I did try writing a blog post but I’m sure you’d all die of boredom since I’m not really good at that sort of thing!
To cut a long story short, 2 weeks ago I traveled up to Peter Smythe’s outfit in Mansfield for C+E Training, after 4 days worth of training I failed by cutting across a kerb on a tight turn, one that I was told was virtually impossible to navigate round without previously being shown it.
I came back however and 13 minor faults later 
I passed! 
Experience is hard earned my friend…congratulations, I look foward to being able to join the same pantheon of enlightenment when, hopefully I achieve Class 1 myself 
Congratulations on the pass!
Can we make it clear that the turn in question cannot be negotiated by a 15.5m vehicle in anything like a normal manner. Therefore it shouldn’t have been used on test; I have no idea why it was on this occasion.
This is the reason that the candidate wasn’t shown it during training.
If anyone wants to find it on Google Earth (I think that’s what it’s called by folks who know how these things work!) it’s the junction of Big Barn Lane and Southwell Road West, Mansfield. We have a test route that comes up Big Barn Lane and turns right onto Southwell Road West. In the instance referred to by the OP, he was asked to turn left. Can just be done with a modest 4 wheeler. But not an artic, w+d or coach.
Once again, congratulations on the pass. Pete 
maps.gstatic.com/m/streetview/? … 87538,0,0
Congrats to the OP.
dar1976:
Google Maps Street ViewCongrats to the OP.
That’s the one. At the time I didn’t spot it, but it looks like that corner gets cut a lot by trailers so I can’t think why they took me there. Should’ve made it clearer why it wasn’t shown
congratulations really chuffed for you
Congrats on the pass. ( I had a shed load of minors on my cat c too , a pass is a pass tho )
I think we can see your tyre marks on the pavement there 
So will you get to use your + E with your current employer ? I often see your motors about up here ( if I think it’s who it is ? ) kind of toilet cleaner 
Cheers Mike
Peter Smythe:
Congratulations on the pass!Can we make it clear that the turn in question cannot be negotiated by a 15.5m vehicle in anything like a normal manner. Therefore it shouldn’t have been used on test; I have no idea why it was on this occasion.
This is the reason that the candidate wasn’t shown it during training.
If anyone wants to find it on Google Earth (I think that’s what it’s called by folks who know how these things work!) it’s the junction of Big Barn Lane and Southwell Road West, Mansfield. We have a test route that comes up Big Barn Lane and turns right onto Southwell Road West. In the instance referred to by the OP, he was asked to turn left. Can just be done with a modest 4 wheeler. But not an artic, w+d or coach.
Once again, congratulations on the pass. Pete
Isn’t it the case that if you feel you may need to mount the kerb, to say to the examiner that way he knows that it is planned? Surely if the OP had no choice but indeed to mount the kerb then it’s a pass?
Looks like the only way would be to use the oncoming lane on approach to turn left in a very large vehicle !!
I would agree ROG. Except if you don’t know the junction, you won’t be expecting the pedestrian island
IME driving test routes will ensure that the driver has a fair test of his ability. So on the approach to a T junction of this type you would reasonably expect the candidate to take up position close to the white centre line with a vehicle of this size.
In the real world, you would run over the kerb, bearing in mind that it’s low and there are no obstructions or turn right (the straight ahead has a weight limit).
Most examiners, having first made the error in asking the candidate to make this turn, would give reassurance not to worry too much about the kerb. Other examiners would suggest changing the signal to right and turning right (the position would be correct). Sadly, the examiner who conducted this test obviously took a different view.
It’s rare for me not to readily accept decisions, but I struggle with this one.
BTW, I’ve done the turn with artic and 12 metre coach - - both need approach on the wrong side of the road. Dodgy as traffic coming from your right are likely to turn in and not notice you are on their side of the road!
Pete
Mikey D:
Congrats on the pass.
I think we can see your tyre marks on the pavement there
So will you get to use your + E with your current employer ? I often see your motors about up here ( if I think it’s who it is ? ) kind of toilet cleanerCheers Mike
It certainly is, don’t think the managers would be to pleased to hear that though as it’s named from the family Don’t think I’ll be able to use it here for a while yet, they don’t seem too keen on the idea, they aren’t even too keen on putting me in some of the 26 tonners for a day, they do occasionally for ferrying around, but beyond that, not a lot. Don’t think I’ll see it for a bit.
As far as the turn is concerned, I wasn’t going to go into huge detail on the idea, but, when I was asked to make the turn I made an educated guess that to use the other side of the road turning out would be a no no. Therefore I assumed that pushing as far as I could on my side would be sufficient space to make the turn (this is why I didn’t say anything) and using the other side would be a serious/dangerous fault… It wasn’t enough space and so the trailer tyres went over the kerb…
As Peter told me at the time, it would take an extremely confident person to go over the other side before turning without hesitation. I wasn’t hugely confident so I stayed where I was, a mistake in hindsight but in future on my own I’d probably do the same thing again, enough to clear the boards at least.
I had a left turn on one of the Gloucester routes banned from the artic test
The examiners posted a notice saying such in their office and in the waiting room so all examiners and trainers were informed
Could you not dispute something like that though, as clearly anyone with half a brain can see its not enough space for an artic to turn without mounting something somewhere or being on the oncoming traffic side slightly.
Certainly. It’s up to each invidual candidate to decide what course of action, if any, to take in regards to their particular test.
As trainers, we have had various routes altered so as to make sense. This turn is not on route. Which makes it a bit more tricky to deal with.
Pete
madmossy:
Could you not dispute something like that though, as clearly anyone with half a brain can see its not enough space for an artic to turn without mounting something somewhere or being on the oncoming traffic side slightly.
I’m actually in the process of writing to the DSA about it 
Peter Smythe:
Certainly. It’s up to each invidual candidate to decide what course of action, if any, to take in regards to their particular test.As trainers, we have had various routes altered so as to make sense. This turn is not on route. Which makes it a bit more tricky to deal with.
Pete
So how would you have dealt with it Pete.
My own feeling is that when asked to take an impossible left like that, the candidate should have said I can only do it by mounting the kerb of I will turn right.
Easy with hindsight but I just wondered what you would recommend
My point is that the situation shouldn’t arise. In theory, to inform the examiner that the only way to complete the turn is to mount the kerb is correct. This isn’t a matter that everyone should be worrying about as, as I have already said, it shouldn’t and doesn’t happen in the normal way of things.
Pete
Peter Smythe:
My point is that the situation shouldn’t arise. In theory, to inform the examiner that the only way to complete the turn is to mount the kerb is correct. This isn’t a matter that everyone should be worrying about as, as I have already said, it shouldn’t and doesn’t happen in the normal way of things.Pete
Fair enough Pete.
I was just wondering what you would have recommended (other than a new job for the examiner)
The test is supposed to reflect driving in real life as much as possible so what would an artic driver do in real life if faced with that situation ?