In pictures: Learning the Knowledge

Tucked away inside the nondescript walls of a multi-storey car park between Caledonian Road and King's Cross, the family-run Taxi Trade Promotions, better known as Knowledge Point, continues to provide prospective black-cab drivers in London with an education in what is named - quite simply, yet somewhat ominously - the Knowledge.

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.

Malcolm Linskey opened up Knowledge Point in 1985. Having completed the Knowledge himself at the age of 23, and after spending a few months as a driver, he became more and more interested in the trade as a whole. Using his previous experience in print, he started a trade magazine, which, in times of cash-flow problems, he funded by selling Knowledge material.

"It's a job where you're going to be guaranteed a wage. You're your own boss and you work the hours you want to work. There's no better job that can do that.

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