DINNER PARTY INTEL: Is it the end of the road for London’s black cabs?

1. No great start for ‘Gatsby

In its centenary year The Great Gatsby, the novel by F Scott Fitzgerald, is being celebrated as a literary masterpiece. But it did not get off to a good start. Fitzgerald’s last royalty cheque before his death in 1940, aged 44, was $13.13. In his lifetime he earned only $2,000 from the book. Today its sales are over 30-million, with about 500,000 copies sold each year. It is available in 42 languages.

2. Dark days for black cab

A London institution, the black cab, could be on its way out. Less than a decade ago, according to a report by the think-tank Centre for London, there were 25,000 cabs and, of course, as many drivers. That has dropped to 14,000 cabs and 17,000 drivers. It means hailing a traditional London taxi has never taken longer. The report speculates that by 2045, “the game” — as those in the trade refer to it — will be over.

3. Oil-in-transit heist

As the price of extra virgin olive oil soars in Europe, so the “green gold” becomes a target for villains. Recently an armed gang, similar to South Africa’s notorious cash-in-transit robbers, hijacked a truck in southern Italy carrying a load of olive oil. The price of olive oil has risen almost 100% over the past three years in Italy. A truckload of the stuff is worth about €300,000, according to a top producer quoted by the London Times.