on the road again??!

Re: on the road again??!

Helen Freer — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:37:14 GMT

Good Luck Sal. Relax and enjoy it. I am sure you will be fine. I know that learning to drive was the best thing I ever learned to do as it gave me my independance. Keep us up to date with your highs (and lows - i am sure there won't be any).

Re: on the road again??!

Sal the 1st — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:33:48 GMT

even Seppe has offered me a few lessons when I go to Italy! But I hope it is nowhere near that bloody big roundabout close by the colloseum it would kill me! Have never been round it yet without screwing my eyes tight shut so i cant see the traffic! - its lethal

Re: on the road again??!

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:24:44 GMT

Fantastic Sal go for it. All will be well. I tell you what if l survived in the car with Jim Hussey you will find driving a doddle.

When in Tenerife we worked for a time with the Husseys and their car hire company. Mark used to be Rollerball Rocco and his Dad, Jim was also a retired wrestler known as Gentleman Jim Hussey, he was in his 70s, was still a gentleman, the problem was he also still drove.

The thing is he has broken most of his bones and damaged his body he can not turn his head, he has to turn his whole body... slowly!

So you get to stop point, he sort of moves his body up and down to look right... slowly repeats it to centre then to left then back to face forward and drives slowly off.
As you have guessed this is a leeelte bit slow And by the time he resettles to move off half of Tenerife is hurtling for you.

His other way is to just drive and sod the world do not stop and rely on other drivers to have good brakes while he has a smile on his face as he trundles through chatting happily.

I kept ending up with him in the car as driver he hated being a passenger. No one else would go with him and would gang up on me going into pairs even my treacherous husband.We had to go in 2 to collect cars from around the area.

So if Jim can drive like l say it will be a doddle for you.

Re: on the road again??!

Sal the 1st — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:53:49 GMT

next week I have booked a driving lesson - will only be circiuts of a carpark to start, and I am hoping the instructor is not of a nervous disposition - I am so looking forward to this

Re: on the road again??!

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:38:55 GMT

A lot of money just don't take the drivers job. Have to say it is tempting to become a bin man and they do not work long hours.

Re: on the road again??!

Louise B — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:10:47 GMT

You are kidding me - I have wanted to me a binman for 18 years - just for a week!

Every since I was skipping college, chasing boys and showing no interest in study whatsoever and my aunt sat down with me to have a pep talk. She told me to go get a good education to degree level as this would open the most doors for me and give me the greatest range of opportunities. And she finished it off by saying.... "and if at the end of it you want to be a binman I don't care because at least you will have chosen that pathway and not had it forced on you by lack of options'.

Every since then I have had a hackering to find out what I missed out on

Re: on the road again??!

Fiona Leathers — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:49:56 GMT

£26,000 starting wages for a bin man in Falkirk - 34 days holidays & all the bank holidays and as much over time as you want to pick up at time & half!!

Re: on the road again??!

Louise B — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:44:40 GMT

Cheeky witch

Re: on the road again??!

Caro Laithwaite VN — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:39:20 GMT

WOW not a bad earner and no you are not in the wrong job. You would be if you swopped.

Re: on the road again??!

Louise B — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:26:50 GMT

I shouldn't worry unduly - I am in Scotland at the moment and my car is on its last legs anyway. And, unfortunately, when its gone its gone at the moment! I am not sooo lethal on a bus or a bike. Talking of which, do you know that you can earn nearly £30,000/yr driving a bus in Edinburgh???? I am in the wrong job!

Re: on the road again??!

Caro Laithwaite VN — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:21:42 GMT

That is a lot in the area l am in this is not good l am going to blow up your car it is safest for all of us.

Re: on the road again??!

Louise B — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:59:43 GMT

LOL - would it help you to know that I learnt to drive in Manchester - Swinton and surrounds! + St Helens + Margate + London......

I also managed to literally turn right at a roundabout

mount the roundabout with the wheels on the drivers side and drive round said roundabout without noticing until it was pointed out to me

I failed one driving test for nearly hitting a cyclist (and a dustcart on the way back to the centre)

another for turning the wrong way down a one way street

another for speeding

*cough*

the examiner said I was really good at not accumulating minor faults though so I shouldn't become disheartened....

and I got told off for roadrage on another test - I passed on that attempt though so I reckon the instructor was proud of my linguistic repertoire

Re: on the road again??!

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:52:04 GMT

LOUISE OMG!!!! please send me itinarys of where you drive l shall avoid the areas.

Re: on the road again??!

Louise B — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:20:28 GMT

But 6 tests later I got there!!!!!!!!!

Re: on the road again??!

Louise B — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:19:52 GMT

Er... my instructor fired me after saying I was a hazard on the road (it took a long time to get the hang of turning right at traffic lights and not pulling out when the cars were coming the other way). The final straw was was when we were going up a hill and there were traffic lights at the top and he told me to get to the left ready to turn left - so I mounted the pavement and positioned myself nicely on the lefthand pavement ready to turn left

Driving didn't come naturally to me

Re: on the road again??!

Sal the 1st — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:07:58 GMT

Forget what I just said about the second photo - my '37 had registration 'WXM 927' have just checked on an old photo.

Re: on the road again??!

Sal the 1st — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:04:49 GMT

yes my 'little Jimmy' should look like the first one of the 3 - except mine is James Imperial red instead of polychromatic blue. The James featured on the second photo I have owned this model and it took several concourse places (there is a possibility that the one pictured may even be my old one!! - if it is is nice to see her again). The last one of the 3 looks a bit of an 'abortion' but hey somebody loves it!

Cant wait to get her on the road again!!

Re: on the road again??!

Anneke Kuipers — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:24:10 GMT

my instructor was a bit of a freak...
he liked me very much which he showed in being a bit hands on (not into extremes luckely..) and not letting me go up for my exam so i would take more lessons!...
and me being naieve... I just kept going! had 25 double lesson hours....
I guess I wished I said hands off!

Re: on the road again??!

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:04:51 GMT

I think Sals is a 1958 or 57 she had me a tad confused.

I also liked my driving lessons. My instructor was also insane, he would play imaginary instruments. One day l thought he said take your hads off the steering wheel so l did. He screamed and grabbed it as we were heading for a railway bridge where the road had gone from 2 lanes to 1 to get under the bridge.
It turned out he was singing to himself and had not said anything about hands removed from steering wheels.

Re: on the road again??!

Charlotte says smile — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:59:15 GMT

[quote user="heather mac"]

charlotte, u enjoyed learning to drive?! whats your secret? i still havent managed to pass my test.

[/quote]

A fantastic driving instructor! just had a laugh every lesson I think that was my secret!

Re: on the road again??!

Mrs Dot Dot — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:17:18 GMT

Just Google'd James motorbikes cos I'd never heard of them and came up with these... from 1961, 1937 and 1964.... so hopefully Sal, yours will look similar soon!

Re: on the road again??!

Mac Feather — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 22:18:00 GMT

charlotte, u enjoyed learning to drive?! whats your secret? i still havent managed to pass my test.

Re: on the road again??!

Sal the 1st — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:34:19 GMT

well plenty of time to do it in, and you lot will all be very envious when 'little jimmy' hits the roads again! The other James I had around the same time took concourse prizes every show we went to. This is my last James (it was 1 of 12) between us me and my father had the largest collection of James motorcycles in the world!

Actually a lot of the work has already been done. Rear suspension has been rebuilt, bearing races in front have been replaced, seat pan has been rebuit and recovered to original spec, Frame has been shot blasted and now has 4 coats of primer just waiting for top coat, ditto battery box, tool box and mudguards. Tank again has been primed and ready for top coat, headlight has been repaired with new ammeter and speedo - the bike has a genuine 52,000 on the clock. Engine was rebuilt in the mid 80's after a complete overhaul including steam clean. Have a brand spanking new wiring loom once it has been painted. Tank badges and rubbers all there. Have some original transfers from the garage it was purchased from in 1958, all the james transfers including 'famous James Wings' for mudguards. The wheels have been rebuilt on new rims and have original pattern avon tyres which cost me an arm and a leg. I have all the tax discs that were ever issued for this bike along with original buff log book and a new v5 document. As you may be able to tell - I love this bike!

Its predecessor - well I clocked up 40,000 miles plus and hope to the same with this one!

Re: on the road again??!

Mrs Dot Dot — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:10:38 GMT

It sure looks like you have a little bit of work to do Sal!

Re: on the road again??!

Shane — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:33:05 GMT

ermmm....yeah...stick to the car. lol!