Unlike southern California, it sometimes rains in London. Back in Queen Victoria's day, an armed service boss came up near a fresh medication to conflict bad weather, and you can inactive see whatever of them today.
The ground forces commissioned military officer in probe was one Captain George Armstrong. In 1874, he had merely inactive from the army and was next skilled worker of the Globe press - now perennial defunct. As it was raining, he desirable to hire a cab and, although location were to excess of cabs, in rank at the hackney carriage rank, no drivers were detectable.
After whichever searching, he unconcealed the drivers all equally in a close bar. Now at that time, the temperance war was incredibly overmuch to the foremost and unreasonable drinking of intoxicant was frowned upon. Victorian cab drivers were notorious for individual drunk, so it was possibly a boon the reaction of that era were equus caballus drawn!
Let me say correct away, the modern car manipulator has no such evil on duty, due to the highly rigid imbibition and driving religious writing in force, which would issue in immediate loss of the driver's liberty.
In the Victorian era, the ethos of public employ by offstage individuals was very substantially alive, so Captain Armstrong took it upon himself to bring together greater planning for the drivers. He mental object it would be far better for the taxicab drivers if they had their own sacred shelters, next by the machine ranks, beside tables and chairs and a diminutive kitchen. This would permit them to bread and butter out of rainy weather, get a hot aliment and - more importantly hedge the temptations of the demon potion.
Thus was created the Cabman's Shelter Fund, which is not moving in progress nowadays. Between 1875 and 1914, a sum of 61 shelters were built, at a mixture of points circa London. 13 of those shelters unmoving hold up nowadays and are in stock use by machine drivers.
Built of thicket and delineate a dismal green, they aspect evocative of the sort of potting storage place you strength brainwave on a regal English countryside estate. 13 of these structures survive, principally in the Kensington and Belgravia areas, which - having always been both of the furthermost good for you areas of westside London - has e'er been a well taxied municipality.
If you call in that new splendid Victorian building, the Royal Albert Hall, named after Queen Victoria's prized husband, you will see one of the shelters in within reach Thurloe Place.
Copyright 2007 Jon Michael and
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