The London Cabbie by Alf Townsend
Forty years ago Alf Townsend passed The Knowledge - after 14,000 miles on a moped round central London. Since then he has covered millions of miles in his taxi. This book includes a selection of his extraordinary and hilarious tales of everyday life as a cabbie, in which we meet Mr Whippy and Violent Pete, Bread Roll Mick and the Motorway Mouse, Claude the Bastard and the mysterious Mr X. Alf also examines the history of cab-driving in the capital - including the variety of taxis that have been used - and even tries to shed some light on the most ancient and obscure Hackney Carriage laws that are still on the statute book. (Do you know why a taxi is so tall? So a passenger can get on board wearing a top hat: it's true...) Concluding with a look at the seamy side of night work, the rise and rise of the mini-cab, and what the future may hold for the London cabbie, Alf Townsend's book will be entertaining reading for all Londoners, and anyone else who has travelled in the back of a black cab.
The late ALF TOWNSEND was born in London in the 1930s. He was a London cabbie for 42 years and published many books about his life experiences, including The London Cabbie and Blitz Boy.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780750944960 |
| ISBN 10 | 075094496X |
| Title | The London Cabbie |
| Author | Alf Townsend |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The History Press Ltd |
| Year published | 2007-04-15 |
| Number of pages | 192 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |