19 February 2013 Last updated at 15:03

The London cabbie historian

Alf Townsend has been a London cabbie for 50 years. But the 77-year-old is not just an ordinary taxi driver, he's also an author, historian and tour guide.

He's still a working taxi driver today, and here he tells us about London's famous green cabbie shelters, why the Prince Albert Memorial was painted black during WWI, and how Rotten Row in Hyde Park got its name.

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All images subject to copyright. Images courtesy of Getty Images, Mary Evans Picture Library, St Mary-le-Bow Church, English Heritage.

Music by Band of the Blues And Royals, John McCormack and The Scoring House.

Slideshow production by Melissa Hogenboom.

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