London was the first city in the World to have a licensed taxi trade. It can be traced back to the English playwright William Shakespeare whose plays became so popular that carriages were charging to pick up and drop off the theatre-going public, so as to avoid traffic chaos.

While the world-famous Black Cab has a very sophisticated background its drivers today are better known for cutting up traffic, jumping red lights, u-turns in the middle of Oxford Street, and using language to fellow road users that are far removed from that heard at a Shakespeare play.

We should point out that the drivers were not real cab drivers but their closest driving colleagues the UK's maddest stock car and banger racers.

Following their transition from road warrior to track warrior, some, 18 retired black cabs took to the circuit for their swansong. John Randalls in taxi 207 avoided trouble and completed the twelve 12 laps in a time of just over five minutes and became the ​winner of the race.

Sadly, this race doesn't happen anymore. Also, the Race track Arean Essex is no longer. Most likely a housing estate now!

свернуть