Because the fact is that Harry Potter is not American. He is British. Where is Diagon Alley, where they buy wands and stuff? It is in London, and if you want to get into the Ministry of Magic you disappear down a London telephone box. The train for Hogwarts goes from King’s Cross, not Grand Central Station, and what is Harry Potter all about? It is about the ritual and intrigue and dorm-feast excitement of a British boarding school of a kind that you just don’t find in America. Hogwarts is a place where children occasionally get cross with each other—not ‘mad’—and where the situation is usual ..read more

On 14 April 1471 the decisive battle of The Wars of the Roses was fought in Arkley, north of Barnet between Edward IV of the House of York and Henry VI who led the House of Lancaster. The battle lasted from two to three hours, most of it in thick fog. Contemporary sources say that at least 10,000 men died in the battle. The subsequent Battle of Tewkesbury would ensure the House of York was victorious. On 14 April 1913 The Royal Geographical Society opened their new premises at Kensington Gore. Now known as ‘Hot and Cold Corner’ for the Livingstone and Shackleton statues Magpie and Stump pub un ..read more

For those new to CabbieBlog or readers who are slightly forgetful, on Saturdays I’m republishing posts, many going back over a decade. Some will still be very relevant while others have become dated over time. Just think of this post as your weekend paper supplement. Bog standard (16.03.11) No matter how glum I may feel driving around London the sight of a Pimlico Plumbers’ van with their amusing number plates: W4TER, DRA1N, BOG 1 or my favourite 701LET is guaranteed to put a smile on my face, and if you want one for your home they have now even produced a diecast model of their iconic blue an ..read more

One of the the things she most liked about the city -apart from all its obvious attractions, the theatre, the galleries, the exhilarating walks by the river- was that so few people ever asked you personal questions. Julia Gregson (b.1947), East of the Sun ..read more

On 7 April 1903 a Polish barber, George Chapman was hanged at Wandsworth Prison for the murder, by poison, of his wife. His three other wives had died under suspicious circumstances. John Abberline, who headed up the Jack the Ripper investigation, thought Chapman was also The Ripper. He had closely interviewed his first ‘wife’, Lucie Badewski, and she had told him that her husband often used to go out during the night. On 7 April 1908 Herbert Henry Asquith’s Liberal Party won the General Election. Edward VIII was abroad, the only time the elected Prime Minister had the official ‘Kissing of the ..read more

For those new to CabbieBlog or readers who are slightly forgetful, on Saturdays I’m republishing posts, many going back over a decade. Some will still be very relevant while others have become dated over time. Just think of this post as your weekend paper supplement. Waste not, want not (08.03.11) I’ve always thought that Prêt à Manger is a rather pretentious name for what is, frankly, just a sandwich shop. The company would seem to now agree with me, for recently they have been referring to themselves simply as Prêt, whatever that might mean. But I can forgive them all the marketing hype when ..read more

On 31 March 1986 the Greater London Council was abolished, with thousands of people taking part in festivities to mark the historic final hours of 97 years of local rule in London. A throng of 250,000 people gathered on the South Bank in London, home to the Greater London Council, which ceased to exist at midnight, festivities ended with the largest display of fireworks ever seen in the city after a week of events costing £250,000. On 31 March 1986 Lady Gale died in her apartment at Hampton Court Palace, the result of a fire that caused millions of pounds damage In 1961 Elsie Batten was killed ..read more

For those new to CabbieBlog or readers who are slightly forgetful, on Saturdays I’m republishing posts, many going back over a decade. Some will still be very relevant while others have become dated over time. Just think of this post as your weekend paper supplement. Regency Retail Park (04.03.11) If you should jump into a London cab and direct the driver to Locks he should drive you to number 6 St. James’s Street. That is according to the website of London’s most famous hatters, James Lock of St. James’s. Just don’t ask for a bowler while you’re there, at Locks it’s called a Coke hat, after W ..read more

What Cab News As I wrote last week, a FoI request discovered the number of black cab drivers entering the the trade sat at just 185 new licensees in 2023. Shows a marked decrease in the number of new taxi drivers licensed over the past nine years in the capital. What I’m Listening Nick Ferrari officially took on the role of his LBC breakfast programme in 2004, running from 7 am to 10 am, with a format of news, political debate and discussion. For a phone-in show, after 20 years he still doesn’t mention the phone number to call the programme. What I’m Reading Hedgelands by Christopher Hart a ..read more

A study conducted by the taxi-hailing app, Freenow, has delved into what must be one of the most annoying aspects of being a London cabbie. The good news is that the UK has emerged as having the second most sociable taxi passengers in Europe, trailing only behind Ireland. The research focused on the interaction between passengers and black cab drivers, part delved into the top five questions posed by passengers, be they: traffic, cyclists, speed limits, or the correct route: 1 Have you been busy today? 2 How’s the traffic? 3 What do you think about cyclists? 4 Why is the speed limit 20mph? 5 I ..read more