CABBIE day will return to Maldon next week after a two year hiatus for its 65th anniversary.

The East London Cabbie’s Outing, which sees London taxi drivers give up a day’s work to take children with learning difficulties from East London on a day out to Maldon, was forced to cancel last year due to lack of volunteers.

However, with help from the David Randall Foundation, the procession, which is widely regarded across the town, is back bigger than ever this year with 100 taxis confirmed to attend.

The day will be held on Wednesday July 4, and will begin at the Olympic Stadium in London at 9.30am where the taxis will load up the children and set off to Maldon with a full police escort.

The convoy will have a rest stop at 11am at The George and Dragon pub in Mountnessing, where children will be given free drinks and snacks and a photo opportunity with the police bikes, before proceeding to Maldon.

The convoy is expected to reach the top end of Maldon High Street at 1pm, where their journey will take them all the way down the street, leading into Mill Road, Cross Road and finally Fambridge Road to travel up to Plume Academy’s main campus.

A team of volunteers will be out in the town over the next few days to hand out flyers, balloons and flags for residents to display in their windows for when the convoy drives by.

At approximately 1.15pm, the taxis will reach Plume, where the academy’s pupils and Maldon mayor will be waiting to greet them.

The school will provide all the children, carers and taxi drivers with a two-course meal and the pupils will play their own music to provide the children with entertainment.

At 2.15pm, the taxis will leave Plume to reach Promenade Park for 2.30pm, where they will park in a field, where they will stay for the rest of the afternoon with lots of entertainment including face painting, model balloons, falcon bird photo opportunities, police dog display, raffles and the Best Dressed Taxi award.

There will also be a DJ, plus free tea, coffee, cold drinks, sweets/crisps for everyone involved in the day.

The event is due to finish at 6.30pm.

The organising committee are still looking for additional volunteers to inflate balloons in the early evening of July 3 and to help decorate cabs in the early morning of the July 4 at the Olympic Park.

If anyone can help please contact event organiser Neil Foster at neil@davidrandallfoundation.org.

Visit www.eastlondoncabbiesouting.co.uk.