Old driving instructors and lessons!!!

[neil memmott]

I was taught by Ben of Ben's School, of Motoring, he was based at Greenhill or somewhere near, a one man band at the time and I learned to drive in an Austine A40 Farina (sought of estate car). 17s6d per lesson (88p in today's money). How much is it today?

[parsleydiva]

I was taught by ELLA HAMILTON of Nether Edge. She was brilliant. Passed first time in 1976 and never looked back. Always think of her when I am driving too!

[cat631]

I didn't look back either and the bloody examiner failed me.

[daftlad]

I was taught by Ken Whatham who lived on Ellesmere Rd in Pitsmoor he was a great instructor and a good laugh as well. Learnt in a datsun 160j I think it was.

[StJohn]

1980/1, my driving instructor was Arthur Birch from Chapeltown. The guy was crazy he would scream and shout and on the way to my test he drove and told me there was no way I would pass, I was the worst student he had.

 

I went ahead and passed, and he just sat in the car shaking his head. Three weeks later I put my first car through a stone wall on Hagg Hill, maybe the old man knew what he was talking about.

 

StJohn

Cincinnati kid

[Puffin4]

I was taught to drive by Rodney Garside and his father in 1956/7. Depending on their workload, it would be either one or the other. Rodney, a larger than life character, was also a continental tour driver for SUT and he sported a magnificent ginger beard. I think a lesson was 17/6 for an hour and pick-up was somewhere in town, perhaps the bombed site at Moorhead, by the British Restaurant. The car was a black Morris Minor.

[neil memmott]

Rodney Garside, thought I knew the name but the red beard clinched it, I can picture him strolling through SUT's depot at Charlotte Rd. A great character he was.

[Puffin4]

Hi Neil,

 

I worked briefly at SUT in about 1955 during the school holiday when I was in the sixth form. I forget what the office was called but I worked on statistics calculating milages against fuel consumption etc. I worked with Tom Robinson, Ted ?, Tony Boretti ?. The thing that impressed me most was the canteen; quite a treat after school dinners! That is how I came to know Rodney Garside.

 

Mike

[handypandy]

I think his father was Bill Barton who used to run Roxy School of Motoring. He taught most of my family and friends, most passing first time. I believe he also taught Martin Woodward to be an Instructor, who set up his own school in '73, whose name I now work under.

 

I learned with my dad and some lessons with Roxy in 1967. They had a 'B' reg 1964 green Hillman Minx. I passed 5 weeks after my 17th birthday and dad bought me an A35 van.AAHHH Cloud nine!

[janie-m]

I think his father was Bill Barton who used to run Roxy School of Motoring. He taught most of my family and friends, most passing first time. I believe he also taught Martin Woodward to be an Instructor, who set up his own school in '73, whose name I now work under.

 

Well i wasn't one of the most, 3rd time lucky:) The first I let the steering wheel run through my hands after turning a corner n nearly clipped a tree with the wing mirror. The second he changed the bloody car from a renault to a hyundai which I had only one lesson in before taking my test, and accidentally felt the knee of the examinor whilst changing gear in to reverse, he had no sense of humour! The third I finally passed 8 months later.

 

Dad Barton was funny, I spent most of my lessons running errands for him such as meeting the mobile library to swap his books n popping to car spares for bits for the car. My first car was a red 'T' reg vauxhall viva, I loved that car, I had some really good times and lots of memories, but sadly it died on me.

 

My brother had the son Barton, he thought he was brilliant, his lessons consisted of totty spotting (a bloke thing:))