In 58 years driving around London, of course I’ve had some famous people in my car (though I usually say everyone is famous if they pay me). But a black-cab driver will always get you out of trouble. If you don’t know where you’re going now in central London, you can just forget about it – you’ll just be going round in circles. There are more motorways now, everywhere is a lot busier than it used to be, and there are so many one-way systems. London has changed a lot in my 58 years as a cab driver. ‘I’ve picked up Judi Dench, David Walliams and John Betjeman’ If you got your badge now, your number would be about 70,000 or 80,000 – and it keeps going up. The lower your badge number, the longer you have been driving in London. ![]() It wasn’t easy, but it only took about a year to learn then, whereas now it can take four to five years – the city has grown so much.Įventually I got my badge and licence. I used to go out on my bicycle and learn the streets and suburbs of London using a map. I was 30 at the time, which was quite late to become a cab driver. ![]() I had never really given any thought to whether I wanted to be a cab driver, but a lot of my friends started doing The Knowledge, so I did too. I first started driving a cab in May 1961 after becoming fed up working at the factory where I made ladies’ garments. Apart from during the war, when we got evacuated 30 miles outside the city, I’ve lived here my whole life. ![]() I was born and brought up in London’s East End.
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