Very much in detail & inspiring vlog mate. Thanks for taking time to get us connected to knowledge of London. Certainly looking forward for more videos like this.
According to Transport For London, The Knowledge was introduced as a requirement for taxi drivers in 1865 (1865!.........and the horse said "I wouldn't go that way if I was you - terrible pile up in King William Street") and London Transport Museum says the first licensed female taxi driver in London was Shirley Preston who passed The Knowledge in April 1967.
Good luck to all the guys shown on that video. I’m a customer but love supporting the trade, twice a day every weekday. It’s these guys who keep Londoners moving!
Great videos Mark, and I know the chap Andrew who just passed out, small world, friend of the family, he inspired me to start it as I've been keen to leave my job and start this journey! Keep them coming.
Hello Mark. How things have changed since I did the knowledge in the early seventys .I went to a knowledge school just off the Hampstead road , it took me 14 months from start to finish , My old badge number was (23223) I'm now retired from the trade, love to watch your vlogs. Reminds me of the good old days, keep up the good work.
Hi, just to let you know I did the KOL taking very slightly longer than you coming in at sixteen months, but that was due to me missing my second 56 day appointment. I was studying so hard ,full time, on the knowledge I completely forgot the appointment and I had to wait another 56 days for the next appointment as the PCO wouldn't shoehorn me in earlier, otherwise I would have been on par with you. I went to Kings Cross motors where they had a knowledge school and it was also known as Levy's, it was situated at the southern end of York Way opposite the side entrance of Kings Cross station. My five digit badge number starts with 22 (i've still got it) as I passed out in 1974, i'm still working and now on my fiftieth year. Wishing you a long, happy and healthy retirement.
Hello mate, I don't think it was easyer, as far as I can remember . But we were doing it full time, runs in the morning, kno school in the afternoon, then call overs in the evenings, we were doing about 14 /15 hours a day six days a week . I was lucky all the runs and points, I was ask I knew, even Mr finlays, a very scery bloke, when your 21 years old, I knew all his questions. First job was the strand to portland place. You don't forget even fifty years later, If you're doing the knowledge persevere you will get there, and be lucky.
@@kennethhawley2752 not easier but you didn’t have the system I had where you had to get to a set amount of points. You could get your drop in one appearance. I think that’s the big difference to now.
The story goes two workmen were sitting on the roof of Pudding Lane. One accused the other of stealing his cheese sandwich a fight broke out they both fell too their deaths. A mouse later was seen running with the cheese 🧀.
The student on 21’s Finchley Road and frognal station to queens club good line but no need for the ta just LOL and left lymington road use Quex Road and the rest is perfect. Moving line concept
Back in the 70’s Mr Finlay who was one of the examiners, was the Ogre of the carriage office at the time. Everyone dreaded having him, during one appearance while I was calling a run, he put on his hat and coat,and then just went and stood looking out of the window. He was evil personified.
Brilliant 👏👏. Cabbie 2002-2017 loved it. Once question on an appearance on 21’s” kentish town station and i need to go to pharmacy in muswell hill. I have a bad back so i dont want to go over any speed bumps”. Think examiner was having a bad day 🤣🤣
Be honest I’m a private TfL driver Chaffeur for years , I would love to get into black cab wheel but with all these kind of exams remembering 10.000 roads all my energy is gone so will keep driving Chaffeur
It's good that you've called the KOL an (oral) examination process, because it 'aint no test. That's just like saying that getting and passing one's PhD is a test, it's therefore something of an insult. The KOL is a massive commitment just as with any other (hard) studying process whereby one has to learn one's chosen trade, therefore there is a massive value to that which many people forget about.
I remember going up for my 2nd 14 day appearance which was when you were given your rec. I got Mr Chalcott who asked me 14 runs one of which was Fulham FC to Orient FC I dropped 1 point and at the end of the appearance he said ‘I suppose I should give you your rec’ then. No well done or handshake.
Id like to one day try to do the knowledge but I don’t live in London. Tbh i live quite far for a daily travel. Would the only way to do it actually be to live in London or closer to London?
Nobody mentions the loneliness the non existent long distance cash jobs, Uber,Tfl,the very long hours, the excruciating expenses, the Knowledge now is so out of touch with the real world.
I’ve done 21 years in the cab , and there’s no way I’d do it now , become a gas fitter or a spark , you can work anywhere once you’re qualified. The cab trade has had its day as a long term occupation in my opinion
Yeah I enjoy the videos but the job nearly killed me. First mistake buying a cab, the overheads were ridiculous. Hailo failing because of it's popularity, drivers not being able to cover jobs left it wide open when Uber arrived. My takings dropped by about 40%. Driving around for over an hour sometimes trying to catch a job, massive qs at the stations. Eventually not being able to pay my tax bills, HMRC bankrupted me and I lost my house and had to move out of London. Now I live in Grimsby and work in the Co-op, my life is so much easier now.
Nice video. Are Tom and you hired to promote the Knowlegde since both have promotional videos on the same day. Nice if you could follow a man or girl to the Knowlegde? Updates.
On one appearance with Finlay he just kept asking me for points and no runs. There must have been at least twenty five to thirty + of the bu**ers. I got so fed with point after point after point being fired at me I dropped the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus by saying "dunno" which is a massive building, it was very soon after that I passed my "rec". To those who don't know what one's "rec" is, that's when you have passed the main Knowledge Of London (KOL) which is the six miles radius of Charing Cross. From there you had your suburbs exams (relatively simple after the main part) and your taxi driving test although the drive could be before the suburban exams.
As with any other job you tend to remember stuff (in this instance new roads) when you get there. This has happened in places like the rear of the Kings Cross station area which has been rebuilt and gentrified over the years.
@@Markstaxidiaries I tried to talk to you at Grosvenor. Think you had just dropped off or picking up I don’t no. I first seen you on Tom the taxi drives videos. I tried to say I love your videos and that i first seeing you on Tom’s videos. spoke to you through passenger window in a black BMW you shouted at me and said you don’t understand like I was talking in some sort of foreign language.
There are, but not nearly as many as male driver's. The KOL is open to all, there is no colour, religious or sexism prejudice with regards to going on the KOL and you either get through it (or not) by going through solid graft and commitment. There is no time limit on the process as it's down to one's abilities, nobody fails the KOL they just give up, the pass rate at any given time is around 20% or less.
@@Battismore-Blue Surely women are just as good or bad as men at map reading. I would suggest that, as women are generally the main rearers of children, they are unable to commit to the sustained, lengthy work that The Knowledge requires.
