1


HERO OF THE YEAR Elsewhere this year...


This was indeed a year


for speeding


deliveries and in our January issue we saw the first of several deliveries either in or around a helpful cab- bie. Charlotte Ford’s baby boy wasn’t due for another


fortnight 2 3 4


when the mum-to-be began having contrac- tions at home in Bradford. But when the 19-year- old started having the contractions in quick succession, she knew she didn’t have much time. Her mum Tracy, 36, quickly phoned Brad- ford Royal Infirmary where staff told her to call a taxi. A PHV from Wyke taxi firm CJs arrived and driver Keith Hardaker took the two women and the baby’s dad Jude Chiemeka, 25, on a mad dash to the delivery ward. Little Tobias was born as they approached the hospital, weighing 6lb 1oz. Charlotte said: “It was all quite a shock at first but everything is fine now.” Keith Hardaker, 48, of Oakenshaw, said: “I didn’t think she was going to give birth and the next minute I heard her mum say ‘the head’s out’ so I put my foot down. “We were going to pull over but we weren’t far from the hospital so I carried on. There were nurses waiting to meet us when we arrived. It’s certainly


been a talking point with other customers and drivers.” January page 12. There were further deliveries in May when in two separate incidents,


in


Gateshead and Mus- selburgh babies were born. A baby boy shocked everyone to make a speedy arrival in the back of a taxi. Lucas Jake was born in the back of a Vaux- hall Vectra - in the car park of a hospital. According to the Mail Online Faye Brani- ghan flagged down the cab as it dropped her mother-in-law off at her house. Her anxious partner Steven Axelborough begged the driver to take Faye to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, telling him that she was having a baby. Faye, 22, said: “I just knew the baby was on the way. I could feel the head. “When we pulled up to the hospital I knew I wasn’t going to make it


inside. We had


already rung the hos- pital to say we were on our way and the mid- wives were waiting outside. And then I just had him in the back of the taxi. “I lost all dignity. I just couldn’t believe it, I just kept apologising to the poor taxi driver.” Cabbie Peter Wake- field, who works for Dean


Taxis in


Gateshead, thought he was in for an average


working day when he arrived for his first pick-up on that Tues- day morning. May page 64. Meanwhile a taxi driv- er helped deliver a baby boy after being called to take the expectant mother to hospital. Alan Simpson, 44, was called to take Zoltan Dobos to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary last month. When he arrived he was ushered inside by the father Adrien Lan- vai,


who was


panicking as his wife was already in labour. Mr Simpson dialled 999 and was given instructions down the phone on how to deliv- er the baby. He then wrapped the newborn baby in a blanket before going back to work. The cabbie, from Mus- selburgh, has been praised by the ambu- lance service for doing a “fantastic job”. May page 64. Personally


though


there were many instances where brave cabbies went over and above their duties. In August brave David Tunstall put out a blaz- ing van with his fire extinguisher. August page 20. In September police thanked a kind heart- ed cabbie for his help in tracing a missing pensioner. September p 16. Also in September, a drugs courier was shopped by a taxi driv- er after he attempted


to transport up to £52,000 of cannabis in a cab. Ronald Ngo was arrested after the cab driver became suspi- cious and called the police. Officers seized a holdall, which con- tained


5.2kg cannabis, from the


back of the taxi. Ngo was in a car in front, which the cab driver had been told to follow. The 24-year-old, who said he had been paid £500 to pick up the drugs from a house in Derby, was given an eight-month jail sen- tence, suspended for two years. September p 16. And September would not have been com- plete without


the


Colchester taxi driver who helped a strand- ed air ambulance crew. A taxi driver has been praised for his efforts after giving a lift to a stranded air ambu- lance crew. The air ambulance was called to Colchester to deal with a man who had been taken ill at home. The pilot could not find anywhere close to land, so had to bring the helicopter down in a field and try to flag down a car. Cabbie Pete Andrews came to the rescue. He drove the doctor and para- medic to the house so they could help ambu- lance crews deal with the emergency. Pete didn’t put the meter on. September p 16.


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JANUARY 2013 PHTM PAGE 65 of


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