Beautiful sunny winter’s day today, and we decided to visit the village of Shere in Surrey having heard great things about it. Percy is more used to taking Nina to work, just a short journey across London, so this was a chance for him to hit the open road and enjoy some fresh air. Percy was still spotless and gleaming in the sun after we spent 3 hours on Sunday cleaning him! I topped up his radiator with antifreeze/coolant after I flushed out his cooling system before setting off down the A3.
The 35 mile journey was super smooth in overdrive. Percy cruises comfortably at 60mph but any faster and he starts to rattle and feel uncomfortable… he is an old man after all. Nina was sound asleep at the back, enjoying the huge back seat. (We decided not to have a tip-up seat fitted in the front passenger side, following advice from Danny our mechanic, and Fairway Driver taxi driver, who said its really uncomfortable and not safe as there’s nowhere for the seat belt to bolt onto properly.) One of the things with owning an old London cab is that you have to expect bits to fall off! Well, we lost Percy’s radio antenna today, probably somewhere on the A3… small price to pay in my opinion, Percy earnt his keep today, and the radio still works.
We made an impromptu stop off at Newlands Corner for a walk and photo opportunity. There’s a large (free) car park and visitor centre where you’ll find amenities like lavatories and a cafe.
Newlands Corner in the sunshine
After a short walk along the hilltop we were feeling the need for lunch! We would highly recommend the William Bray in Shere. A fantastic pub with excellent service and food. It’s owned by an ex racing driver, and apparently the Top Gear team drop by quite often for a pint (wonder what Jeremy, James and Richard make of Percy…). We had a blade of beef with red cabbage and fish and chips, washed down with a sauvignon blanc and the delightful local Shere Drop pale ale, which was rather tasty.
Percy stumbling out of the William Bray.
Percythelondontaxi 