Taxis, children and a lot of magic
The Magical Taxi tour left Canary Wharf on 2nd October. Children with life threatening illnesses were transported in a convoy of London taxis on a weekend they will never forget. The day began early as everyone arrived for The Big Breakfast send off. This event sees noise levels increase along with the excitement. Sponsors and dignitaries invited to the Breakfast are always taken aback by the scale of the early morning send off and there were some short speeches of thanks and good wishes but for the children all they wanted to do was get into their taxis and begin the journey.
This year the Lady Mayoress of the City of London, Lin Luder, cut the ribbon to mark the start of the convoy. This was led by The Master of The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers and his wife in a cab driven by the Beadle John Sheen, followed by 100 taxis, police cars London Ambulance vehicles, AA breakdown trucks and vehicles supplied by Kia and Honda to support the trip. The Public Carriage Office’s (PCO) recently appointed Director of Taxi and Private Hire, John Mason, was invited to watch the trip depart and he said: “TfL and the PCO are delighted to support this great event, which has in the past brought a lot of joy to thousands of children. For some of these children it will have been their first time in a cab and their first time to go abroad, which makes it even more special.”
Those arriving for their day’s work in offices across the Wharf were soon caught up in the excitement, waving to the convoy as it left, escorted by police outriders from both the UK and France. During the trip down to Dover, the police stopped traffic allowing the convoy to drive safely down to the port.
Once aboard the P&O Ferry, packed lunches were consumed, friendships were formed and acquaintances renewed. On arrival in Calais it was a sunny afternoon and the convoy reformed and headed of to Paris. At a refreshment and refuelling stop, the children were entertained by clowns and characters on the French service area before the convoy set off once more for its destination. The sun was setting over The Magical Kingdom as the convoy arrived and the passengers disembarked their cabs ready for dinner. Although the children (and the drivers!) may have been tired, the excitement was still evident as everyone checked into their rooms.
On Saturday morning, the weather was kind and soon the hotel was quiet and deserted as everyone lefty to enjoy a day in the Disneyland Paris Park. There were smiling faces everywhere as the children, drivers and carers went on the rides and watched the shows. The main parade of the afternoon was one of the highlights for many before going back to the hotel to prepare for a Gala Dinner. This dinner had some extra special guests as Disney characters came and joined the children, posing for photographs and joining with the disco.
All too soon the Gala Dinner was over and it was time to have a final night in the hotel before leaving bright and early on Sunday morning. For those drivers who were taking part in the trip for the first time, the magic is as strong as for those who have made every one of the 16 Magical Taxi Tours. Special thanks must go to the drivers who go more than an extra mile to make the trip such a success. Speeches at Canary Wharf and at the Gala Dinner thank everyone involved and there are so many different strands that pull together to make this such a wonderful trip. Since it began in 1994, around 3,200 sick children have enjoyed the annual Children’s Magical Taxi Tour, organised by the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers.
