London's Iconic Black Taxi Cabs | Is this the most luxurious way to travel in London?!?
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- Опубликовано: 3 май 2024
- Explore the heart of London through the windows of one of its most enduring symbols: the black cab!
In today’s video, Kirby takes you on an exciting journey with Tom Hutley, a renowned London black cab driver, who brings the history and traditions of these iconic vehicles to life. As we navigate the bustling streets, Tom shares insights into 'The Knowledge,' the rigorous training that London's cab drivers undertake to ensure every journey is as informative as it is comfortable. Dive into the world of black cabs with us, discovering how these vehicles and their drivers maintain an unparalleled standard of quality and tradition in one of the world's most dynamic cities.
🔍 MORE ABOUT TOM HUTLEY
🔸 Website: www.tom.taxi
🔸 RUclips: @tomthetaxidriver
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Хобби
I think you should invite Tom to Davidoff for a cigar and continue the conversation. This has been a wonderful video to watch.
As a long time subscriber of both your channel and tomthetaxtdriver, it was great to watch a wonderful collaboration.
I drove across London using GPS and we were running late to a wedding due to traffic. We ended up flagging and tailing a black cab who managed to take us on time avoiding all the traffic using backroads.
Wow 👌 Kirby. BIG THANKS for this amazing video. I'm a London black cab driver and I know Tom very well. You've probably used one the best drivers to be in your video. What an endorsement for our trade. Thank you again. I really enjoyed this video.
Respect to everyone who has passed The Knowledge
Two of my favourite RUclipsrs together! What a gift.
Great video Kirby! Back in the late 80's and early 90's I worked as a motorcycle courier for 5 years and had a pretty good working knowledge of London. However, my admiration for taxi drivers was off the charts! These folk earn every penny and I hope it's a skill and tradition that continues for centuries to come.
Been a sub for years. Met you at a trade show before you started this RUclips channel.. I must say.. never thought you’d break into an international sensation! You were bright then.. you shine brighter now. Keep it up Mr. Allison
Ikr!? 🎉 You are lucky to known him since.
What a lovely chat with a gentleman black cab driver. Tom!
Kirky is brilliant as always. It takes an American to truly make us appreciate the things we, the British, take for granted. Kirby,, any plans to emigrate?
You can't have him!!
@@MauricXeyes, hands of Kirky
Love Tom's channel, such a great example of the British gent!
I just have to say that this video is nothing short of brilliant. Not only have you managed to once again deliver exceptional content, cinematography and clever conversation, but it's also taken me on a journey (pun intended 😄) of knowledge and complete new perspective of cabs and their drivers. Great work once again!
This is great! Two channels I watch getting together.
I remember riding in them in the 1980's.The cars were a bit different then.One driver was a WW2 veteran,he had some wonderful stories
Such an enjoyable video; thank you so much for continuing to release such great content! It was such a pleasure learning more about the black cab taxis in London.
I remember when I was a taxi driver in Melbourne, people always talked about the professionalism of the London black cab drivers
Love arriving at Paddington Station and getting into a black cab “RAF club please”… “right you are guv” no app, no gps, no Siri … brilliant!
Awesome video Kirby, the main thing is, when are you coming back up to Scotland?
That's your best suit. It fits better than the others and it's timelessly a perfect blend of elegance and celebratory of masculinity.
I agree, the cut is inspired by Terry Haste’s time at Huntsman, there is a reason why it’s one of most well regarded cuts in english tailoring and in the whole world!
@@teakcore5261 I didn't realise it was Haste. I find huntsman a bit too much of an equestrian fit, loose and not flattering, this is a sleeker more elegantly masculine fit than the huntsmam in my opinion.
love your videos Kirby and I'm also a longtime subscriber to Tom - great collaboration! I think it's truly great you promote the beauty of London, from tailored suits to cigars and shoemaking. London is truly a gentleman's city, and you portray that exquisitely. Keep up the good work - we really do appreciate all the hard work you put into all your videos!
Thank you Kirby for making my day. Again.
London is my fav city. Everything about it
brings memories i
gained since 1980.
London taxis are
truly iconic and a
trade mark as well
as bobbies were,
i mean policemen
with those fantastic
hats, no need guns
whatsoever back
then. London still
is wonderful thank
god besides all the
problems we are
all aware. Good show
Kirby.
Well-done gents! I have always loved the London taxis. Gone are the days here in the US when the Checker Cabs had their own big and tall cars with the folding jump seats, extra tall rooflines and interiors. Uber has been an abomination to the taxi industry here in the US--as we used to refer to someone driiving their own personal cars as taxis--known as gypsy cabs (meaning a taxi that wasn't licensed and/or represented by a real taxi service company). By the way, the Peninsula London has now added an elecrtric Metro Cab car (same maker as the black cab) to their fleet of Rolls-Royces painted in the Peninsula "Brewster Green" color and designed by the famous Clive Sutton--which is brilliant! If you want a good reference to what Tom was calling the cabiolet horse cabs--watch the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies "Top Hat" where Fred drives one--a great scene indeed. Time for a return trip to London soon. London Calling!
Thank God you got Tom's cab. I can't begin to imagine if got into John's.
Good stuff Kirby! Tom was awesome! Cheers🥂
The collab I’ve been waiting for!
Such a different video, but still just a couple gentlemen having a lovely conversation.
Kirby is such a name dropper lol
😂
Dear Kirby, great to see you again.
The collab I never expected!
Great video Kirby!! Manny thanks to Tom for the inspiration tour, and explanation. Thanks to all drivers in Londen with this kind of knowledge and commitment.
Black cabs are a part of the unique cultural fabric here in London and should be celebrated!
HI Kirby... another great episode, thanks. Apologies if it's already somewhere in the comments, but I heard the reason they are called "Black Cabs" is that from Prince Albert's death in 1861, till Victoria's death in 1901, the Queen was in mourning, and hence would only allow black coloured cabs to pull up outside Buckingham Palace. From then on, it just became traditional that they'd be black. Of course, that could just be folklore, and the reason they are black is because that makes it easier to repair small dings. But it's a nice thought.
Interesting fact! Thanks for sharing!
I just returned from a trip to London two days ago. And here's the thing - London's Black cabs are comfortable, roomy, and a fun way to get around. But like everything else in London they are extremely expensive. You will pay a substantial premium to ride in one of these versus an Uber or the other local rideshare companies. How much is the premium? It depends on the distance you are going and time of day but I'd say it's anywhere from 25% extra to double the fare. Whether or not it's worth that premium is completely up to you.
Excellent videos, thank you!
Taxidrivers are great!
Damn, it's Tom!!!!!!
This was very wholesome!
That was a brilliant insight. Thanks Kirby and Tom.
What a great video !! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Black cab drivers are the best in the world
I’ve loved watching his channel for quite a while, glad you linked up with him
An excellent collaboration and view into a staple of London's streets for many decades. Excellent work Kirby and Tom
What a great video! Many thanks Kirby (and Tom!) 👏
Thanks Kirby, such a cool video. Neapolitan who lives in central London here and I feel very lucky. It's definitely a capitol that can stand the competition with the most revered european cities.
Amazing information and knowledge! I never realized this about London cab drivers. Thank you for this great video, Kirby.
Excellent Kirby! Great content and good to see you not advertising products for a change! This kind of content is your best work!! Love it and hope to see Edward and Eddie for this visit to London!
Two legend meet! excellent
I don't know much about London and the black cabs. Thank you so much for this informative and entertaining video. Watched it from beginning to end.
Excellent primer on using black cab service in London!
Well I rather enjoyed this presentation. You asked wonderful questions on Tom The Taxi Driver did an amazing job giving informative responses and driving you around. Great job guys.
New York city used to have a special vehicle for taxis, it was the Checker Marathon.
Black cabs in London are the best of any city I’m aware of. And the price is reasonable. Every one I’ve had is like a very knowledgeable Limo driver.
Amazing..
Knowledge is power.
Great video, Kirby. This video provided a current, interesting, and informative update of the tradition and institution of the London Black Cab. My wife and I travel to London at least once every year. We prefer to travel about town using a London black cab or in some cases the tube. 👍
Cool Collaboration!! Like it
I didn't think that such a video could be so interesting.
Love your conversations tom. Still havent seen u around west end yet. I'm always looking out to say hello
What are you wearing Kirby ? You have on a beautiful jacket
Thanks for this video. I completely agree on the value of black cabs. The price is only marginally more than an Uber of Lyft (partly due to the fact that black cabs are exempted from the congestion zone charge, while ride share drivers are not), and the experience is far superior. When I’m in London now, I mostly travel by black cab. I’ll always love the tube. I’ve loved it all my life. But cabs are the best way to see London. And cab drivers are often hilarious and charming. It’s definitely worth the cost.
So very true, in both respects.
I think it's kinda funny how, at 38:50 when Tom is talking about adverts on black cabs, a taxi slowly drives past in the background featuring a huge De Beers advert on the side!
Ha. Well, I'm sure they pay well...
@@kirbyallison for the ads, for the miners? Not so much.
Geely owns the iconic London Cab Company which are now all EVs !
I have to say, I really enjoy the EV black cabs. They are smoother and quieter and there is even more room inside. I can't speak to maintenance and range, but I love using them.
@@kirbyallison ...but you still can't smoke a cigar in one of them or can you ? ...LoL
@@kirbyallisonA lot of cabbies I’ve talked to are a bit on the fence though, because they need recharging (takes time) and don’t quite get an entire day per charge.
Great video Kirby. I met you at Heathrow in baggage claim.
Thanks again for saying hello!
Black Cabs and the Tube, essential for getting around London. Imagine having to learn 25 000 streets. I lost all faith in cabs in my city when I copped a couple of drivers who didn't know how to get to one of our major metropolitan hospitals. From my house it's basically do a u-turn and drive 3-4 minutes up the road and they were asking me to direct them.
could you say that one more time please? I did not catch it. quality, craftsman....
lmao
Fun video, but come on, Kirby! The cab is going down Whitehall and you don’t recognize Horse Guards? Or was that supposed to be a leading question? Black Cabs are great transportation in London.
Right up there with Chicago and NYC! LOL....
I had no idea
Can someone teach Kirby how to walk with an umbrella - holding the handle and swinging the umbrella with a flourish every few steps.
London's professional cab drivers have always provided intelligent and comfortable transport. A wealthy gentlemen might find a personal limousine to be the most luxurious way to navigate London.
Как же в Лондоне круто!
It's very essential for a taxi driver to be talkative
I got a London cab once. A two mile trip cost me 40 quid. I think next time I'll walk and smoke a cigar instead.
Well, in bad London traffic, you can often get places faster walking... for sure.
Who else thought it was Nick Bertke (Pogo) in the thumbnail with Allison?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Are you going to this year’s Grand Flaneur, Sunday 5th May, Kirby?
The meeting point and time are the same as before - Midday by the statue of Beau Brummell on Jermyn Street, London W1.
#grandflaneurwalk
❤
Black Cabs is a truly wonderful British institution. I first learned about them through a documentary on RUclips several years ago. The time, effort and dedication that one has to put in to become a Black Cab driver is just so impressive. Personally, I think the British should better protect its Black Cab Industry and not allow Uber to operate in London.
We'll be back in London in a just a few weeks to catch Eric Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall. We're taking the Heathrow Express from the airport since it takes only 15 minutes to get to Paddington Station but it will be Black Cabs the rest of the way.
couldn't agree more!
Toms gone all posh😂.
Nonsense. He talks with a typical working class London accent. What makes you think he sounds posh?
I'd love to see a video of Black Cab driver versus Google Maps to see who comes out on top as far as navigation goes.
Search it, Tom has done it!
Invite Tom to a Davidoff number 2
Oh boy Kirby must be a kid in a candy store with all those buggering puffers
Ah, Franky, great to see you back. Just wouldn’t be the same without you here.
@@kirbyallison It’s not a treat?
Please put us on your to do list ! For your trip around London
What if Father Brown was in a cab as well? 😀
Tom Hurley??Well done Thomas you came across extremely well, did the profession proud...not a fan of the elevator music in the background however.
Tom Hutley, not Hurley...
I payed 46 pounds from manchester airport to city center using a black cab in the evening on a friday. On the way he was on the phone all the time and swearing and cussing to other cars, driving agressively.
To contrast I payed 28 pounds to a another white taxi that my hotel called for me in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT sat-sunday 03:30 from center to airport.
Weird how the difference in price. Note: always make the hotel call a cab.
Black Cab's around the country aren't the same as London Black Cab's. :)
So cool you meat up with this guy I youst to see him in me locol town
used to
Good video but the audio is a bit iffy
is the audio at the start poor quality for everyone?
I’ve watched enough travel videos to have learned that London black cabs are ridiculously overpriced. The Underground goes nearly everywhere so it’s my preferred choice. The double decker buses are fun too, especially if you can get the front seat upstairs. I should note that I’m a rail geek. I’m supposed to be in London for a night this summer. I booked a room near the Elizabeth Line because I want to take Purple Train to and from Heathrow.
Hey Kirby , very good video . I can do better editing in your videos which can help you to get more engagement in your videos . Pls lmk what do you think ?
Yeah, you should definitely takeover editing all Kirby's content. His editors clearly have no idea what they're doing. All that perfectly recorded video and audio ruined by those talentless losers.
@@lsolus6613 I disagree. I think the editing is clearly outstanding. I can only assume you're being facetious.
@@MeOhMyOfficial Well observed.
Well, you mispronounced his last name within the first few seconds of getting into the taxi, so that must have been awkward! 😂
I hope you paid, Kirby! lol. :-)
Tokyo cabs all have doors that open and close for you, so seeing you have to open the door by yourself reminded me that when I am overseas, I find myself standing in front of of the door waiting and then remembering I have to do this myself. Sadly taxi driver standards have crashed here. Once upon a time your cabbie knew where to go, but today they have little idea, including the locations of major Hotels. They are slaves to the Navigation tech, which can be a clumsy solution.
I wish we had The Knowledge here in Tokyo but with our declining population we will be lucky to have enough people to do the job at all, so standards will never improve.
Personally I think the most luxurious way to travel in London is using a limo service called Wheely or Uber Luxury
Great content and conversation... But the music on this one was particularly awful...
It's definitely the most expensive way.
Even the factory that makes black cabs is now Chinese owned.
Royals and Blues = Blues and Royals
(Regiment)
Sorry Tom, you got that wrong mate.
Wicked easy coffee cake recipe
INGREDIENTS
Yields: 8 slices
CUPS
FOR THE SPONGE
* 50 grams walnut pieces
* 225 grams caster sugar
* 225 grams soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing)
* 200 grams plain flour
* 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
* 2½ teaspoons baking powder
* ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
* 4 large eggs
* 1 - 2 tablespoons milk
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
* 350 grams icing sugar
* 175 grams soft unsalted butter
* 2½ teaspoons instant espresso powder (dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water)
* approx. 10 walnut halves (to decorate)
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350°F.
2. Butter two 20cm / 8inch sandwich tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.
3. Put the walnut pieces and sugar into a food processor and blitz to a fine nutty powder.
4. Add the 225g/2 sticks butter, flour, 4 teaspoons espresso powder, baking powder, bicarb and eggs and process to a smooth batter.
5. Add the milk, pouring it down the funnel with the motor still running, or just pulsing, to loosen the cake mixture: it should be a soft, dropping consistency, so add more milk if you need to. (If you are making this by hand, bash the nuts to a rubbly powder with a rolling pin and mix with the dry ingredients; then cream the butter and sugar together, and beat in some dry ingredients and eggs alternately and, finally, the milk.)
6. Divide the mixture between the 2 lined tins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the sponge has risen and feels springy to the touch.
7. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, before turning them out onto the rack and peeling off the baking parchment.
8. When the sponges are cool, you can make the buttercream.
9. Pulse the icing sugar in the food processor until it is lump free, then add the butter and process to make a smooth icing.
10. Dissolve the instant espresso powder in 1 tablespoon boiling water and add it while still hot to the processor, pulsing to blend into the buttercream.
11. If you are doing this by hand, sieve the icing sugar and beat it into the butter with a wooden spoon.
12. Then beat in the hot coffee liquid.
13. Place 1 sponge upside down on your cake stand or serving plate.
14. Spread with about half the icing; then place on it the second sponge, right side up (i.e. so the 2 flat sides of the sponges meet in the middle) and cover the top with the remaining icing in a ramshackle swirly pattern.
15. This cake is all about old-fashioned, rustic charm, so don’t worry unduly: however the frosting goes on is fine. similarly, don’t fret about some buttercream oozing out around the middle: that’s what makes it look so inviting.
16. Gently press the walnut halves into the top of the icing all around the edge of the circle about 1cm apart.