My third driving lesson arrived at last. We started in a different location this time. It was an area with small residential roads with quite a bit of traffic around and lots of parked cars on both sides of the road. I practised starting and stopping, and then I practised left and right hand turns, both onto and off the main road, and at “T” junctions.

I learned to use the clutch as well as the accelerator for control during cornering. I managed to perfect the creeping forward and see the road clearly before turning a blind corner. I also practised ensuring that my cornering position follows the curve of the curb. My instructor Stuart again praised my driving position on the road and my steering. All of this was very different from my second lesson, and I didn’t feel as though I had progressed as much as last time. I was a little disappointed, but then I realised that it’s much easier to drive in straight lines, at whatever speed, than it is to negotiate parked cars and work out the priorities and safest places to pass oncoming vehicles. That takes so much more concentration, even without the children playing and people walking dogs. Stuart reinforced this and told me that I was progressing well, and seemed to be picking things up naturally. I was especially pleased when he said that he thought I would be a good driver and not just someone who scrapped through their test. I thought it best not to ask whether you get bonus points for hitting pedestrians over retirement age or with prams.

When he asked to change places I thought I’d done something wrong or that he wanted to show me something, it didn’t occur to me at all that the time had flown by and that my lesson was over! Fortunately I’ve got another lesson tomorrow! Yay! So this time I don’t have to wait so long!