Many years ago I followed a car whose driver suddenly raised his left hand and executed some sort of corkscrew motion. As a child I had been an avid reader of my dad's collection of old Highway Codes so my first instinct was that this was some old gent taking his horseless carriage out for a spin but, in a moment of forgetfulness, doing the whip hand signals that he would have used on his horse drawn coach. As the sunlight lit up the man's head the light dawned on me, he was opening his hand operated sun roof!
My mother had a Standard 10 Demetrius and my Dad a Ford. (They were separated at the time but when they reconciled my mother insisted she had a car of her own).
My first one was in June 1963 JRB and I failed. It was my mother’s Ford Anglia and she had a violin (in a case) sitting on the back seat. During my three point turn the violin fell off the seat (possibly due to vibration) and I then went to pieces bumping a couple of pavements because I thought the fiddle may be damaged.
The examiner was kind and insisted I continue.
Luckily the examiners office was in the same building as my office so they organised I resit it the next week. I remember I refused because I was too nervous but others talked me into it.
As for hand signals, the only time I see them now is from tractor drivers.
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9 comments:
Not a 'little' nostalgia, Rosie, a lot!
Thanks for sharing your find.
The stability of those old Routemasters is amazing.
Ah! We had a Standard 10. Wish we still had it.
Driving test was 5th May 1966 (in a Ford Anglia) – was not too dissimilar to the clip – does anyone still use hand signals?
Licence still allows me to drive a ‘road roller’ and/or a ‘steam driven traction engine’ – never had opportunity to drive either.
JRB said...
" – does anyone still use hand signals?"
I often see fellow motorists communicating with hand signals.
Sometimes its Churchill's V-victory sign, but palm towards signaller's face.
Other times it's a clenched fist, but with middle-finger vertical.
Many years ago I followed a car whose driver suddenly raised his left hand and executed some sort of corkscrew motion. As a child I had been an avid reader of my dad's collection of old Highway Codes so my first instinct was that this was some old gent taking his horseless carriage out for a spin but, in a moment of forgetfulness, doing the whip hand signals that he would have used on his horse drawn coach.
As the sunlight lit up the man's head the light dawned on me, he was opening his hand operated sun roof!
A pleasure Joe.
My mother had a Standard 10 Demetrius and my Dad a Ford. (They were separated at the time but when they reconciled my mother insisted she had a car of her own).
My first one was in June 1963 JRB and I failed. It was my mother’s Ford Anglia and she had a violin (in a case) sitting on the back seat. During my three point turn the violin fell off the seat (possibly due to vibration) and I then went to pieces bumping a couple of pavements because I thought the fiddle may be damaged.
The examiner was kind and insisted I continue.
Luckily the examiners office was in the same building as my office so they organised I resit it the next week. I remember I refused because I was too nervous but others talked me into it.
As for hand signals, the only time I see them now is from tractor drivers.
Ha ha JimS. Slight of hand eh? :D
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