The History and success story of taxi talk Magazine

taxi talk magazine was first launched back in 1978, when the Liverpool Taxi Owners Association (LTOA) were looking for a platform to voice local trade related news and other issues surrounding the taxi industry.

The treasurer of the LTOA at that time produced the first edition of taxi talk in A5 format, which was a small mono news pamphlet; it was envisaged to be a monthly journal. taxi talk was to encompass articles of news, humor, letters to the Editor and of course press releases supported by local advertising. Alas, this time around taxi talk only survived three issues. This came about because of lack of interest and support from the local trade as a whole.

However, some fifteen years later the LTOA decided to have another go at re-launching taxi talk magazine with a Liverpool taxi driver, named Derek Chamberlain as Editor. The journal, initially an A4 news sheet developed into a spot-color glossy magazine with twenty-eight pages, fluctuating according to advertising. Again, the magazine encompassed trade-related articles, letters to the Editor and of course press releases supported by local advertising.

Towards the end of 1999, Derek Chamberlain stood down as Editor because of conflicting issues with others involved in the company. This important, vacant position was then offered to David Millward by two of the surviving directors. David Millward, another working Liverpool taxi driver accepted and took on the role as no one else was prepared to come forward. To that end he endeavored to keep the ailing publication together through comprehensive networking. It was at this time that taxi talk magazine was going through necessary and fundamental changes, whilst struggling to survive as a local trade journal. Unfortunately, the publication was once again at risk because of local lack of support. Key people within the company realized that ‘new blood’ together with new ideas were needed for its ultimate survival and so initiated a ‘plan of action’ without delay.

 In January 2000, David and Lynn Millward took over taxi talk magazine, and with some shrewd negotiating and forward thinking, David and Lynn developed the magazine into a glossy, full colour national trade journal to what it is today. Indeed, taxi talk magazine is now well established within the taxi and private hire industry and is now, by and large, the main player in the field, being the envy of others who have tried, and to this day continue to try mimicking our name and format without any success whatsoever.

Over the past seven years or so, taxi talk magazine has continued to grow rapidly, becoming a victim of its own success, while maintaining coverage of important issues and publishing articles surrounding the taxi and private hire trade up and down the UK, including Scotland and Wales.taxi talk magazine is, unlike other trade publications, unique insomuch that the majority of (if not all) people who write for the magazine are either working taxi or private hire drivers, including trade journalists with a passion for the industry in which they are involved. In addition, they are focused on their subject when writing and carry out unerring research in doing so. Indeed, nothing is published by the Editor without foundation. Moreover, the magazine is acclaimed nationally for, not so much the controversy within, but for the outright truth it speaks through honest pages and balanced editorial comment, while also publishing ‘none political’ feature articles by authors like Tom Slemen and Gary McCulloch thus becoming the most respected publication throughout the country.

HPH Publishers Ltd are the publishers of taxi talk magazine. The magazine is in an A4 glossy format with easy to read columns and hits the streets monthly. We have a run of 21,000 copies, which is delivered free of charge via our own LDV Maxus vehicle and TNT courier services to trade associations, Local Authorities, dealers’ garages, private hire and taxi bases and is also hand delivered on taxi ranks throughout the UK including London by a network of committed ‘Foot Soldiers.’ Other copies go out via the National Taxi Association also by subscription. We are constantly updating our database and can prove our circulation on request