Haway then how many did people have?

I've just had my first then, really enjoyed it and can't wait to my next, bit gutted i waited till I was 25 should have done it years ago.

12, then passed with 3 minors.

Put in for my test after half a dozen. Passed first time.

Did you guys drive before your lessons though in any capacity?

I didn't even do any joy riding as a kid so i'm a bit of a novice.

I had 15 only had that many as had to wait for theory to be booked passed theory and test first time 3 minors.

No I didn't drive before I had lessons

I had LOADS of lessons and took the majority of the them in East London in the early 1990's, but passed my test when I returned to Bartlepool in 1993

How much are lessons now, I was paying about £12 if my memory serves me correct

On average there about £17 - £20 depending on how you book em, book a block of them and they'll give you discount.

Swine!!

The very car Spender used for his test

I hope that car's still not on the road, it looks a few years older than 10!

I can't remember how many lessons I had, think I lost count!
I kept having breaks of about a month or so here and there and managed to pass within 11 months of starting to learn. Probably took me about 8 months (not including my months off) to pass I suppose and that was with roughly 1 hour lesson per week.

My mate done exactly the same, first thing he said when i told him i was learning was dont have breaks!

I'll try my best to have 1-2 per week, finances permitting, very determinded to pass as quick as i can, bit sick of relying on other people all the time.

never understood why people didnt try and learn to drive as soon as they could. All I wanted to do at the age of 17 (apart from lasses) was to learn how to drive as it makes everything easier.

Yeah i'd agree with your mate about not having breaks. I think that's why I had to have so many lessons in the long run. It came down to finances with me at the time as I was only an apprentice on about £400 per month. I think my lessons where £12 per hour. I had more important things to spend money on at the time though like cheap booze and bus passes!

How many people could honestly say that they could go back to not having a car now after driving for so long?
I couldn't!

When i was 17 i was on £30 a month at college, just couldnt afford it compo.

yeah I was very lucky in that respect for having parents who could afford to put me through lessons for my birthday.

I got a six lesson block booking for my 17th birthday, I bought the second set myself. Took it slowly though, birthday in November, passed in March, probably about 1 lesson a week give or take.

Never did any driving with anybody else, I thought it would only end up in an argument, so I never asked anybody to take me out.

It took me bloody ages to pass my test following lessons with your dad!. As an instructor he was great but the problem was us jabbering on about Pools for the hour and then realising that I had not bothered to concentrate on my driving.

After driving for so long?

How old did you say you were?

He's 24 i believe.

i took my test in 1977 aged 19 after 6 lessons and passed first time.
although no previous driving experience i had rode a motorcycle for 2 years and was due to take my bike test when some bounder stole my suzuki gt 185 so i changed my test from car to bike took the lessons passed tuesday then bought a ford escort mk 1 for £80 and drove up to Dundee on the friday to my mates uncles house had the car for a couple of year modified it by fitting an electronic ignition kit on it as checking the points was a pain.

passed after 20ish lessons in about 6 months after my 17th birthday would have been less but i had to wait 3 months for a test passed first time with 6 minors been driving various things since i was about 11 which helped loads in the initial stages

started when i was 17, used to have 1 hr a week, took 15 lessons and failed my test twice in a week.

Fast forward 10 year.....

i was 27, i took 3 lessons a week for a month, took my test and failed (it was a woman, go figure )

had another 2 lessons whilst waiting for my test and got the regional manager test blokey who passed me with 3 minors (one of which i argued with him about )


best bit of advice i can give is, do more than one hour a week!!!!

Is it just a coincidence that it's only the successful, apart from kev_hufc, drivers who passed first time that are adding their stories?

So just for balance, I took about 5 or 6 goes to pass mine, I blame the instructor. When I changed to a new driving school, being taught by an ex examiner, I passed 1st time. My test was in Bury St Edmunds, three weeks after passing I was posted to Oman, and didn't go near a car for 9 months. Bought a Ford Anglia, with the money I'd saved while I was away, in my first week back.

LOL that reminded me of my 2nd test (failed first time). On the second one I got 5 mins into the test and realised I had not put my seat belt on .

I had a dilemma at that point, to either:
*pull over and put the seat belt on,
*or hope the examiner never realises and leave it off.

I decided to be honest and stop while I put the seat belt on. I passed

Had 2 months of lessons (1 a week) straight after 17th birthday & passed 1st time, although I remember being sat answering the theory questions at the end of the driving part, in the Mill House car park and completely arsing up the question about the yellow box, but he passed me anyway. Lessons were with a woman who helped me mother to pass (thought if she can get her through, then I should manage it as well), think it was 'marjories' ?? cant remember, too long ago. 1985 !!