Early Risers.

[Coombe Barton]

Driving test February 1970. First car was a Clockwise style Austin 1100.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Morris Marina for me.....1983ish test.

 

Dave

[Mike Bellamy]

Lorna just handed me two Premium Bonds. One for one pound in my name and another for five quid in our daughter's name. I wonder if they are still worth anything

 

As mentioned earlier, they can be cashed for the face value.

 

However if you had forgotten about them and failed to notify National Savings of a change of address, you could be a millionaire and not know it (although that's highly unlikely).

 

Details of how to check and claim your winnings (even if just £25) can be found here

http://www.nsandi.com/premium-bonds

 

Good Luck

 

.

[roundhouse]

A bit chillier than yesterday which makes the air a bit fresher.

 

A coat of Matt varnish on the 3D printed FGW 165 this morning and then spotted a broken wire on my Dapol Brittania, so that's now fixed.

 

Quite a few cancelled trains this morning due to staff shortages and short formation Thameslink but luckily the one we are on is OK. Off to a meeting near Covent Garden first thing.

 

Tonight we load the layout for tomorrow's show.

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all, with special wishes to Dave and Is.

 

Today is the birthday of one of my favourite ladies, the one who broke my heart when she married someone else and emigrated to South Africa.  The years have been kind to her and all is forgiven.

 

On the subject of forgiveness, the good people in my local Specsavers deserve a gold award.  I wandered round town yesterday killing time before my 11 am appointment, only to discover at 10.50 that my appointment was in fact at 9.  I know how this happened: I had been due to see Professor Oncologist on that date and at that time but the clinic was postponed.  To make matters worse, Specsavers had left me a telephone message reminder but I did not pick it up until mid afternoon.  Anyway, I went into full grovel mode and they fitted me in quite quickly.  Fortunately for most purposes my existing glasses are fit for purpose but I have ordered a pair for computer use.  I am due to collect them next Thursday.  I think my appointment is at 9.30.

 

I passed my driving test on 16th March 1968.  It was Budget day and within hours the price of petrol and the tax disc had both been increased.

 

I'm off to ExpoEM this weekend.  There may be rude comments about the architecture of Bracknell on Monday morning if I can find any.

 

Best wishes to the ailing, recovering, supporting, grieving and missing

 

Chris

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a somewhat grey village/

 

Dave, you and Is will be in my thoughts, not a lot else to say.

 

I passed my test 42 years ago at the West Yorkshire Police Driving School.  For us it included a long theory test, an eye test (Lots of girder bridges with things In them) then an extended road test in a Hillman Avenger.   Every time we did a refresher we had to retake the test but they couldn't take our Licences away, just our Police driving permits.  

 

Anyway various tasks to undertake today and some modelling before an evening at the clubroom though I hope to visit Tony in the Hospice en route.  

 

As to the phone calls from India I'm obviously still on the list.  However the line always goes dead when you ask them which country they are calling from.

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Started my new hobby yesterday but am finding it rather hard to see inside this alligator. 

 

Passed my driving test 50 years ago on 7th March 1966 in a Vauxhall Victor. The first car I bought was a 1947 Morris 10 for £30 and a year's insurance was £10 with the ill fated London & Cheshire Insurance Company. After they went bust I insured (for £10) with the London & Scottish Insurance Company who also collapsed. After that Dad made me insure at considerable expense (£25 at the time) with a proper firm.

I have a horrible feeling that if I took my test today it could well end in failure.

A visit with The Boss to our local High Street is planned today. How wonderful.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited May 13, 2016 by grandadbob

[HeeleyBridge]

I am reminded that I passed my test 14/07/76. Car? Yamaha RD250DX. Car? Eventually - 12/06/91.

 

Interesting couple of days. #1 Son informed me that he has been promoted to deputy manager (a pub which I feel may be known to Bluebottle of this parish) on Wednesday.

 

Yesterday my sister in law called in, bouncing with excitement that #1 nephew had an interview for a new job that would get him off the stupid zero hour contract he's on now.

 

#1 Son says "Well as soon as I knew I'd got promotion I rang my cousin and said 'get yer @rse down 'ere and apply for me old job' he's got it before he arrives".

 

Brownie points all round

 

Positive waves aimed at those ailing, recovering and missing in action.

[BSW01]

Morning all. A beautiful sunny day again today.

 

Breakfast has been eaten and I'm off shortly to start applying the varnish to the living room floor.

 

I passed my driving test first time in April 1976, driving my instructors Morris Marina. My first car was a Mk1 Ford Cortina. It had column change gear stick, an under-dash mounted hand brake lever and a bench seat at the front, which could be great fun!!!! I could legally get 6 in that car. After that I got a Mk1 Capri, a real girl puller that was. I had that until some Cockwomble, ran into it whilst parked up outside our house one night and wrote it off.

 

Back later.

[Shedman5]

Morning, sunshine and breezy, lawns to be mowed which I dont mind as it gets me out of supermarket shopping.

 

Driving Test passed in my Dads Hillman Hunter a long time ago!!

 

Weekend approaches, enjoy your day

[roundhouse]

I didn't do my driving learnt and test straight away as had a deadline to finish a layout for a show. IIRC it was my first exhibition layout Eridge. Hand built track. Still have a board in mums loft and the buildings still exist somewhere.

[Coombe Barton]

 

 

I'm off to ExpoEM this weekend.  There may be rude comments about the architecture of Bracknell on Monday morning if I can find any.

 

 

 

Rude comments or architecture?

[newbryford]

I passed my driving test nearly 48 years ago, driving my Dad's Ford Corsair, as the driving school had double booked the Hillman Imp I'd expected to drive!

 

First family car I can really remember was an awful brown Corsair. Then we had a Consul and a couple of Mk1 Escorts.

 

My first car was a Mk2 Escort, followed by another Escort, a Capri, another Escort, Mk V Cortina, a couple of Fiestas, company car Sierras, Fiestas, Escorts, and more Fiestas. I'm currently on my 11th Fiesta with a run of 7 as my driving school car. 

 

Can anyone spot a common link?

 

Off for my first pickup.

 

Have a good Friday folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[The Lurker]

Morning from a grey and gloomy London Bridge. Perhaps that is because the in laws are coming to stay this weekend!

 

Thoughts are with Dave and Is. It certainly puts the minor aches and pains in perspective, and the attitude you display is another lesson for us all.

 

I passed my driving test in Nissan Sunny at the second time of asking in June 1989. I passed in Northampton, where I lived after University. Strangely the tester had previous been a tester in Tunbridge Wells where I'd sat it the first time (in 85, pre being a student) - he pointed out that I really needed to change my residential address from Paddock Wood when I converted the provisional licence to a full one!

[grandadbob]

First family car I can really remember was an awful brown Corsair. Then we had a Consul and a couple of Mk1 Escorts.

 

My first car was a Mk2 Escort, followed by another Escort, a Capri, another Escort, Mk V Cortina, a couple of Fiestas, company car Sierras, Fiestas, Escorts, and more Fiestas. I'm currently on my 11th Fiesta with a run of 7 as my driving school car. 

 

Can anyone spot a common link?

 

 

 

Gaugemaster?

[emt_911]

First family car I can really remember was an awful brown Corsair. Then we had a Consul and a couple of Mk1 Escorts.

 

My first car was a Mk2 Escort, followed by another Escort, a Capri, another Escort, Mk V Cortina, a couple of Fiestas, company car Sierras, Fiestas, Escorts, and more Fiestas. I'm currently on my 11th Fiesta with a run of 7 as my driving school car. 

 

Can anyone spot a common link?

 

Off for my first pickup.

 

Have a good Friday folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Vauxhall ?

[Simon G]

Passed my driving test in Henley on Thames in January 1976, driving a Datsun Sunny. Motorcycle test was in 1973 and I managed to pass despite mis hearing the examiners instructions, and turning left instead of right, and finding myself driving down an unmade road. I did think it rather odd as I drove down this road. Examiner was not best pleased, but still passed me OK!

 

Bright and sunny here so far today, but rather breezy and cooler than of late. Grass cutting to be done this morning, then I am off to a funeral of one of our Club Members, who I also knew through work about 30 years ago. He was diagnosed with cancer about 5 to 6 weeks ago, and given months to live, but sadly it didnt work out like that.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Its almost 50 years since I passed my test, January 1967 on the second attempt. The test car was a 105E Anglia, one of the first cars fitted with the indicator switch on a stalk on the steering column. The first car I owned was a 100E Popular and it actually had seat belts, not the 'pull over and click' ones that we have today but some clunky things made from what looks like ex army webbing. Since then I have had in excess of twenty cars. Commiserations to the ailing and for those working have a good POETS day. Bye for now, be back later.

[Tony_S]

I took my test in February 1982 in a driving school Metro. Aditi had passed her test a couple of months previously. MiL had promised Aditi her old Chevette when she passed. As she had taken about 5 tests before passing the car was getting quite rusty. I was allowed the car on Tuesdays as Aditi had to go to central London on that day of the week.

I too took the wrong turning on my test but wasn't failed. I though the test was taking a long time but we had to get back on a route h examiner, new to Southend, knew!

Tony

Edited May 13, 2016 by Tony_S

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

So Simon G and I passed our tests in the same town - main difference being that mine was in April 1965 and I was given a couple of hours off school; passed first time and driving one of Mr Lewin's Austin 1100s and nothing fell off it.

 

Tractors are are interesting area - smaller tractors can be driven on public road by 16 year olds subject restrictions on trailer size.  On farmland you have to be at least 13 years old and various machinery (including harvesters ) is prohibited for those under 18 and the work being done has to be risk assessed against the driver's experience.

 

Today's amusement (or rather yesterday's) came from Trinity House - in order to check that we wouldn't be all at sea at the time of Larkrail I looked at the invoice (for which I was going to post the cheque today) and found it's dated for August.  I duly rang TH and somehow the accounts dept had used last year's dates instead of this years - so we will be sent a new invoice; all nice and logical so far?  But we will also be sent a credit note against the incorrect invoice, which we haven't paid - sort of leaves me wondering how their accounting system works but I get the impression that every debit must have a  credit even if it's an incorrect debit, how delightfully quaint.

 

Talking of the sea brings me back to 'Bracknell Afloat' - otherwise known as 'Harmony Of The Seas' and like all these huge 'cruise'(?) ships I'm left wondering first of all why anyone would bother going on a trip with 6,000 other people and secondly what happens to something with that much windage in really bad weather?

 

Have a  good day everybody - we are promised sunshine.

[Judge Dread]

All this talk about when a driving test was taken!

I passed mine in 1963 in a Ford Corsair. It had to be a first time past as my father ran his own driving school and fail wasn't an option!

My brother failed his test because he couldn't read a number plate at 25 yards. He didn't have the sense to memorise the car numbers of those parked in the immediate area to his car outside the test station. He then drove a Reliant Robin on his motorcycle licence until his eye sight improved and he took the test again, passed and bought a Rover 90.    

[Robert]

Tractors are are interesting area - smaller tractors can be driven on public road by 16 year olds subject restrictions on trailer size. 

 

I thought things must have changed somewhat.  On my original UK license, tractors were included, but on my German license there is an "L" group and "T" group.  "L" I have, but "T" is large scale tractors which require a separate test.

[BSW01]

Just had news from our neighbour who was coordinating our collective objections to the errection of an 8ft fence at the back of our gardens.

 

The planning application when to the planning board last night and was turned down on the grounds that it was inappropriate, not in keeping with the area, and also that security aspect didn't wash either. The school has a public footpath that runs from one side of the school grounds to the other. As this can't be closed off, the raising of security level by the new fence was non sensical!

 

As you can imagine we are all delighted by the result, but they may appeal yet.

Edited May 13, 2016 by BSW01

[trisonic]

I’m very pleased to note that ER has taken a turn back to the surreal.....

 

I have to buy some 8 foot poles today.

 

Best, Pete.

[Robert]

I’m very pleased to note that ER has taken a turn back to the surreal.....

 

My elbow sockets sharpen pencils as the dog sneezes into the ventilation fan.