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Call Sign March 2012
S I Z E M AT T E R S !
Jon Robinson (E88) has been with Dial-
a-Cab since November 1994 and told Call
Sign that he likes the size of the fleet and
the size of Dial-a-Cab House. He also likes
the size of the TX as against other forms of
taxi. So you could say that one of Jon's
philosophies is the simple one that size
matters!
"I wouldn't like to go too deeply into
the subject," a totally unembarrassed Jon
told this magazine, "but size obviously
does matter. And it most certainly matters
when it comes to taxi ranks!"
Call Sign briefly thought it had caught
Jon's drift and assumed this
was to be another story not
suitable for publication! That
was until Jon uttered the men-
tion about taxi ranks. Surely
Sandra and her strange habits
from the London Street taxi
shelter had retired years ago
along with that long-forgotten
eaterie, so that wasn't it. So we
Jon's cab on the Drury Lane taxi rank - is there room for another
asked Jon just what he was
two cabs? inset: Stand notice for 3 cabs
going on about.
"I just wondered if Call Sign
cab rank outside the toilets at Lincolns Inn
enough room for anoth-
might find this interesting
Fields, yet that very same council could
er two cabs. You might
because it must be London's first
find the money to shorten this rank by fill-
just get another one on
mini cab rank! I took these pho-
there. So that makes it a mini cab rank in
ing it in with paving stones.
tos in Drury Lane last week.They
the true sense!"
He ended by reiterating that size mattered
show a marked out rank for three taxis,
Jon added that he'd heard the LTDA had
before asking:"And out of curiosity, whatever
except that you can see by me parking in
to pay Camden Council to mark out a 4-
did happen to crazy Sandra!!!"
the middle that there is nowhere near
British war veterans and London taxis in Holland...
WAGENINGEN FREEDOM PARADE
Call Sign readers will remember an article in the January issue from the
London Vintage Taxi Association's Hans Dooren, who made an amazingly
kind offer to any readers who had lost friends or family during the war
and who were buried anywhere in Holland. His offer was to visit the grave
on behalf of the Dial-a-Cab driver and if the driver wanted, then Hans
would take a photo of the grave to forward on to the family (Tracing rela-
tives from Venray war graves).
Hans has now sent us a report from the Dutch university town of
Wageningen where on 5 May 180 British war veterans will participate in
a Freedom Parade. On the day before the parade, they will also partici-
pate in a Remembrance Service at the Grebbeberg at Rhenen (Dutch
war cemetery). The veterans will be going over to The Netherlands in up
to 100 London taxis and reside in a hotel at the Papendal sports centre
near Oosterbeek. While there, the vets will undertake several trips to
places of importance from Operation Market Garden in September
Taxis were im
1944 (also written about in the January issue).
portant duri
ng the war
The organisation taking care of the arrival of the British veter-
ans is of course The London Taxi Drivers Benevolent Association for
War Disabled. This organisation has existed since 1948. The original aim was to assist war invalids
but over the years it has also included visiting war areas with veterans. That was the way many British war veterans paid a visit
to Dunkirk and the landing beaches at Normandy several year ago.
The liaison between taxis and the veterans dates from WW2. At that time and during the air attacks on London, taxi drivers played an
important role carrying wounded men and soldiers. Some cabs were even transformed into fire engines.
Our thanks to De Gelderlander for the information and to Hans Dooren for translating it for Call Sign...
Where's
The answer to Where's Woody in this issue's Call Sign en la Belle France is
Whitehall opposite Admiralty House. Contrary to popular belief, it was here and not
Admiralty Arch where John Prescott as Deputy PM had his grace and favour flat. You
may also recall that it was here that he moved the furniture around with the help of a
Woody?
secretary - but forgot to lock the door! He, also at taxpayer's expense, got through 3
wooden toilet seats. John Wayne would have called him a low down bum!
Bob Woodford
