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In pictures: Learning the Knowledge (2016)

Behind the scenes with London's prospective black-cab drivers.

A proud and noble tradition dating back to 1865, the Knowledge is a rigorous and in-depth study of the streets, routes and notable locations of London, which a hopeful driver must master before they are deemed eligible to enter the ranks of what is one of the oldest land-transportation services in the world. In order to earn a licence as a black-cab driver, students of the Knowledge must know by heart the location of every street, theatre, pub, sport venue, embassy, hospital, tourist attraction, intersection, even traffic light, as well as a staggering 320 different routes or "runs" that lie within a six-mile radius of the centre of London. Having completed the Knowledge at the school back in October 2008, Peter Allen takes some time out of his cab each week to pass the trade on to new blood.

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