Mirror, signal — and don’t wreck the car!

MY FIRST driving lesson was six months after my 18th birthday. My parents were not wealthy, so I didn’t have access to a car. I took my driving lessons in wintery weather — it seemed so few people were prepared to drive in those conditions that the instructors were discounting their prices just to bring in some income. I was indentured to a local building company and, with an income of only £5 a week, the cost of an hour’s lesson was still a large sum. At the end of February and with the snow still falling, my instructor said: ‘I think you are ready to take your driving test.’ My last lesson was driving the ten miles to the driving test centre in Chippenham, which also helped me familiarise myself with the routes and places where the examiner might instruct me to go. On the day I took the test, the milder weather had appeared and the snow and ice were a distant memory. I passed — and could not believe how responsive the steering, brakes and throttle had become! My career as a quantity surveyor spanned the next 47 years and I’ve estimated that I must have driven about 1,350,000 miles since passing my test — and have yet to receive any points on my licence. I drive 20,000 miles a year and am sure my driving success is directly as a result of excellent tuition under extremely difficult weather conditions.

Michael Trew, Trowbridge, Wilts.