Young Drivers (again)

The first test you do - organised by the government.
Ohlins
Posts: 74
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2020 9:57 am

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby Ohlins » Mon Jan 09, 2023 7:49 pm

It's also worth looking at Young Driver: https://www.youngdriver.eu/lessons_and_experiences

You can buy one lesson at a time, so you aren't committed to a whole week in one go or going every single week. And the instructors are, in my experience, excellent at making safe driving fun for teenagers.

waremark
Posts: 898
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 9:23 am

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby waremark » Tue Jan 10, 2023 12:28 am

Ohlins wrote:It's also worth looking at Young Driver: https://www.youngdriver.eu/lessons_and_experiences

You can buy one lesson at a time, so you aren't committed to a whole week in one go or going every single week. And the instructors are, in my experience, excellent at making safe driving fun for teenagers.

This looks like regular first driving lessons similar to the way you would otherwise start after 17. The course we were discussing before seemed vastly more than that.

hir
Posts: 590
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 1:16 pm

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby hir » Thu Jan 12, 2023 6:17 pm

Ohlins wrote:It's also worth looking at Young Driver: https://www.youngdriver.eu/lessons_and_experiences

You can buy one lesson at a time, so you aren't committed to a whole week in one go or going every single week. And the instructors are, in my experience, excellent at making safe driving fun for teenagers.


Is it just me, or does anyone else think that £88 an hour is a bit excessive for an hour’s driving lesson?

I know that prices will have increased since I had my driving lessons @ 5/- (25p) an hour, but £88, really?

I would get out more but fuel is too expensive. I gave up driving when petrol got to 2 shillings and 10 pence (13p) a gallon!

waremark
Posts: 898
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 9:23 am

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby waremark » Thu Jan 12, 2023 6:44 pm

hir wrote:Is it just me, or does anyone else think that £88 an hour is a bit excessive for an hour’s driving lesson?

I know that prices will have increased since I had my driving lessons @ 5/- (25p) an hour, but £88, really?

I would get out more but fuel is too expensive. I gave up driving when petrol got to 2 shillings and 10 pence (13p) a gallon!

You would expect to pay more in order to have access to an offroad facility. Seems steep but it could be a cartel - there are several equivalents offered online at that sort of price.

I'll treat you to some of my petrol when you are up for it.

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3559
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby Horse » Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:41 pm

waremark wrote:
hir wrote:Is it just me, or does anyone else think that £88 an hour is a bit excessive for an hour’s driving lesson?

I know that prices will have increased since I had my driving lessons @ 5/- (25p) an hour, but £88, really?

You would expect to pay more in order to have access to an offroad facility
. Seems steep but it could be a cartel - there are several equivalents offered online at that sort of price.


One of the young driver session venues is Newbury Showground.

I rented a 300 metre straight stretch of road there last year. £700 for the day.

If you want more, kerching. Toilets? kerching!
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

hir
Posts: 590
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 1:16 pm

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby hir » Thu Jan 12, 2023 9:59 pm

Horse wrote:
waremark wrote:You would expect to pay more in order to have access to an offroad facility[/b]. Seems steep but it could be a cartel - there are several equivalents offered online at that sort of price.


One of the young driver session venues is Newbury Showground.

I rented a 300 metre straight stretch of road there last year. £700 for the day.

If you want more, kerching. Toilets? kerching!


OK, understood.

I was forgetting, there were lots of disused airfields available back when; nobody was remotely bothered about a father trying to teach his young lad how to avoid stalling the car, crashing the gears, or burning the clutch out! Matching airfield was where I and many of my school mates made our first tentative attempts at driving.

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3559
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby Horse » Thu Jan 12, 2023 10:51 pm

Part of my day job often involves identifying and hiring facilities. There is an ever-decreasing number available.

FWIW
Bruntingthorpe, no longer available, 100% car storage
Longcross, ditto, Netflix studios
TRL Crowthorne, housing estate
Duxford, available but on borrowed time, housing
Upper Heyford, main runway permanently booked, 'NATO Taxiway' almost permanently Thames Valley Police
Moreton, National Highways & fire training
etc.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

User avatar
jont-
Posts: 1523
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 7:12 am
Location: Herefordshire

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby jont- » Fri Jan 13, 2023 10:49 am

Horse wrote:Part of my day job often involves identifying and hiring facilities. There is an ever-decreasing number available.

FWIW
Bruntingthorpe, no longer available, 100% car storage
Longcross, ditto, Netflix studios
TRL Crowthorne, housing estate
Duxford, available but on borrowed time, housing
Upper Heyford, main runway permanently booked, 'NATO Taxiway' almost permanently Thames Valley Police
Moreton, National Highways & fire training
etc.

Yup. Don't forget requirements about public liability insurance etc too. Years back Chelmsford MC would hire a disused RAF runway/peri track (still active base) for £250 bung to the naafi. Can't do that any more :cry: And also secondary uses - eg North Weald driver training area is also used for a market, so often littered with bits of broken coat hanger and other FOD waiting to ruin paintwork or tyres.

I think Llandow and Blyton circuits are still relatively cheap, but still thousands not hundreds.

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3559
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: Young Drivers (again)

Postby Horse » Fri Jan 13, 2023 12:16 pm

jont- wrote:
Horse wrote:Part of my day job often involves identifying and hiring facilities. There is an ever-decreasing number available.


Yup. Don't forget requirements about public liability insurance etc too.


Well, the Co. cover that. Although one site required a risk assessment, full description of what we would be doing, umpteen questions relating to getting spectators in and managed (none), whether we would have PA systems, or be digging holes. Oh, can we have your disaster management plan too.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.


Return to “Learner Driving”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests