When someone asks if you’re a God, you say yes. When the London Electric Vehicle Company, makers of the iconic London Black Taxi, offers you a Black Taxi for a few hours, you say “thanks.” This is exactly what’s happening this Friday as Adrian and I shall collect a Black Taxi and take it for a quick review. We’re also going to be heading to the famous Ace Cafe London to meet up with some readers, have a nibble, and see whatever fun cars or bikes you all bring!
This is just the start of a plan, but the most important thing to know is that if you’re anywhere in England you should make your way to the Ace Cafe London at about 12:00 PM this Friday via whatever conveyance makes sense (though feel free to bring your bikes/cars/penny farthings) and we’ll be there in a Black Taxi. I’m not sure if it’ll be painted black, but Adrian will be there so it’ll feel black.
I don’t have much of a plan beyond that, honestly. I just know that we have a lot of great readers and members in London (thanks in part to Adrian’s great coverage) and we’ll be hanging out in one of these:
Let me know in the comments if you want to come!
UPDATE: The boys are running a little late, but rest assured, they are coming.
While you wait, here’s Jens Lekman:
Alas for me A) working, and B) being on the other side of the country.
Which might not seem that far to the yanks, but as they say: In Europe 200 miles is a long way, in America 200 years is a long time.
Considering the only thing I know about London taxis comes from internet pornographic materials, a review of one will be quite interesting.
I mean, Jason did write that guide to boinking in a car, so…Real Taxi isn’t that far off-topic, I guess.
I was in London for a weekend a couple of weeks ago. As far out of the center city as the Ace Cafe is, I’m pleased, and not very surprised, to see that it could be reached from King’s Cross / St. Pancras, near where I was staying, by Overground or Underground in no more than 45 minutes, which is less time than it takes me to commute by train at home in Chicago. One of the great things about London is TfL.
Pussycat’s going to London!
As the great and sadly late Paul Lynde might say, “Me-ow!”
That is an absolutely banging tune.
I did merchandising for Adam & The Ants ages ago. What a fun group they were performing live. The first time I saw them live was at the Palladium in Manhattan.
I’ve been to Ace Cafe. And picked up the T-shirt to prove it.
After a burger and a pint, I tried to “do the ton” in my rental car but fell a wee bit short.
Typical!
Finally the chance to chinwag with Adrian and a colonial, and the Penny Farthing has a flat and the bicycle peasant is off sick with the plague.
Just my luck.
Sadly I won’t be able to make it; happily I had the opportunity to visit five years ago.
It was a weekday evening and the weather was crap, but despite the cold rain 7-8 people were there with their motorcycles; there were no cars in the parking lot. The food was good – fish, chips, cup o’ tea, mushy peas – and I loaded up on swag. In fact, my modern skid lid and slightly dated sport bike are both adorned with small Ace Cafe stickers. IYKYK.
For those of you in the area but not driving/riding, take the Brown line to the top, walk down the hill, turn right, go past the bridge, and Robert’s your father’s brother.
Fun (?) fact: I had some cabbies call me “Guv” or “Guv’nor” (i.e. governor), probably because I looked like I was Not From ‘Round ‘Ere.
As seen on Twitter:
“everytime I come to london my mates will say some shit like “get the pinkersmith line to banana & dolphin and then you can change onto the dinkerdonk line to splooge street” and expect me to understand what the hell they’re talking about”
That’s a perfectly cromulent set of directions, that is.
While I was there I cheated and used the Transport for London (TfL) Tube map app, which worked well for my purposes.
The aces up London Transport’s sleeves are the NORTH- SOUTH- EAST- WESTBOUND signs, assuming everyone has an A-Z in their heads and knows that Splooge Street is roughly north-north-west of the Banana & Dolphin roundabout.
Mornington Crescent!
Now THAT is a meetup. Freaking birthplace of the “cafe racer” genre of motorcycles. Please tell me you will actually be attempting to do the ton in that taxi! Or maybe not. London is probably much busier now than it was in the 60s. I have a ’72 Honda CB360 cafe build, but building a vintage Triton is a motorcycle dream of mine.
Will one of you be wearing a flat cap while driving said taxi? Please be Adrian.
Adrian would have to cut a hole in the top of a flat cap!
David let a Ghostbusters quote go through?!?!
Nobody is going to know what that is!
What is this ‘Ghost Buster” you speak of? Is that like PB blaster for a Rolls Royce?
Doubt he saw it. He’s still busy with my dad.
Tell you what, kiddo. Next time we have an Autopian meet up, you should come with your new step-dad to it, and we will all watch Harry and the Hendersons with you. After that, we can all take a group photo with you, for, umm, the Autopian scrapbook. Yeah! Does that sound fun?
It does, but I have to warn you. For some reason all of our family photos come out really blurry.
Funny, so do mine