Well it’s a while since I did an update of my progress regarding how i’m doing driving wise but to be honest as I’ve found out today I’ve had 2 months away from being behind the wheel, reasons being both a financial in some respects and personal reasons with a few things that have happened at home. But looking through my book today I see I’ve only had 12 lessons (although 6 of those have been 2 hour slots so if you want to class those as 2 ‘lessons’ i’ve had 18 lessons…if that’s how you want to view it)
My lesson this morning started at 8 so bright and early ready for the mum and dads school run…Fun times 
So to start I had my briefing to what I would be doing, a steady run through womersley into pontefract to get back into the swing of things and then to practice both reversing left into roads and three point turn etc to make sure I still had a clue of those. Well to say I was quite surprised as though I never spent time away from the wheel but again it’s like when you ride a bike I suppose you never forget…although some peoples driving attitudes are questionable 
But i’ll get onto that in a bit. Driving through womersley to pontefract went like clock work, up until I got to a set of traffic lights where traffic was backed up and I was on the hill bit…now normally I’m fine on hills can get up them fine but sometimes but when I started rolling back I started to panic a little bit so my instructor said for me to stop and take a deep breath then try again thankfully that did the trick although it didn’t help a car tailgating me most of the way down the road and the last thing I wanted was to roll back into the car and cause more frustration but gladly that was the last major ■■■■ up of that bit but I can only put it down to nerves getting to me.
We went through from there down to Ferrybridge into the estate to practice the first of 3 reverses I did for the day. First reverse being a big ish lane and not too difficult and managed it rather well even got out of the habit of just looking in my mirrors so that’s one bonus! From there I was told to make my way through to Castleford where I thought great here we go the fun begins but I surprised myself in not cocking up anything. Although when we got into some of the estates that’s when some of the driving habits I picked up off my dad shone through, when going round tight corners taking more road than I need as if I had a 45 foot trailer on the back and not using my middle mirror for most of the lesson and only using the door mirrors but my instructor says I’ve picked it up off my dad in the lorry and told me it happens with lorry drivers so something I need to work on and remember I’m not a lorry driver just yet 
Although I did say about the subject that I may have something sorted so I could be driving lorries next year for when I’ve passed my test…I was expecting him to advise what a few on here advised to leave it a few months but he seems confident enough in my driving to do it straight after 
So driving through Castlefords ‘luxurious’ estates I was greeted by a rather nice van driver who was coming in the opposite direction as I was coming through a bit of road where it was a chicane with priority for oncoming and ongoing traffic. I was told if the vehicle oncoming is far away and I had enough time to go then do so. So as I went the van driver came down giving me a nice little wave telling me to ■■■■ off…baring in mind I never slowed him down, or smashed into his vehicle…my instructor said not to worry as I wasn’t in the wrong and it was an example of poor road manners by said van driver. I just laughed it off and carried on with my journey, no point worrying over something that already happened.
So I came upto my second reverse point, a lovely little road so more thinking space required He said to just move forward to where I thought was suitable and back into it. I was praised that I had the sense to look into the road first to get an idea of how busy it would be first to think of what chance there would be of a car coming out. Again like the first although a bit wider than I’d of liked I got it in no problem without needing to pull forward to straighten it out so I was impressed with that 
Off back through to Pontefract to do the three point turn and my last reverse of the day. With the luck of working my way round a few roundabouts lane positioning etc and more on what I was doing and it went like a hot knife through butter although I was told I do hesitate a bit but again told it’s natural and it’s something you get used to and more comfortable in time as there have been times where I could’ve gone but didn’t because I didn’t think I could’ve got out in time but was told it comes with time/experience so not to worry about it too much. Eventually got to the place where I did my three point turn where I needed to have too attempts at it as the first went pear shaped and ended up kerbing the car pulling forward but the second time I nailed it spot on so I was impressed with that although I was told as I’ve not had a lesson in near on 2 months I’ll be a bit rusty in some areas where we just covered on the last lesson so I think I did reasonably well.
Then off to do the last reverse, we went to an area of the same estate but the road we were going to reverse into there was a car parked near to where I would have stopped so off to another bit to do the reverse right on a main road into a junction and the challenge was set and being one to take up a challenge I thought I would have a crack at it and redeem ones self from the earlier ■■■■ up on the hill at the start of the lesson. And just like clockwork, positioning, steering, speed etc near enough perfect and straight to a T aswell. Where I was given the well done and lets set off back through Womersley to your house so off I set off and I got the bottle to ask when he thought I would have my test passed by and I was surprised to be told I should be passed in early to mid january due with waiting times etc. I was a bit shocked at that as I thought with the time out I’d be waiting till February/March time but apparently not so, so I must be doing something right 
So chuffed to bits with that answer, I pulled up outside the house where we had a chat about how I did and how I think it went etc and he admitted it was one of the best drives I’ve ever had so not bad for 2 hours work
I know it isn’t perfect and I’m far from being the best driver in the world, but to say I’ve not had that many lessons and I’m nearing my test already it speaks for itself imo (maybe that’s just me though!) But all I know is that I’ve got the driving bug because I just wanted to carry on driving, and to be cliche like I felt like I belonged behind the wheel on the road so I can only say driving definitely is in the blood. And hopefully I’ll have passed my test in time for my uncle to see it, because I know how much it meant to him for me to have my test passed so a bit of a weight on my shoulders to pass.
But all things being well I shall have my license in January And for those who managed to read all of this without clicking the back button thanks! But I did feel pretty proud of ones self today so I felt like sharing the happiness! And by the time you’ll have read this my theory test will be booked and I will be closer to the dream than I ever have been.
Cheers
Jonny