From Manor House Station to Gibson Square - And Back Again : Secrets from the London Taxi Trade

"A hundred years' ago, prospective London taxi drivers looked forward to a career involving a horse, and a bale of hay for fuel.

Our cab now costs as much as a house up north, and needs plugging in"For 350 years, not a lot happened in the London cab trade - until 2016, when the changes came thick and fast: crazy road re- modelling schemes; mandatory credit card acceptance; the rise of Uber; the War on Diesel; and the launch of a new electric taxi. "It's a tough life on the cabs, but someone has to do it", says Chris Ackrill, who has devoted much of his adult life to the London taxi trade.

With frankness, humour, and a thorough attention to detail, Chris gives his unique take on new challenges that threaten the very existence of the trade.

He'll answer the questions you were afraid to ask. He'll tell you how the London cab trade works on a practical basis, what we really think of our passengers, and what it feels like when you miss the turning for Heathrow and head into the countryside.

He'll tell you why Millwall supporters make the best cab drivers, why dogs make the best passengers, and how listening to Motorhead can result in a speed awareness course on a Sunday morning in Newport Pagnell.