London Taxi PR (LTPR), an organisation which represents and promotes the interests of the Licensed London Taxi profession, has announced that this year will mark the 150th anniversary of the Cabmen’s Shelters and its Fund, which will see a series of events roll out throughout the year to commemorate and celebrate the historic anniversary.
The announcement of the launch of the 150th anniversary was made appropriately at the Wellington Place Shelter in Wellington Place, St. John’s Wood, which was the first Shelter to be installed, albeit at another site in the area on Acacia Road, and the last Shelter to be awarded Grade II listed status by The Department for Media, Culture, Heritage, and Sport, in April last year, on the advice of Historic England. The Shelter is also known as The Chapel, due to its close proximity to St. John’s Wood Church. The Shelter are also often referred to as the Green Hut Taxi Shelters, due to their distinctive paint colouring.
Andy Scott, PR, and Communications spokesperson for London Taxi PR, unveiled the plans for the coming year together with Cabmen’s Shelter Fund Trustee, Colin Evans.
“The first Cabmen’s Shelter was built in 1875, and was thanks to Captain George C Armstrong, editor of The Globe Newspaper, who together with a few of his entrepreneurial associates, including the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, established the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund, to set about providing a place of rest for Hansom Cab Drivers,” said Andy.
Armstrong had been unable to get a cab one evening to take him to his club in town and he found that many cab drivers had been taking refuge from the elements in public houses, which led them to put themselves and passengers at risk. So, Armstrong came up with the idea of building the Shelters to provide a place of rest and protection from the weather for the drivers, and the Fund commissioned architect, Maximillian Clarke to design and develop an appropriate concept.
As a result, some 61 Shelters were built across London between 1875 and 1950, and erected at Cab stands at major thoroughfares. 13 of them remain today, with 11 currently operational. They are managed and maintained by the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund. The first, in Acacia Road, St. John’s Wood, was located outside of Armstrong’s home. The Shelters were all constructed as small huts and were to be no larger than the length of a horse and cart. Painted in the unique Buckingham Green colour, the Shelters were equipped with bench seats and tables and a small kitchen, which would provide rest for the cabbies and enable them to purchase a hot meal and a drink from the Shelter keeper, very much akin to how they are operated today.
“To suitably mark and recognise the occasion of the 150th anniversary, we, London Taxi PR, in conjunction with the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund, will be staging series of events and visits by some interesting people who will be instantly recognisable, and have a connection with the profession. The Green Hut Taxi Shelters are, like Taxis, an icon of London and England. They’re recognised worldwide, and many tourists and visitors to London are always intrigued as to what they are and what they represent. We hope the celebrations will not only be enjoyed but also seen as informative to the general public, so they can find out how the Shelters are connected to the profession, and importantly, that although the public can’t go inside, they can still purchase food and drink from the windows,” added Andy.
“It’s appropriate that we mark and recognise the anniversary and their historic connection to the Taxi profession,” he concluded.
Since their formation, London Taxi PR has undertaken a series of targeted media campaigns, which are being used to promote training to become a licensed London Taxi driver, as well as the advantages, and safety of using the iconic licensed London Taxi service to a wide audience.
All the campaigns and publicity that has so far been generated by the company has been funded by fellow London Taxi drivers and businesses within the profession, many of whom have signed up to donate to the cause on a monthly basis, indicating how passionate they all are about their industry and the cause.
London Taxi PR. Passionate about promoting and preserving the iconic London Taxi trade and funded by London Taxi drivers and businesses who care about their industry.
For more information on London Taxi PR and their campaigns, plus details on how to become either an individual or a business supporter, please visit their website http://londontaxipr.com
To find out more about the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund and the Green Hut Taxi Shelters, visit https://cabmensshelterfund.weebly.com