Good morning. A couple of photo's I held back from the post about the Vintage Vehicle Gathering at the Humber Bridge. There is a story to tell about them. I was learning to drive when I was 19 - 20, my then boyfriend had a Vauxhall Cresta. He was a big man so he liked a big car. It suited his stature. He liked to show off with it.
I had just started proper lessons with a driving school, and after the first one, boyfriend said we can go out and get you some practice in my car. I was a bit apprehensive as the Cresta was a lot bigger than the little driving school car. We found a quiet lane. It was a dead end which went nowhere.
I drove down the length of it and when we got to the bottom he said, put it in reverse and back into that field entrance. I said I can't do that, I have only just learnt how to drive forwards. It was a column change so finding the gears was a bit difficult. He said, yes you can, so I proceeded to do the turn and go backwards.
He suddenly shouted, BRAKE BRAKE. Me in a panic I hit the accelerator instead. We shot back straight into a telegraph pole. Smashed the back lights on one side. So that was the end of that lesson. I had to pay for the damaged to be put right.
My boyfriend changed the Cresta for a Morris 1000. Much more suitable for me to practice in I thought. I got to drive further distances in this as I had more lessons with the driving school. One day as we were tootling along my boyfriend deliberately knocked the gear lever into neutral as I was driving. I asked, what did you do that for. He said, 'you know'. I didn't. I can only guess that I was going too slow. Tensions between us became difficult. He said, and I remember it well, 'You are bloody hopeless, you will never make a driver'.
I stuck it out with him for a while, we moved to Birmingham and got a flat. Things went from bad to worse, I won't bore you with the whole story. I moved out and got a flat share with another girl.
So what happened after that? Eventually I went back home to Burton on Trent. Got a job delivering car spares for a garage. Got extra lessons from a driving school because I wanted to pass the Institute of Advanced Motoring test. The owner then offered me a job as a driving instructor which I accepted. This then led me to take HGV lessons and test, then PSV lessons and test. I continued to get extra training for myself, and passed more tests with the IAM and ROSPA, in cars and lorries. The rest is history.
The moral of this story is don't let anybody put you down. If you really want to do something stick at it. If you know you are right, don't back down. I wasn't 'bloody hopeless'. He was wrong.
Thanks for reading. Toodle pip. ilona
My last job before I retired.
Good for You!!! I've always wondered just how you decided to "Go Bigger!" I enjoyed reading about how you got into driving truck. Well, some initial experiences of learning how to drive was bad, but you got through it!! I've read your blog for several years.
ReplyDeleteHello Ruth. Thank you for sticking it out, ha ha. I have always been a late starter in everything. I wish I had discovered trucking years before. I would have liked to become a crane driver, even bigger. I had to be content with moving up to an 80 tonner. I chose to move on to other jobs to gain more experience with different trucks and different loads.
DeleteThat's the way to do it! Never, ever give up on your dreams.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter used to watch a programme when she was little. There was a lorry driver called Long Distance Clara, and daughter always wanted to be like her. Fast forward 20 years or so...daughter worked on an estate where she drove many different vehicles. She pulled visitors out of the mud, she drove the minibus, the Landrover, the catering van etc etc. She hasn't driven a lorry yet, but give it time! She might get sick of working in an office.😀
Hello Corinne. That's a feisty daughter you have got there. I tried working in an office, and several shops, and a couple of factories, but I was always an outdoor girl.
DeleteWhat a great story Ilona. Stick at it yes. The other lesson is - when someone talks you down in any way, or says you can't do something, take no notice of them at all! By the way it was me who commented yesterday here & on yootoobe about your lack of greed but I forget to give my name or URL of my old blog.
ReplyDeleteHello Jayne. Thank you for your comments, both here and on the channel. Telling someone that they are hopeless, or can't do something, is a form of bullying. Something I missed when telling the story is that the boyfriend was a bully in other ways. He had a class 2 HGV licence, (rigid vehicles) so I bettered that by a long way.
DeleteI totally hate it when someone you know is negative and says you will never do it or you'll never get there .Ilona you have led a fantastic interesting life and I for one am proud of youx
ReplyDeleteHello Jo. I don't like that either. Putting someone down to make yourself feel superior is not conducive to a healthy relationship. Boundaries are crossed and eventually people will separate and go their own way. Thanks for your positive comment.
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