas,problems with network capacity, meaning some peoplecan struggle to connect.

Canary Wharf is one such area where this hasbecome a problem especially at peak times, such aslunch time and in the evening when people finish workand start “playing” on their phones and thus creatingcapacity issues.

With 4G this problem should be eliminated as newgenerations, usually bring new base technologies, withmore network capacity for more data per user as well asthe potential for better voice quality.

In side-by-side tests with 3G, the 4G network is, onaverage, more than three times faster for download andover ten times faster in upload speeds.

WHEN IS THIS HAPPENING?It has already started, with EE (Orange and T-Mobile)being the first mobile operator to provide 4G, theystarted to provide this technology to their customersfrom the 30th of October 2012. EE launched in 16 citiesthroughout the UK including London, Manchester andLiverpool. By the end of 2013 they hope to be availableto 70% of the UK population. Whilst EE are the firstthey certainly won’t be the last to use this technologywith O2, Vodafone and Three expected to launchsometime this year.

SHOULD I UPGRADE?So, as usual, the answer is “it depends”. If you downloada lot of video for your phone, or tether to your laptop,it’s definitely something you’ll want to consider. But, ifyou’re just using your Smartphone for everyday things,I wouldn’t rush to upgrade. Even streaming music ordownloading an eBook is fast enough on 3G that youwouldn’t notice a difference on 4G. If you get a phonethat has it, that’s great – you can use it when you wantand turn it off when battery’s at a premium. Unlessyou’re constantly thinking “my current phone’s internetis so slow”, don’t be tempted by the marketing hype –you’ll probably notice the battery life more than you dothe speeds as there is a significant trade-off in using apower-guzzling 4G device.

What is 4G?By Dan Ellis.

14

TWITTER IS AN INVALUABLE wayof keeping up to date with what ishappening in London and issues

that affect the working day of LondonTaxi drivers including news about traffic

conditions, major events and other incidents.Since I joined Twitter I have found it not only helps

me stay in touch with life in London, but it can also beentertaining and informative at spare moments duringthe day when it isn’t possible to reach more formalcommunication channels. I know from feedback from

drivers and clients that it has now become anestablished part of many people’s day.

If you haven’t yet signed up to Twitter then Irecommend you give it a go. Just log-on atwww.twitter.com and set up an account. You don’t haveto tweet if you don’t want to; many people use theiraccount just to follow others. You can follow me:@radiotaxis_boss and I look forward to seeing Tweetsfrom a few more of you and hope you find the followingtips helpful to get you started.Geoffrey Riesel.

Twitter Name Twitter Account Description

@TfLTPH Transport for London Official news feed for the London Taxi and PrivateTaxi and Private Hire Hire trades from Transport for London.Division

@TfLOfficial Transport for London Official Transport for London feed for news andinformation about London’s transport network.

@metpoliceuk Metropolitan Police London’s Metropolitan Police Service. Don’t reportcrime on Twitter. In emergencies always call 999.

@nationalrailenq National Rail Up to the minute information from National RailEnquiries about disruption on the GB railway.

@BBCTravelAlert BBC London Travel The BBC’s award-winning travel Tweeting servicefor London.

@BBCLondonNews BBC London One of 11 BBC London accounts managed by BBCNewsroom editorial team.

@TfLTrafficNews TfL Traffic News Official realtime road traffic updates by Transport forLondon. Operated from 06:30 – 21:00.

@lbc973 LBC 97.3 London’s Biggest Conversation.Call now on 0845 60 60 973

@LDN Everything London Your guide to everything Londonhttp://likely.co

Twitter Tipsby @radiotaxis_boss

How Twitter can make lifeeasier for a taxi driver…

ON WEDNESDAY 6thFebruary at 2pm our Station Road facilitywas the venue for a Radio Taxis Group,driver’s forum. Fleet messages were sent inthe weeks leading up to the day to informall drivers.

It’s not easy to arrange a time and day that suits thecommitments and shift patterns that some drivers workbut from past experience the most popular time is in theafternoon, mid week.

On hand from the board of directors were ChairmanGeoffrey Riesel, Alan Franks and Peter Gibson. Of the25 drivers that attended most had the same concerns andquestions around the commercial side of our activities,the impact of PH in the market place and the adoption ofmobile booking devices or apps, by the public.

One of the main points that arose from the ensuingdebate was an unequivocal acknowledgement that RTGare capitalising on the unique position of all LicensedTaxis Drivers by providing a customer friendly andcompliant card payment facility for street hail passengersand that this is a service which taxi user’s embrace.

This lead us on to a discussion around fixed prices anddiscounted rates and most importantly, where thecommercial tipping point lies between service versusprice; the type of work that can only be won, secured andretained by providing the client with rates that are withintheir budget. In the current economy these budgets areshrinking. The consensus was that we are and that wehave to be, aware of both sides of the equation, if we areto strike a sustainable balance.

Also discussed during the meeting were suggestionsaround the possibilities of joint ventures with othercircuits, despatching to ranks and stands, network signalsand drivers bonds.

Geoffrey Riesel thanked everyone for attending whatwas a good humoured and lively meeting, which actuallyfinished on schedule at 16:00.

If you would like to join in next time, you will be verywelcome.

Best wishes to you and yours, Steve Cooper and all atStation Road.

driverservices@radiotaxis.co.uk

15

RTG Driver’s ForumBy Steve Cooper, Driver Services

A CHARITY BIKE RIDE IN MEMORY OF PAMELA ROBINSON & MELVIN CARLTON ROBERTS

Six ‘Unlikely lads’ will be cycling over 1000 miles in April 2013Hoping to raise £10,000 for 3 fantastic charities – and you can be part of it!

Please make a donation to help these boys pedal a little faster!

The brave cyclists are:Kien Selina, Theo Caudell, Sean Hutchinson,Ricky Reemer, Ruairidh Ainger & Matt North

To donate simply search“Kien”

on

or to find out more:

‘BLACKFRIARS TO BARCELONA’ on

Roger Sligo on themysteries of hidden London

CuriosityCornerCuriosityCorner

The North KensingtonTile Kiln

16

NORTH KENSINGTON CAN BOASTTHE ONLY remaining 19th centurytile kiln in London. Originallyknown as the Piggeries andPotteries where high-quality claywas dug from about 1818 and thenfired in this very kiln that stillstands on Walmer Road.

Once known as Cut-throat Lane, Pottery Lanenowadays has properties selling for anything upwardsof £500,000. When Samuel Lake, whose rough trade ofscavenging and chimney-sweeping, compelled him inthe early years of the nineteenth century to removehimself from the premises in Tottenham Court Road,and set up a business in a more solitary spot here at

Nottingdale, where gravel and sandwas discovered under the grass; andsoon his brick works were makingbricks for the wealthy houses beingbuilt in North Kensington.

The pig-keepers of Tyburnia,present-day Marble Arch andBayswater Road, soon made use of

this district. Meanwhile, some sixteenacres of adjoining land to the west were being dug forbrick earth by Stephen Bird, one of the principal brickmakers in London, who was also a builder active inKensington; and with the arrival of the potters, severalof the principal ingredients were soon put together.Many of the work-force employed were Irish labourerswho could also turn their hands to bricklaying andbuilding work and so from this little acorn NorthKensington arose.

“Many of the work-force employed

were Irish labourers who could also turn

their hands to bricklaying.”

17

ON THE CORNER OF EASTCHEAP andPhilpot Lane, is a rather unusual lookingItalianate building with rounded alcovesand windows which are set back. With itstwisting support columns, and even someweird faces of pigs and dogs peering downat you. So even with all this unusualbuilding decoration going on, nothing quiteprepares you for the surprise of two micefighting over a bit of cheese.

There are plenty of theories as to why these mice arehere. One explanation is that a couple of workmen hadtheir sandwiches eaten by some of the rodents roaming

the building site. Others will tell of the merchant livingclose by who took Richard Whittington’s cat to Asiawhere a King paid a fortune, after the cat chased awayall the mice. I think the most likely story is of a younglabourer, who was sacked without any pay.Returning after dark with a few blobs of cement andrecasting the greedy rats which had sacked him.The building had been sold for many years beforeanyone ever noticed this hidden sculpture. Even peopleknowing of its existence still have difficulty actuallylocating it. Next time you’re close by, have a look outfor it!

Re-printed from E-View Magazine September 2009.

IN 1908 CHARLES HOLDEN DESIGNED a newbuilding in the Strand for the British MedicalAssociation. All around the side and front of thebuilding in the alcoves of the window ledgeswere added sculptures by Jacob Epstein.

These statues were to cause the Edwardians a fair bitof embarrassment as they were fully naked witheverything on display. The British Medical Associationhowever stood by Epstein, with his works beingallowed to flourish.

It was not until the Rhodesian High Commissionbought the building some 30 years later the castrationbegan. Said to have been done purely for health andsafety reasons because the dangly bits were in danger offalling off in bad winds, they were said to be decayingsomewhat. Hardly anyone looks up to notice thevandalised works of art these days; they are left tosurvive in their present castrated form.

Re-printed from E-View Magazine October 2010.

Zimbabwe House Castrations

Mice and Cheese

Easter and all it EntailsBy Robert MacDonald Watson,Group Company Secretary

18

IF WE ARE BETWEEN 22 MARCH AND 25 APRIL IN ANY YEARin the United Kingdom, then Easter Sunday will appear. If youare confused, this is not really surprising. The reason is thatEaster Sunday, the day Christians in this country celebratethe resurrection of Jesus Christ, is a “Moveable Feast”,meaning that it does not fall on the same day each year.

LIKE A NUMBER OF KEY ISSUES, the date wasoriginally set by the Council of Nicea in 325AD (modernday Iznik in Turkey). This was a gathering of Bishopssummoned by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Greatto resolve a number of disputes. The date was fixed as theSunday following the Pascal full moon. That is the fullmoon that falls on or after the vernal or spring equinox.

Still confused, well the Pascal full moon was thedate of Passover in the Jewish calendar and the lastSupper occurred on the Passover. Therefore, Easter isthe Sunday after Passover. In order to deal withdifferent time zones, the Church approximates dates toallow it to set a universal date. However, Western andEaster orthodox Christians use different calendars soend up with different dates.

The name Easter emanates from the old Englishword Eostre. This is now a Christianfestival and holiday celebrating theresurrection of Jesus Christ on the thirdday after his crucifixion. It is precededby that long 40 day period of Lent,meant for fasting, prayer and penance.The last week of Lent is known as Holyweek and contains the day of the LastSupper (Maundy or Holy Thursday inthe UK) and Good Friday, the day of the Crucifixion,culminating in Easter Sunday itself. There was a timewhen very little moved on Good Friday and most shopswere shut. Today’s more secular society has changed allthat and one suspects that as much dieting is doneimmediately after Christmas as fasting in Lent.

Easter Sunday has given rise to a number of customs,sunrise services, decorating Easter Eggs, egg hunts,Easter parades and Easter bunnies. You more rarely seethe exchange of Easter greetings “Christ is Risen” with areply “Truly he has risen”, though triple kisses onalternating cheeks in Russia (and Serbia) give a photoopportunity for President Putin. Easter Eggs seem tohave originated from early Christians in Mesopotamia,

painted red in memory of JesusChrist’s blood shed at the Crucifixion.It was adopted by the ChristianChurch in 1610. The egg shellrepresents the tomb and the egg newlife within. Originally, chicken eggs

were dyed or painted. These days they are more oftensubstituted by chocolate eggs filled with sweets. Smallerversions are hidden for children to find on EasterMorning, possibly left by the Easter Bunny…? Eggswere originally forbidden during Lent, the last onesbeforehand being used up on Shrove Tuesday (PancakeDay) also known as Mardi Gras.

The best known Easter Eggs, and certainly the mostvaluable, are those which were made by the RussianJeweller Carl Fabergé. There were fifty or so ImperialFabergé eggs. These were made for the Czars between1885 and 1917 and they presented them as gifts atEaster. Today 42 survive, three of which are in TheRoyal Collection, Edward VII and Queen Alexandraboth being keen collectors.

The Easter Bunny is more likely based on an EasterHare, apparently first mentioned in the C.17th centuryas a tradition in Alsace, of an Easter Hare bringing

Easter Eggs. The poor old Hare seemsto have been usurped, wasn’t prettyenough probably.

Another custom is the EasterParade, more an American culturalevent and most associated with hugeprocessions in Fifth Avenue, New York.People put on their best clothes,especially ladies hats or Easter

Bonnets. This particular parade seems to have declinedin numbers in recent years though the idea has spreadas far as Battersea Park in London.

This year, Easter Sunday falls on 31 March, whilst itwill be on 20 April in 2014. Some years it is very coldand snows and other years it is hot enough to getsunburnt whilst watching point-to-point racing.

In London there will be real eggs and fluffy ducks atthe WWT (World Wildlife Trust) London Wetlandcentre near Barnes. There will be family activities atthe Historic Royal Palaces, Easter egg hunts all overpeople’s gardens and at the Cutty Sark; also at placessuch as the V & A Museum of Childhood and KewGardens. For chocoholics, there is Kew Gardens whichalso has the “History of Chocolate” on 29 March.

This year will also coincide with the Oxford andCambridge Boat race, which is rowed from Putney toMortlake. Let’s hope that this year they won’t becolliding with any ducks!

The Future of theHigh StreetBy Gordon Brown,Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director.

WE’VE RECENTLY SEEN THEdemise of HMV, Blockbuster andJessops – with people askingwhat does this mean for theHigh Street? Well personallywith the exception ofBlockbuster, it has had no realeffect on my High Street.

I live in Barnet and over the years theHigh Street has become a walkcomprising mainly of opticians, estateagents, coffee shops, charity shops, phoneshops and vacant units. I do not see thischanging regardless of what else happensin the economy. We have become a nationthat sees shopping as a half day or day‘trip’ whether in a

purpose builtshopping centre (in or out of town) oreven sometimes a visit to the localsupermarket where you can have a ‘onestop shop’ experience and include a cupof coffee or lunch as well. Because of thisthe local small high street is never goingto be the place you go and shop for allyour wants especially with the rise of theinternet. There are some great places thatserve the local community really well,mainly by offering superior service andcompetitive (but not necessarilycheap….unless it’s the pound shop)pricing and if the local boroughs canresist continually increasing parking feesthere can be some great shopping areas,however overall it is not enough tosustain all the high street units we have.

My solution: convert some of theseinto houses and flats. It will make highstreets feel more attractive with no

boarded up and derelict properties. It willalso help to reduce the chronic shortageof houses, bringing more affordablehousing to local communities whichwould in turn help the coffee shops, therestaurants and the opticians!

Nevertheless the Government appearsnot to be keen on the idea, it isapparently difficult to get ‘change of use’from retail to housing and theGovernment does not want to simplifythis process– which is a great pity.

Back to HMV, Blockbuster and Jessops– why did they fail? Certainly the internet(Amazon, NETFLIX etc) was a factor aswere the supermarkets but I can’t helpfeeling that there was more to it thanthat. These were long term brands wheremanagement was slow to react to theinternet and changing technologygenerally and certainly from myexperiences service was poor.

One of our leading longestablished retailers –John Lewis is thriving –both in store and onlineas it brings together thebest of both worlds;

browse in store, buy at competitive ‘ish’prices online, pick up at your localWaitrose the next day. Like most thingssimple ideas work.

This is something that is exercisingour collective minds as we work out thebest way to bring a “Cash App” to you;one that increases the amount of workfor you; and which gives the customerbetter service being simple andinexpensive to use… watch this space!

19

“John Lewis is thriving –

both in store and online as it brings

together the best of both worlds!”

With the bygone days of those wonderful Art Decobuildings affectionately known as “PicturePalaces” which are indeed what they were!

From the moment you arrived at the PicturePalace there was always the unmistakable aroma of afragrance only ever smelt in the cinema. It wassprayed to eradicate the smell of stale smoke.The majestic uniforms, worn by the doorman andusherettes, resembled costumes worn by the military.After entering the dimly lit auditorium where halfyour ticket would be torn by the usherette, she wouldthen proceed, with the aid of a torch, to escort youall the way to your seat. As you sat watching the bigscreen with images many times larger than real lifeand sounds coming at you from every direction, yousat back knowing you were in for a special treat. Ifyou happened to look up at the wonderfully designedceilings from which chandeliers were suspended, youwould catch the shaft of light from the projectorcoming from the rear of the balcony.

Behind the dark pane of glass where the light wasbeing emitted, you could sometimes make out theshape of the projectionist whilst he moved aroundfor the changeover of reels. If you were in a Picture

Palace in Aberdeen in 1953, you mighthave spotted a young apprenticeprojectionist at work by the name ofRonald Grant. This 15 year old lad soloved his job, that years later, as thecinemas went into decline and were beingturned into Bingo Halls or even worsebeing demolished, Ronald came to therescue and salvaged as much as he couldafford for prosperity. Later he became Co-

founder, with Martin Humphries, of the CinemaMuseum in London.The London Cinema Museum is housed within thehistoric site which was once the Lambeth Workhouse

associated with the silent movielegend Charlie Chaplin. I visited themuseum in early January by previousarrangement and chatted over acoffee with both the founders RonaldGrant and Martin Humphries.Martin explained “I first met Ronaldin 1979 when I was working at theOval House Theatre and Community

In today’s World of Multiplex Cinema, Sky Movies+ andDVD’s, the younger generations of film fanatics could bemissing out on something really very special.

Centre opposite the Oval Cricket Club. On Sundays weworked a series of workshops with Ronald comingdown from Suffolk to do an overnight stint on theHelpline before he returned back to Suffolk thefollowing day.”

FULL HOUSERonald stored some of his collection at the time inStockwell and Martin went along one day to see itand was flabbergasted at the depth of the materialwithin the collection. Ronald had decidedhe couldn’t

make a viable livingwith a large amount of his collection stored in

Cambridge and he wanted to move everything toLondon. About the same time Pat Foster, who wasone of the main organisers in getting the RitzyCinema restored and reopened in Brixton, theywanted Ronald to be the projectionist and for him toalso train up other people to become projectionists.Pat managed to find Raleigh Hall in Brixton, which isan old building and which was about to become the“Black Cultural Archives.” At the time when Ronaldmoved his collection there it was a rotting three storybuilding that the council owned with some largevacant space to rent on the first floor. This enabledRonald to move most of his film collection whichincluded projection equipment, stills, posters,

20

“This stuff just had to be

rescued otherwise

it would have ended up

being dumped!”

The London Cinema Museum –

Cinema Museum’s Pictures and Posters

Ronald Grant

Martin Humphries

to store the collection there still wasn’t enough space to display theitems properly. Knowing that Kennington had a Chaplinconnection and thinking they might use this connection toenhance their museum they discovered the old LambethWorkhouse where Chaplin was sent with his mother and brotherto live as a young boy. The property was owned by the NHS andused for storage. After three years of negotiations the propertybecame empty and available to rent. The Cinema Museum finallymoved in on February 14th 1998. Ronald is very entrepreneurialand Martin has good administrative skills so together they are theperfect combo. Both men have a passion for the picture industryand when I asked Martin about an obscure film I had seen at thepictures when I was about thirteen “The Boy and the Bridge” andwhy it had never been shown on TV or put onto DVD he was ableto tell me instantly that it was because of copyright issues.

THE MUSEUM TOURSAll the museum tours are only by guided tour, with Martin beingmy guide for the day. His knowledge of everything in thecollection is remarkable. I have never seen so many exhibitscrammed into a museum, there are even Art Deco swing doorstaken from two cinemas.

There is also a large cinema where they sometimes haveSaturday Morning Pictures, a smaller cinema with 100 originalseats which cost them £1 each to buy and were taken from thePicture Palace Aberdeen.

The Museum now houses more than a million photographicimages, including pictures of cinemas and cinema-going; a large

magazine and books into this locality in Brixton.In 1981 Ronald had returned to his native Aberdeen for a

holiday and bumped into his old boss, Dick Donald in the streetand who asked him what had happened to all the old equipmenttaken from the ten closed cinemas out of their chain of thirteen.

To his surprise Ronald found that most of the equipment,including fixtures and fitting were stored in an old church whichhad just been sold and Dick had been given two months’ notice toclear out everything before the new owners took over. Ronald toldme “as I walked into the church it was like an Aladdin’s cave, witheverything you could think of from a cinema including things like theashtrays on the back of the seats, to complete rolls of carpets that had

never even been used. There were uniforms ofevery type from the doormen’s to theusherette’s and even the cashiers. There werealso some cinema ticket machines. I told DickDonald that I would be interested in buyingsome of the equipment.” Martin then added“Ronald rang me with his news and I spoketo the bank manager managing to get anextension on the overdraft. I went up toAberdeen and we bought as much as wecould possibly afford, as we realised that thiswas a once in a lifetime opportunity, neverlikely to ever happen again. This stuff just

had to be rescued otherwise it would have ended up being dumped!We hired two huge Pantechnicon vans which we filled to the brimand we brought everything back to London. “So this meant thecinema collection they already had changed overnight.Instead of being a rather large wildly eccentriccollection, which mainly one person principally had puttogether, now included all this social history.” Martinexplained “we couldn’t lock this away in a series ofrooms in a decaying building in Brixton; we had tofind some way of making all this material publiclyaccessible. So how would we do that? We talked to a lotof people who said you should become a non-profitcompany with a board of trustees, apply for charitablestatus, which means we would have the ability to applyfor grants and at least be able to move forward in asignificant way.”

So that’s what they did and in 1984 the museumwas created and in 1986 they got the charitable statusfrom the charity commission. The next thing was tofind a better place to house the collection and thisthey did by taking over the old Fire Station onRenfrew Road. Although there was much more space

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The Projectionist’s Dream

An Usherette’s Uniform

collection of posters and original artwork; projectors from everyera, both professional and amateur; cinema staff uniforms;fixtures and fittings such as cinema seating and carpets, ashtraysand signage; and more than 17 million feet of film. A fascinatingarchive of printed publications includes an extensive collection ofperiodicals, fan magazines and trade magazines, campaign booksand cinema sheet music.

The majority of the Cinema Museum’s uniforms date from the1930s to the 1950s, with much of the memorabilia from the James

F. Donald (Aberdeen Cinemas) Ltd.Uniformed staff were integral to theexperience of going to the cinema in the lastcentury, especially from the 1920s until thedecline of cinema-going in the 1960s and1970s. There would be a commissionaire to

greet customers, a hat-check person, attendants and usherettes.The detail and variation in uniforms were part of a cinema’sidentity. Historian David Trigg has been painstakingly researchingthe history of cinema uniforms in the Cinema Museum’s extensiveperiodicals library, with a view to mounting a uniforms exhibitionin collaboration with the Museum.

The Museum has a large collection of safety film of all gauges,including adverts, trailers, B-movies, public information films andnewsreels. Additionally, nitrate films are in secure storage at theBFI National Archive, with whom the Museum collaborates.Many unique films have been saved, copied and preserved by the

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Cinema Museum, including around 80 titles from the Blackburn-based Edwardian film pioneers Mitchell & Kenyon, and acollection of silent colour travelogues from early last century.If you have a love of the “Golden Days” of the Cinema or justcurious to find out what is was like to visit a Picture Palace upuntil the 1970’s then book a tour.

The Museum is available most days for visits by guided tourbut it is essential that these are booked in advance by phone oremail as volunteer guides need to be arranged. Please contact us(020 7840 2200 info@cinemamuseum.org.uk) in advance toarrange a time to suit you. At the moment it is only possible toview the Museum collection with a guided tour.

Whether you are a researcher, a film enthusiast, or simply aninterested member of the public, we’d love to see you.

GUIDED TOUR PRICE:£10 per adult, £7 for children and concessions:The Cinema Museum,2 Dugard Way (off Renfrew Road),London SE11 4TH.

Roger Sligo.

Uniforms

Cinema Museum File Room

Cashier Box

Sign Boards

A horse walks into a pub, the barman asks,“Why the long face?”

There is an understandable tendency in these triple-dip times to be pessimisticabout expectations for business growth; however this runs the risk of missingopportunities and in particular, opportunities that might not be obvious at firstglance. One such is that presented by TMC’s.

What is a TMC? It’s not a French television channel, nor is it a middle-agedmedical condition – it actually stands for ‘Travel ManagementCompany’ and does exactly what it says on the tin, ie; acorporate travel agency where the services offered go beyondbooking a return flight or a hotel room. Some familiar names arebig players in the world of TMC’s, among them; HRG, AmericanExpress, Expedia, Co-Operative Group and Carlson Wagonlit.

TMC’s generally offer a wide variety of services, including carrental, organising visas and passports, offering 24-hour help inthe case of an emergency, arranging group bookings andchartered jets. These services have even been extended toactivities as diverse as parking/valet services and the sourcing ofmeeting venues and video conferencing facilities.

The services missing from this list are taxis and cars.Traditionally this has not been an area within the scope ofTMC’s as they haven’t had direct access to fleets or the softwareavailable to integrate with willing partners; plus Corporates havetended to see Taxis and Cars as ‘facilities’ rather than part oftheir overall ‘Travel’ expenditure – this is the opportunity for

RTG and in particular, our One Transport consolidation platform.The Travel industry on the whole and TMC’s in particular, are technologically

advanced and software driven. The ‘management’ function of a TMC is the helpthey provide organisations to organise their travel spend, advising on implementingcorporate travel policies and furnishing the corporate client with a plethora ofmanagement information covering everything from cost savings to carbonemissions. Not only is Radio Taxis Group uniquely placed to provide the necessaryservice requirement, One Transport has all the functionality of a TMC and thenecessary level of technological compatibility; in effect a ‘Transport ManagementCompany’!

A unique service benefit of One Transport is the ability to provide the full rangeof taxis as well as private hire vehicles. The former is particularly important forboutique style TMC’s with specific customer requirements and TMC’s thatspecialise in the public/government sector. Our ability to provide this transportmanagement function combined with Taxi supply was the key factor in Radio TaxisGroup being awarded the LOCOG contract in the summer.

We have now taken this to the next level and are currently working with a TMCwhich has been awarded a large Government contract. Their decision to work withRadio Taxis Group is due in no small part to the fact that a significant requirementwithin this contract is for taxis in London.

And finally… A man walks into a bar with a lump of tarmac under his arm.“What would you like?” asks the barman. The man replies, “A pint of beer and one forthe road.”

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TMC or not to TMC?By Roy HughesDirector of Commercial Development

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What is the Farringdon Hub?By Peter Gibson Strategic Director

THE EVENING STANDARD, back inmid January, ran a series of “VoxPops” asking people what their “bigidea” was for London. There weresixteen celebrities/sportspersonalities/politicians that all putforward their specific vision of whatthey thought London needed to do tomake our capital city even greater.

The one idea that caught my attention wasput forward by Steve Norris – former LondonMayor Candidate, former ConservativeGovernment Minister and someone well knownto our own trade.

Steve’s big idea is to develop a central Londonairport “hub” at Farringdon – a hub that wouldconnect to Heathrow and Gatwick and Luton and(eventually) Stansted, so that all of London’sairports would be catered for at a singleinterchange, as well providing a direct link toSt Pancras International for Eurostar services.

How would this be possible? Well it appearsthat Farringdon is where Crossrail will meetThameslink.

A spur would need to be created to connect toStansted, rather than just linking to Liverpool Street

station and Crossrail wouldneed to facilitate this spur.Steve Norris suggests “that theprivate sector would need tofund a big element of the cost because all of the airportoperators would benefit.”

Farringdon station is being redeveloped as part ofthe north-south Thameslink Programme. From 2018 itwill be the only station where Thameslink, Crossrailand Underground services meet.

Therefore, from the Farringdon Hub, passengerswill have the choice to travel north-south, east-west oraround London. With up to 160 trains an hour in thepeak it would become the capital’s new transport core.

The Grade II listed station was built in 1863 as partof the world’s first underground railway. The originallayout restricted the number and length of trains itcould accommodate, so the current redevelopment isall about finding extra space for longer trains and morepassengers.

It now has opened a new ticket hall dedicated toThameslink and future Crossrail passengers; theextended platforms below made it possible for the first50% longer, 12-carriage trains to enter service.

A scheme to provide this would cost around £250million and would include:

� Developing the Underground entrance which hasbeen restored and widened.

� A new concourse on Turnmill Street linking to anew footbridge and the restored Undergroundentrance creating extra capacity for passengers.

� An extended train shed roof to encourage peopleto use the full length of the platforms.

� Five new lifts that will also allow step-free accessfor the first time.

From 2018 Farringdon station will be the onlystation where Thameslink, Crossrail andUnderground services meet. And, as London’snewest transport hub, the theory is that it will helprelieve the pressure on the Underground bydelivering thousands more seats for commutersevery day as well as providing direct links toLondon’s three major airports, Heathrow, Gatwick,and Luton as well as to St Pancras International forEurostar services; at the same time drasticallyreducing journey times. And if the Stansted spurbecame a reality, then all of London airports willmeet at a single central London point.

So, that large building site in Farringdon Road has alot going on in there.

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RADIO TAXIS HAS BEEN CHALLENGINGparking tickets for just over 2 years now,with a very high success rate atadjudication.

Almost all of these PCNs were issued on accountbookings, the drivers having been captured on CCTV.A number of these PCNs could not have beenchallenged, simply because the Local Authoritiesevidence proved that the contraventions did indeedoccur and consequently these fines were paid.

Despite repeated declarations by Government to thecontrary, it is an urban myth that taxis are publictransport (for parking purposes) and therefore notsubject to the same parking regulations as private cars.

The only difference where taxis (and private hirevehicles) are concerned is that there is a short period ofwaiting time allowed but only for as long as isreasonably necessary to make contact with thepassenger and for the passenger to board the vehicle.So what is a reasonable amount of waiting time?

As an example, a licensed Private Hire driver,Mr Makda, went to the high court to judicially review anadjudicator’s decision to refuse two appeals where he had,on two separate occasions, stopped on a yellow line inDean Street to pick up passengers who had pre-bookedwith his office in Frith Street. He had been parked foronly 90 seconds while trying to make contact with thepassengers who, on each occasion, did not appear.

The adjudicator refused the appeals quoting from thetraffic management order that the vehicle could waitonly for the purpose of allowing a passenger to board oralight from the vehicle. Remarkably as the passengersdid not show up there was no boarding, so theAdjudicator had ruled that the waiting was notexempted. The high court Judge, however, disagreedwith the adjudicator stating that the vehicle had indeedbeen waiting ‘for the purpose’ of picking up a passenger.He would not have known his passengers and theywould not have known him. It was not therefore to beregarded as a pit-stop. There has to be a reasonable

period of time in which to makecontact with the passengers and ifthey do not appear then in ourcase, the taxi will have to bemoved or drive round the block.

Adjudicators will generallyallow two and a half minutes,three minutes is the limit; unlessthere are difficult circumstances.Passengers should be ready at the

time booked, but we know this does not happen in thereal world. Waiting for a passenger for more than threeminutes is not a concession afforded to any vehicle,including taxis.

So what should you do when a passenger has notarrived after two and a half minutes? You are expectedto move, at least to the other side of the road or todrive around the block to start another two and a halfminute period waiting for the passenger to arrive, andso on. This, regrettably, is the world we now live in;with CCTV cameras covering vast numbers of Londonstreets. However, CCTV PCNs cannot be issued tovehicles parked in “Pay & Display” or residents permitbays but can for other permit and disabled bays.

If you need to wait for a passenger, you should, ifpossible, find one of these bays to wait in, but the threat isif you leave the vehicle unattended you run the risk of aCEO (Civil Enforcement Officer) issuing a ticket on-street.

Parking EnforcementBy John Vigus, ConsultantSpecialist to Radio Taxisin PCN’s and GeneralParking Issues

RED ROUTES:No more than three minutes and then onlywhere taxis are allowed to stop.

YELLOW LINES:Maximum time waiting for passengers toarrive is three minutes.

BUS STOPS:Avoid bus stops boarding and/or alightingshould be immediate.

LOADING BAYS:You cannot stop in loading bays to pick up ordrop off passengers.

FOOTWAY PARKING:NEVER! There is no exemption for stoppingon the footway for any reason.

DROPPED KERBS:You cannot stop to pick up or drop offpassengers at dropped kerbs.

DOUBLE PARKING:You cannot double park while waiting to pickup, or dropping off passengers.

ZIG ZAGS:NEVER! This is still an endorseable offence.

Hope this is all helpful.

And the winner of the Winter Issue was...

Michael Epstein (H054), with:

“I see Radio Taxis have been voted the bestby WITCH!”Michael now has a £25 M&S Gift Voucher onits way to him!

The Mountview NewsAmusing Caption Competition

26

COULD this month’s caption of a taxi and passengers made with sand help solve the problemof cabs and passenger shortages?

Send us your funny caption for this image – By email to: mvn.editor@radiotaxis.co.uk

Or by snail mail to:Mountview News Caption Contest, MountviewHouse, Lennox Road, London N4 3TX.

This is a great chance to wina £25 Marks & Spencer GiftVoucher.

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 ACROSS9. Offensive (13)10. Mineral spring (3)11. Arm coverings (7)12. Festive occasion (4)13. Payment for travel (4)15. Vends (5)17. Grasp clearly (7)19. Vows (5)21. Excavate (3)23. Artist’s support (5)24. Forsake (7)25. Duck with soft down (5)27. Stalk (4)28. Hire (4)30. Pertaining to Siam (7)32. Find the sum of (3)33. Recreational park (9,4)

CLUES DOWN1. Labour force (4,5)2. Expel (5)3. Performs (4)4. Ill (8)5. Whine (6)6. Recedes (4)7. Started again (9)8. Discontinue (5)14. Religious writings (5)16. Pertaining to the sun (5)18. Dutch city (9)20. Prostration caused by overexposure to the sun (9)22. Person who gardens (8)26. Trader (6)27. Remove hair (5)29. Having the same value (5)30. Run-down part of a city (4)31. Consumes (4)

Jotting space

???MOUNTVIEW SUDOKU

27

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.