.
GIMME SHELTER LOTTERY FUND ALLOCATE GRANT FOR CABBIE SHELTERS
The unpretentious green huts that have sustained London cabbies for more than 130 years are to get a new lease of life,
thanks to a
£69,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Only 13 of the original 61 Cabmen’s Shelters survive and their role has been largely over- looked; in fact most passers-by are com- pletely unaware of their function. Now the Creative Intelligence Agency, a non-profit arts and design organ- isation, will
raise
public awareness of their history, help set up a friends group and promote conservation and maintenance to preserve them for the future. It will work with the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund and London Transport Museum. All the remaining shel- ters, dotted around central London, are Grade II listed and are still looked after by the Cabmen’s
A cabmen’s shelter serves hot drinks in St George’s Sq., Pimlico
operate in each of the shelters. The
recollections Shelter
Fund that built them between 1875 and 1914. Now, as then, they provide the city’s black cab drivers with a place to rest and buy refreshments. Sue Bowers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: “These examples of living his- tory, dotted about London’s
streets,
would continue to dis- appear were it not for such a project. This will not only help to conserve them but also give former cab- bies a voice bringing their heritage to life.” The Cabbies’ Shelters Project will interview present and former cabbies to build up a picture of life in the London taxi
trade
since the Second World War. Also inter- viewed will be some of the people who have run the tiny cafés that
PAGE 26
gathered, as well as a selection of cabbie memorabilia plus a full map of all the shelters (surviving and miss- ing), will be donated to The London Transport Museum. In addition, this material will be the inspiration for lively and engaging artist commissions by Kathy Prendergast
and
Emma Smith. The public will get the chance, during Her- itage Open House days, to see inside some of the shelters, normally the exclusive preserve of the cab- bies
themselves.
Local volunteers, in- cluding young people, will be encouraged to get involved to record the interviews and help gather the back- ground information for the project. Alongside commis- sioned artworks, oral histories, and visual documentation of the shelters, the project’s legacy will include a friends group that will help the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund to ensure ongoing support for the structures so as to
keep them maintained and in use. The shelters were originally built at exist- ing taxi ranks during the day of the horse- drawn cab because cabbies were not allowed to leave their vehicle unattended in order to go for refresh- ment in a local pub. Their aim was to pro- vide wholesome food and shelter. Because they were to be sited on the highway the police stipulated that the shelters should take up no more room than a horse cab, which explains their diminutive size into which crammed up to a dozen cabbies round a central bench with just room for a stove and a counter for preparing and serving food and mugs of tea. Etiquette was controlled for those using the shel- ters with an absolute prohibition on gam- bling, drinking and swearing. Jimmy
Jenkins,
Trustee of the Cab- men’s Shelter Fund, said: “These shelters were built in the nine- teenth century to provide cabbies with
‘good and wholesome refreshments at mod- erate prices’, which is what
The interior of the Russell Sq. WC1 shelter they’ve been
doing ever since. We’re proud to be looking after
them
now. Passers-by are always curious about the shelters. We’re looking forward to col- laborating with the Creative Intelligence Agency to share this unique bit of London’s heritage.” Martin Harrison-Put- nam, Senior Curator, London
Transport
Museum, said: “There is a gap in our collec- tion when it comes to material relating to
London’s cabbie com- munity so we are delighted to be collab- orating on this original and exciting project. We also welcome the way it will work with London cabbies, con- temporary
artists,
local schools and community groups to create, collect and interpret this materi- al.” Danielle Olsen, curator for the Creative Intelli- gence Agency said: “These
seemingly
modest buildings belie the fact that they are sites of navigational expertise. The cabbies who use them today
are experts at getting around London. The shelters are also con- versation hubs, alive with the exchange of anecdotes told and stories overheard as cabbies go about their business of transport- ing Londoners and visitors from place to place. The Cabbies’ Shelters Project will tap into this rich vein of London’s life and heritage. We are thrilled to be commis- sioning artists to produce work inspired by these distinctive buildings and the knowledgeable cab- bies who use them.”
The 13 surviving cabmen’s shelters can be found at: Chelsea Embankment SW3 Embankment Place WC2 Grosvenor Gardens SW1 Hanover Square W1 Kensington Park Road, W11 Kensington Road W8 Pont Street SW1 Russell Square WC1 St George’s Square, Pimlico SW1 Temple Place WC2 Thurloe Place, Kensington SW7 Warwick Avenue W9 Wellington Place NW8
For further information contact Vicky Wilford, HLF press office on 020 75916046/07973 401937 email
vickyw@hlf.org.uk or Phil Cooper, HLF press office on 07889 949173. or visit
www.hlf.org.uk
PHTM AUGUST 2013
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