SHERBET DAB - An Oral History of the London Cabbie

These are the stories of London and Londoners, new and old. Some take us back to 1950s London when many of the drivers were Jewish. These were the days of the closed shop, pea souper fogs, driving heavy cold cabs on empty roads. Meeting the boat train, or driving to Covent Garden for “the burst” when shows finished at the theatres and the streets were crowded with people looking for a cab home.
Interviews contain tales of the invention of the mini cab in the 1960s, stories of the London Docks and Fleet Street where night workers gave big tips at the end of a shift. There are stories too of the challenges faced by the first black drivers and the first women drivers. The camaraderie but also the conflict.
Stories bring us up to date as London streets become more congested, bus lanes, then cycle lanes and then Uber appears, and new people move into the trade. There are also detailed description of “doing the knowledge” the appearances where cabbies had to memorise up to 25,000 streets and even more places of interest.
There are many stories, funny, sad and poignant, and through these stories we get an insight into the history of the men and women who have driven the famous black cab.
www.sherbetdab.org.uk
www.digital-works.co.uk

[@oneninesevenzero3872]

Thank you to you all , who made this excellent documentary about the best cab trade in the world . I enjoy every minute of it , real story of a black cab tradition .I m one of the London Taxi Knowledge student who one day well become a London Cabbie . Thank you and god bless

[@johnny207]

I've driven a Black cab around London for over 20 years and this wonderful Documentary was spot on. It brought back some wonderful memories. Many thanks.

[@JTA1961]

got a friend, Del who has driven multiple types of busses & now graduated to black cab, that I met when he was on holiday in Tucson AZ. this video has given me some additional appreciation for the struggles & effort put into the job, so thank you for your time as well.

[@londoncabby1719]

Brilliant, well done to the children that made this fantastic documentary. Thank you from a London Cab Driver!

[@war2bird]

Reflects my time on the Knowledge and I am now a London Cabbie. Fantastic Film

[@bokhans]

Thanks. This was a very pleasant, informative and interesting video. I flew from Stockholm to London over the day in feb 2020 just to have lunch do some shopping and go in the new electric black cab. When I after the ride asked if I could take a picture of the driver and his cab he said, you should be in the driver seat. Now I have a very much cherished photo of my self as a “London cabbie”. 😉

[@edwardoleyba3075]

That’s a great memento.🙂

[@jennylast3149]

"So they called him no nickname Ted" love it, so funny

[@JazzFunkNobby1964]

He probably never knew he had that nickname.

[@ruadhagainagaidheal9398]

I never did any runs or call-overs the day before an appearance, I rested my brain and had an early night. Its amazing how the subconscious mind takes over and does the work when you let it. I loved every day of the knowledge and the following 35 years pushing the droshky. My badge number was 29302. I heard myself referred to by other cab drivers as “ The voice” due to my middle class accent.

[@guzzi1948]

Excellent , took me back to 20 years as a musher in Oxford with first an Fx4 then later the Fairways, before I retired. Great days though and still in touch with many of the cabbies on the ranks in those years.

[@paulcoster8374]

As a retired lorry driver always grateful for their help

[@kevinbaird7277]

One of the best YT videos i have watched, amazing stories and facts of being a London cabbie..thank you.

[@garryfrater7536]

As a New South Wales taxi driver (Sydney Newcastle and country areas) for 38 years I take my hat off to London cabbies and I can relate to nearly everyone of those stories and a few more a autograph book would've been a nice touch.

[@abigailpowlesland4796]

My grandfather was David Fresco he walked the knowledge he use to drive the cab with two dogs sitting next to him most cab drivers knew Fresco nearly all My family members were cab drivers My two brothers my uncle's my cousins

[@johnnovak3913]

I have just watched this as a 74 year old in New Zealand.I did the knowledge in just 9 months in late 1960's.I remember well the Mortician at the carriage office.It was he he gave me my suburbs.Initially worked part while a London Fireman at Kentish Town.Happy Days!!

[@jerryoshea3116]

Did he used to Write a piece in one of the Trade Papers like TAXI?

[@davidbarr8394]

Wonderful documentary by great kids about very impressive people. Doesn't require genius to memorize the map, even ones as large and convoluted as London and New York, but discipline and character is necessary to an unbelievable degree. I fear that Uber's profitability and artificial intelligence will render the old personal way extinct and that would be a great shame. Love the anecdotes about the opera singer that almost blew the window's out: and the couple who misbehaved in the back seat. Thanks for it all kids.

[@jenniferbrooks87]

Just subscribed, thanks for the quality content on your channel!

[@dougthompson5586]

apparently the black cabs have a window between the driver and the passengers

[@fredflintstoner596]

Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view !" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment ?

[@steadynumber1]

This video brings back a few memories. 'The Smoke's changed a bit since my day though.

[@konradmroczek2496]

Great stuff. Enjoyed it!

[@geraldsme3749]

i respect cab drivers

[@98Blackbess]

Excellent.

[@paulseoighemcgee5772]

Great job !

[@robertsoderstrom7550]

Hallo! I'm living in Sweden. When I was younger I always wanted to become a London taxi driver. Are there any Scandinavian taxi drivers in London?

[@bokhans]

Robert titta på mitt inlägg ovan. 😂

[@christopherbuilder5354]

Great documentary!

[@JTA1961]

True enough

[@julieblackstock8650]

For many years I worked at HMRC in Victoria Ave Southend and we always used to see all the Cabs come down for the day with the kids with balloons all over them and horns blaring and we used to wave out the window at them, this was in the 1990s

[@JazzFunkNobby1964]

Ha ha the Cabbies didn't like you lot.

[@julieblackstock8650]

@@JazzFunkNobby1964 grow up

[@JazzFunkNobby1964]

@@julieblackstock8650 True though innit?

[@MT-xy7fw]

How about satnav?

[@davidoliverentwistle6431]

Great documentary - but why don't the cabbies wear their safety belts??☺

[@nicky29031977]

Driverless tubes, driverless black cabs and driverless everything before 2040. I'd be shitting it if I was in those professions!

[@JTA1961]

teleportation... no more trips to the airport

[@nicky29031977]

@@JTA1961 And no more roads...

[@majidhussain1236]

It’s really hard to pass London taxi in Toronto canada just 17 days course

[@greigs9384]

Rip all those who appeared I. This who are no longer with us. Stan, Al, Gary Z, Alf T to name a few

[@yasgym]

Can you do left from Oxford Street into Berners St? 16:25

[@staypress]

Ye but who knows now as u wrote this comment a year ago

[@alfresco9694]

@@staypress no left turn

[@tramainecbaynes1364]

good.

[@jonathanwigglesworth9591]

Im a cabbie and this doc just doesn't say how hard this job is and how hard the knowledge is , how much it is to run a rip off cab, kipper season etc etc , make it sound like we make a fortune its a joke , them days are gone

[@bokhans]

I think it told exactly that. Very impressive training and unbelievable street knowledge, unique in the world. Hard to understand why anybody go through such a hard train to get a drivers job. Great documentary.

[@geraldsme3749]

no nick name tedd laugh so hard

[@JazzFunkNobby1964]

Gave me a chuckle too.

[@vulgivagu]

Post Covid a black cab is the safest place to be. You are segregated from the driver which is a good protection for both. Does anyone know how many black cab drivers have given up because of Covid ?

[@juliesmith5567]

I hardly used black and but l liked washing this video of all about them

[@arilebon]

Do mini-cabs and uber dent the demand for being a London cabbie?

[@jerryoshea3116]

50% maybe more!!.But the Mayor &TFL dont give a f##k.. UBER's cheap and it works! ,Even though it does encourage a mentality where people expect to ride in a nice Vehicle, maybe from the King's rd to the West end,to go&see a show,eat dinner(which costs mucho bucks)but pay the the person who took them back&forth sweet F.A!

[@l4rjy]

@@jerryoshea3116 What does F.A stand for?

[@jerryoshea3116]

@@l4rjy Sweet F##k all= pretty much nothing!. It's an.old expression!

[@l4rjy]

@@jerryoshea3116 🙏

[@brianjones6297]

wrong. 12 miles radius, 3 years

[@brianjones6297]

true

[@digitalworks51]

12 miles DIAMETER, six miles radius.

[@johncourtneidge]

Worse aspect of the Class System.

[@OrignalMustaphaToke]

a history of cabbies learning to pass the knowledge. there is very little information about london cabs in this programme

[@digitalworks51]

Indeed, it's about cabbies not cabs.

[@chrispbacon3042]

Ha ha that is funny…The title of the film is actually accurate and you complain. You must be English.

[@JazzFunkNobby1964]

@@chrispbacon3042 Yeah, Mustapha is a good old English name.

[@chrispbacon3042]

@@JazzFunkNobby1964 ever heard of immigrants you ignorant twat. Britain is full of second and three generation immigrants. So Mustapha could easily be whining Brit , just like you are an ignorant twat.