Phil hangs up his Plates...
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ADRIVING instructor from Runcorn who has passed up to 1,500 students is retiring after 29 years in the job.
Phil Woodcock, 65, of The Croft, is now looking forward to a life of leisure indulging his hobbies from learning musical instruments and building his own classical guitar to DIY and ornithology.
He also has a grand family consisting of wife Julie, four adult children Leanne, Simon, Chris and James, and 11 grandchildren.
Garston-raised Phil made the switch to becoming a driving instructor from his previous role as a Runcorn Town Park ranger in 1988 after he had taught his wife for a short while before she began lessons with an instructor.
Phil thought ‘I could do that’, and having also taught his mother-in-law he realised ‘If I can teach her, I can teach anybody’, he said.
Like a duck to water, in 18 months he blitzed three instructor qualifications and forewent any option for a provisional ● stint as a trainee instead preferring to jump right in, kitting himself out with his first dual-pedalled car, a mark one Nissan Micra.
With his wife, he brainstormed names for the business until inspiration struck and Julie came up with ‘PhiLips’, a firm winner ahead of some of the other contenders such as the festivethemed ‘NoeL’.
After initially advertising in newspapers, he was soon attracting customers on word of mouth alone as he forged his reputation as a pass master. Tricks of the trade included coining memorable catchphrases such as ‘Brake on t h e s t raight before it’s too late’ and ‘ The
Lless you can see, the slower you would be’ to brand vital safety messages into learners’ memories.
Julie said lots of drivers who passed with Phil have shown huge amounts of gratitude as well, sending him cards plus presents ranging from home-made cakes to beer and a bottle of wine in a gift basket.
When asked how many students achieved their driving licences under his tutelage, he said it would be a ‘wild guess’ but estimated he has passed about one student a week for nearly 30 years over three generations.
However, he discovered not all learners were created equally.
And not naming names, he said that among those coached to achieve her driving licence was a lady who passed her test on her seventh go.
He also learned why instructor’s dual controls are vital, describing how his quick reac- tions and extra pedals averted a head-on crash with a tanker.
He said: “One event sticks out in my mind.
“I had said ‘turn right at the next roundabout’, they usually understand, and she tried to turn right into the path of a tanker.
“If it hadn’t been for the dual controls we would have been whacked.”
After 29 years on the road in the instructors’ chair, he celebrated his retirement by taking Julie on a cruise in the Norwegian fjords.
He said it remains a great satisfaction to help learner drivers to pass and to see them out and about on the roads.
Phil said: “I do see a lot of people who I wave to, a couple stop me in the Shopping City who say ‘I’d never have passed without you’.
“It was the thrill of when people passed and sharing their joy and that shared elation.
“It’s brilliant.”