WELL-WISHERS gave 80 East London cabbies and hundreds of disabled school children a spectacular welcome on their annual charity outing to Maldon.
Wednesday marked the 61st year of the parade, which takes disabled children from the London boroughs of Newham and Havering for a fun day out.
A crowd greeted the arrivals in Maldon High Street before they stopped at Plume School for a spot of lunch before making their way to Promenade Park, where the children enjoyed a disco, face-painting and a gift from the organisers.
Chairman of the East London Cabbies Outing Ken Flemwell, from East Ham, said: "The whole day went very well again and the people of Maldon did as they always do and make us proud.
"Everyone was brilliant, the Conservative club made a very generous donation that will ensure we can keep doing these events, and the Plume School.
"It just feels good to give the kids a good day out."
Teaching assistant Gloria Hill, who works at Eastlea School in Plaistow, took charge of 20 children with wide-ranging disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and learning difficulties.
She said: "They don't get to do things like this very often so it was great to be able to take them on a trip like this.
"They all had a smashing time, it was so emotional to watch them enjoy themselves and we received a lovely welcome from everyone in Maldon.
"I've been going on these trips for years and it always brings a tear to my eye to see the crowd come down to see us and watch the children wave."
Essex police provided an escort to Maldon for the cabbies.
Mr Flemwell, 59, said: "Essex police were excellent, they really helped us get down there safe and sound."
In 1952, Charles Albert Flemwell, Ken's father, started the first East London Cabbies Outing with eight taxis, taking children with special needs from the East End to Maldon.
Over the years the trip grew in scale, taking children from various schools and specialist centres in the East End in a convoy of vehicles that in some years exceeded 160 taxis and specialised buses.
In 1984, Charles Flemwell became Mayor of the London Borough of Newham. He continued organising the annual outing until his death in 1996.
When Ken became a black cab driver he took over the reins from his father, forming a committee of London taxi drivers which carried on organising the day trips in his father's honour.