35 1/2 Hours.

Mock test time again today. All was going well while we made our way round to the test centre then it all went pear shaped! I'm just flipping useless under pressure!

I didn't have any major faults which I suppose is a plus, but I stalled twice, the first time being when I was turning right going up the hill towards Stainburn. I decided I'd come to a halt, stick the handbrake on and wait for the cars to pass, only I managed to get it into 3rd by accident. 3rd gear!! I haven't done that for MONTHS!! I can't remember where I was the other time, or what I was doing, but it was most probably something stupid like that again.

The parallel park was fine, as was the reverse round a corner, though I got rather close to the kerb but stopped and corrected myself before I did. I wasn't as observant as I could have been on that manouvre though so there was a minor fault.

Another minor fault was not checking my side mirror when turning right at one point, which we both found rather unusual because I ALWAYS check! Obviously a minor lapse of concentration on my part.

The turn in the road was fine too, but we couldn't do the emergency stop because I constantly had cars behind me and the test centre was closed so no chance to do a bay park.

All in all though it was a pretty good mock test, though I didn't ask if I'd have passed or failed. I think the 2 stalls could've clinched a fail though!

Still, there's always next week to get it right.

34 1/4 Hours.

Only time for 1 1/4 hours again today, even driving instructors have to go Christmas shopping you know!

True to his word, we stayed mainly it town today, well kind of anyway.

We headed round towards the shore and turned off for a turn in the road. For some reason I stopped short on the reverse, then tried to roll it back and ended up rolling forwards slightly! No major drama there though, I didn't hit the kerb or anything.

Next we headed to Siddick for a bit of parallel park practice because that's what I think I struggle with most. There were 2 little kids I had to contend with because they were messing around on the road behind me and I actually thought that one of them was going to ride his bike right behind me! Luckily they moved off and I could get going again. Another car came up behind me, but instead of waiting, (it was a young lad!) he decided to take a shortcut over the grass. Impatient... so and so!

We headed back into town, following someone doing 30MPH along the 40MPH from Siddick to Workington. Honestly, they either speed past me or hold me up!

Next it was up to Salterbeck to practice reversing round a corner. No problems there, I'm getting to be quite a whizz at that now!

So we headed down towards Harrington and up into High Harrington for another reverse round a corner, though the corner we wanted was already taken so we had to head for another instead.

Once I'd done that, it all kinda went wrong (though nothing major!) when I didn't go into 1st to stop at the mini roundabout. I kinda gave it a sideways glance and shot off! Oops... I knew I was safe, but I should really have stopped, as I've done every week till now! Go figure...

My instructor decided we should give it another go so we headed up to Lillyhall and back along Scaw Road to get back to the roundabout. This time was better, though I managed to hit the kerb when I'd got over it! I don't know what I was doing there!!

We headed up to Banklands for another parallel park on one of the roads that slopes quite rapidly and I pretty much had that one nailed too.

It was getting to the end of the lesson by this time so we headed back into town and I said that I thought I should practice the stop junction on Hag Hill a bit more because I've only done it twice, so my instructor decided we could do it there and then coz we still had time! Me and my big gob... I totally stuffed that one up too because I didn't come to a complete halt. I simply slowed down then went because the road was clear. I really must remember that, AND remember to slow down faster when coming to the stop junction at the bottom of Mason Street. Tee hee!

Next week it's back to mock tests to see how I'm getting on now.

33 Hours.

Today was time for a lovely run out in the countryside, cruising at 60MPH.

Straight away we headed off to Cockermouth but every time I went into 5th gear I was swerving to the right a little! I soon got the hang of it though by concentrating more on my right hand instead of the gear stick.

I'm getting up to 60MPH no problem at all now, but the fun started when I got to roundabouts! I've only ever done roundabouts in Workington, mainly the one by Matalan, which is quite big, so I was taking big wide swoops and cutting up the people on my left! It suddenly dawned on me after about half a dozen times what I was doing so I corrected myself the next time round and got it much better. I was approaching the roundabouts too fast or too slow at first too, but I got that sussed eventually. Though coming out of Cockermouth the first time (past Aldi) the roundabout was upon me before I knew it and I had to brake pretty damn sharpish!

We drove up and down Cockermouth a few times, all the while not knowing where I was going coz I don't know Cockermouth AT ALL! We even passed the Bitter End pub, so now I know where it is when people mention it!

Once my instructor was satisfied that I knew what I was doing we headed back to Workington through the middle of town. We got to Vulcans Lane and sat by the library waiting to go on the green light when some IDIOT (that's really the only word to describe her) stopped to allow some pedestrians to cross because they were on a green, then proceeded to sit next to the crossing until the light changed to green again! Obviously, once the crossing has gone, the sequence starts again meaning that I go next, then she would, then the crossing again. Nope, she sat there looking like a right spoon, holding up the 2 cars behind that went through an amber light and blocked the whole junction, meaning that a car coming from the opposite direction was blocked from turning right! We couldn't believe it, you had to be there to really believe it actually! All the while, the lady in the middle car was shaking her head at the one in front, but she shouldn't have gone in the first place!

The last thing we did before heading home was taking a right at the Kwik Fit roundabout coming from town. I've never been that way before, just taken a left from that direction so that was interesting! I kinda cut it out totally so we went round and did it again. Much better this time!

Next week we're getting back to manoeuvres in town and hopefully I won't be hungover...

31 3/4 Hours.

We only had time for 1 1/4 hours today, but it was plenty time for the fun we had!

As usual this blog will be jumbled because it's nearly 12 hours since I went out and Ive only just gotten round to updating!

Well we headed for the test centre for some bay parking coz we haven't done that for a while and we had to wait a little while because there was someone already there. After they'd moved back to the yellow start line (see where this is going..?) I took up my position on the opposite side and so we both began...

I set off reversing, started turning the wheel, then soon realised that I'd turned too soon so went back to the start again. This time I was off and going really well. The other person was still going steady but I think they're a doddle now so whilst keeping an eye on my position and everything, I went just that little bit faster and beat them into the bay! Hehehehe! 1-0 to me! Now as I moved back to the yellow line, the other car moved out and another one came in and they too parked up at the other line! Now this was too much of an opportunity to miss, although they had a false start and shot off way before I did! I was getting cocky at this point, but I still got into the bay alright AND beat them! Yes! 2-0 to me!

So next we headed out and headed for Flimby, trying to get up to 5th gear which I don't do very often. Now I know it was Saturday, but I don't think the car in front did! Whoever the driver was, stuck to 40MPH all the way from Siddick right through to Flimby when the speed limit changed to 30!! Now I know I'm not the best of drivers yet, but it was extremely frustrating not being able to put my foot down and get out onto open road!

Anyway, once we got to Flimby, we headed down a side road, turned round and headed back onto the A595. This time there were no cars to speak of and it was clear all the way back to Siddick, so I got my foot down and reached 60MPH for the first time ever!! Woohoo!! Then 61, 62... Whoops... I'm definitely getting better with the speed though because I'm faster at getting to what I need to be at!

We tackled the new roundabout by the multi storey again and, thankfully, there were no idiots waiting for me today! It's a stupid layout though and it totally confused me when I was coming down the hill! We got over it though, then came back at it from the opposite direction. My instructor was really miffed at this point because there wasn't much traffic around! Hehehehe!

We took a jaunt along Murray Road too, very slowly because there were so many people crossing and generally getting in the way! Including 2 lads that insisting on walking along the road instead of getting on the pavement, and I got rather close to one of them at one point, though in my defence, they shouldn't have been there in the first place!!

We tackled the Stop junction on Hagg Hill twice today because I've only ever done it once! I think I handled it quite well though, even better because the road was rather quiet for a change!

We also had an "experience" when headed round to the test centre from the direction of Tesco! As you go up and over the hill, my instructor said that people approaching from the left of you should give way if you are turning left onto Derwent Howe (don't know why, he just said they should!), however, one lady obviously doesn't agree with that and TOTALLY cut me up!! When we went back round later on though, the lovely tractor driver let me get over, not that he had much choice though because I was over and out of view before he got any kind of speed up!

If there's anything that I think I'll fail on, I think it's getting back into the test centre! I ALWAYS end up skewiff when waiting to turn right onto Stanley Street. Every week I'm there it happens! I think it's because it's right off a bend and hill and the road is quite narrow compared to others I drive on. I'm going to have to make a conscious effort to get that sorted, especially as my instructor thinks we should be starting to think about the test soon...

Oh, I also did a turn in the road on St Helen's Industrial Estate, just before Siddick, which was good as usual then got right back into the flow of traffic on Maryport Road and was up to 40MPH in no time!

There's no lesson next week because I'm working and my instructor is out of the county anyway, so the week after will be open roads heading towards Cockermouth. Just as long as he doesn't take me further and make me drive on the twisty dual carriage way near Keswick then I don't mind!