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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:53 am 
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West Bay: Park And Trot To The Seaside

Thursday 15th October 2009

There have been no licensed horse-drawn carriages in West Dorset for 200 years – until now.

Kate Bromfield, partner Mark Perkins, and Winston, the six-year-old cob are plying their ‘park and trot’ scheme in West Bay on any sunny Sunday they can.

For Winston it is a dream come true after plying his trade as a scrap metal horse in Hull and for keen horsewoman Kate it’s a joy to be combining her passion for driving horses with a business, supported by her partner, saddler and groom Mark.

Ms Bromfield, 44, who also runs a gardening business in Symondsbury, said: “I wanted to do some carriage driving with horses. Brian used to be a taxi driver and I thought ‘why don’t I be a hackney cab driver as well?’ “Because West Bay is really popular with tourists I thought it would be good to go down there and give people lifts to the seaside.”

Ms Bromfield has been driving horses for the last 15 years but had to learn a new style approved by the British Driving Society so she could drive professionally.

“It is like learning to drive before you take your test, you have to learn to drive properly.

“I had to have an assessment with the British Driving Society and take a road test and have an MoT for my vehicle to be able to use it as a hackney carriage.”

She has owned cobs for a good few years but counts herself lucky to have found Winston.

“He’s lovely. He’s only six but he is really good in traffic and good with people and he loves working – he is a real working type of horse.

“I bought him on as a young horse, trained him up to get used to different things. I have been taking him out for the last year really in preparation.”

She found the perfect horse and has the perfect carriage for him – but not before buying the wrong one, a type of market carriage that would have been difficult for passengers to get into and needed two horses to pull.

The carriage she is using is an English carriage, at least 80 years old with wooden wheels and a hood.

Ms Bromfield added: “Some people say Queen Victoria had an input into the design of it because she didn’t want to sit up with her groom and ladies in waiting, she wanted a seat to herself, so she made an extra seat for the driver.”

The first outing in West Bay has already proved a success and the couple hope to spend the half term week there.

“When we went it was really sunny and everybody did seem to like the idea of it, people were waving and taking pictures.

“There were a couple of annoyed drivers having to wait for a minute or two but on the whole it was really friendly and a lovely day.”

They will be operating from West Bay car park and rides cost £5 per person to the seafront or booking having the carriage to yourselves will cost £20 for a 20 minute round trip.

“People don’t understand that it is a lot of work. It is not just when we are sitting there driving the horse, there is a lot of work behind the scenes. We have tried to make it affordable but we had to be realistic.”

Source; BridportNews.co.uk

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:59 am 
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Quote:
“I had to have an assessment with the British Driving Society and take a road test and have an MoT for my vehicle to be able to use it as a hackney carriage.”

What's the legal limit for tread depth on carriage wheels & horse hooves?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:29 pm 
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Quote:
The carriage she is using is an English carriage, at least 80 years old with wooden wheels and a hood.


What no vehicle age limit :shock: :lol: :lol:


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:10 pm 
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8303132.stm

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:56 pm 
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I suppose if she takes no money she will still have food on the table...

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 4:15 pm 
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wannabeeahack wrote:
I suppose if she takes no money she will still have food on the table...


What does Horse taste like?


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:24 pm 
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Brummie Cabbie wrote:
There have been no licensed horse-drawn carriages in West Dorset for 200 years – until now.

I look forward to this type of hackney carriage meeting the DDA.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:18 pm 
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Are the charges legal? Can a driver specify the length and destination of a journey?

I thought a customer hired a carriage to take him where he wanted to go and paid a combination of distance and waiting time.

One of many links on the LA's website:

http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media/pdf/5 ... ehicle.pdf


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:25 pm 
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It looks in better nick than some of the modern day taxis I've seen :wink:

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:10 pm 
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The emissions test will be eye watering

CC

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:14 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
The emissions test will be eye watering

CC

Good for the roses!!

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:19 pm 
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Brummie Cabbie wrote:
captain cab wrote:
The emissions test will be eye watering

CC

Good for the roses!!


Wouldn't know never get any :cry:

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:21 pm 
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toots wrote:
Brummie Cabbie wrote:
captain cab wrote:
The emissions test will be eye watering

CC

Good for the roses!!

Wouldn't know never get any :cry:

Not cut roses Toots!!!

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:23 pm 
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Brummie Cabbie wrote:
toots wrote:
Brummie Cabbie wrote:
captain cab wrote:
The emissions test will be eye watering

CC

Good for the roses!!

Wouldn't know never get any :cry:

Not cut roses Toots!!!

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:


Might of flamin well known :oops:

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:23 pm 
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toots wrote:
It looks in better nick than some of the modern day taxis I've seen :wink:


She probably has plenty spare time to keep it in that pristine state....I mean...whos going to get a Cuddy and trap home at all the odd hours of the day and night? and how does the meter work??


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