WHEN might you expect to see Scooby Doo and Fred Flintstone having a chat at a Glasgow taxi rank?

Hallowe’en, right?

Well you’d be absolutely spot on with that answer – however there’s one other time of year when you might just see Scooby and Fred in conversation. The morning of the annual and very famous Glasgow Taxi outing to Troon.

This week – Monday – marked 100 days to go until this year’s trip and it’s going to be a special one, as 2020 marks 75 years of the famous trip of hundreds of Glasgow taxis down to the Ayrshire seaside.

For those of you who don’t have a Scooby what I’m talking about …

Since 1945, an army of Glasgow taxi drivers have voluntarily helped transport hundreds of young Glaswegians with additional support needs down to the seaside for a summer day of fun and games they will never forget.

The very first year was, in fact, a bus run to Saltcoats – organised by Glasgow taxi drivers by the names of McLaren, Sampson and Campbell.

It proved such a success that the following year an even bigger trip to Troon was arranged, all sorted by the hastily assembled and brilliantly named ‘Glasgow Taxi Men and Gaybirds Dance Band Sick Children’s Outing Fund’.

From then it became an annual tradition and up to the present day we estimate that some 60,000 children from greater Glasgow have enjoyed this very special event.

As the trip has grown, so too has its place in the hearts of so many people in Glasgow and beyond, with literally thousands of people waving the taxis off from the West End through the city centre, South Side and on to Troon.

That’s where the real magic begins, with the annual trip just as big a deal in this wonderful Ayrshire town, where locals create a carnival atmosphere to welcome the children – not to mention parents, carers, teachers and drivers – in the warmest and most colourful fashion.

A day of fun and games, music and dancing, laughter and friendship ensues, no matter what the weather brings.

It truly is one of the most completely upbeat days in Glasgow’s calendar and long may that continue. The drivers give up their time for free, while the volunteers in the Glasgow Taxi Outing Fund deserve no end of credit for all their hard work in making it happen.

Lots of local companies – including Glasgow Taxis Ltd – donate to help fund the day. If you are reading this and think you can help, contact the fund directly.

So where do Scooby Doo and Fred Flintstone come in? Well, the most eye-catching element of this day is the way the drivers and their taxis are dressed up to the nines, in some of the most incredible fancy dress you are likely to see. The kids love it (almost as much as the drivers) and that’s what it’s all about. It’s a day like no other. So stick June 17 in your diary, come and give us a wave and if you see Scooby and Fred on shift early that morning, you’ll know exactly what they are up to!

To get involved with this year’s Glasgow Taxi outing to Troon, visit gtof.org.uk