My friend Jim O’Neill, who has died of a heart attack aged 65, found his calling 20 years ago when he passed the London taxi cab “Knowledge” test. A devoted Spurs fan who lived his entire life in Ilford, east London, and thus on the face of it a black cab driver straight out of central casting, Jim upended the profession’s sometimes negative stereotype with his socialist views, unstinting kindness and cheerful embrace of everyone of every background, even West Ham fans.
Born in Ilford, he was the second youngest of six children born to Catholic parents originally from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Bridie (nee Finlan), a nurse, and Jim O’Neill, a shop steward at the Ford car plant in Dagenham.
