PAS School of Motoring

Sunday 4 September 2011

Learn to drive with Paul Sharp!

The full, unabbreviated version comes with several years more experience, and a spangly shiny new name.

Gone is the old PAS. It's just sooooooooooo 2007.

The driving school on everybody's lips now is Paul Sharp School of Motoring!

Thrill to the awesomeness of his masterly technique, as he effortlessly guides people through the process of learning to drive!

Gasp in amazement as Florence Jones, who thought she would never be able to reverse around a corner in a million years, reverses around a corner while simultaneously chewing gum and changing channels on the radio!

The streets of Wirral may never be the same again.

People of Wallasey! You're safe! My pupils have been taught to expect you to suddenly walk across the road without looking!

O good folk of Birkenhead! No other school of motoring has managed to get Daniel P. Smith to deal with the Sainsbury's roundabout with such aplomb!

Tuesday 25 August 2009

40,000 miles later...

Well, PAS School of Motoring got consigned to the dustbin of history a few months back. I now work for a very successful local school, and my cup it runneth over.

In it's time, it put about 30 new drivers onto the roads, although a few fell by the wayside one way or another.

But anyway, whatever this blog was meant to be and say, it's now said it and will say no more.

Don't go running over any cups now. Bye bye.

Thursday 4 October 2007

Kate from Birkenhead passed today.


She was very nervous and has been throughout the process of learning to drive. So today has been something of a triumph. She was lucky in that she got an examiner that put her at her ease, and she did pick up 10 faults, but well done to her. She's kept on trying, despite being rigid with panic at times, so today is a real achievement both for her and for me.


5 out of 6 now... that's an 83% first time pass-rate.


For the first time, I took a picture. I thought she'd look happier!


Wednesday 3 October 2007

3 weeks, 3 passes...

It's been a couple of weeks since I added anything to this blog. Busy little bee I've been!

In that time three of my pupils have had their driving tests.

First of these was Tom from Wallasey. He came to me after failing his test with another instructor. He thought he had a problem with hills, but really he just lacked a bit of structure. His comments 2 days before his test were "I don't know if I will pass, but I feel like I'm a much better driver now".

3 weeks was all it took. He passed with just 3 minor faults.

Next up was Lucy from Birkenhead. She started with me several months ago, and really worked hard at learning. She's turned into a brilliant driver, and she duly passed her test with only 4 minors.

This morning at the unearthly time of 8.20, when decent folks are still eating cornflakes or snuggled in a duvet, Rosie, from Willaston, was out doing her driving test in Ellesmere Port.

Passed first time? Well duh! Do you think I'd be posting her name on the internet if she'd failed?

5 minors this time, which she was more than happy with. 8.20 tests in Ellesmere port do my head in! I had to be up at 6 this morning. I think I deserve a medal, don't you?

I wish them all well as drivers!

Tomorrow I have another test. A young lady from Birkenhead. Watch this space!

Saturday 1 September 2007

The wild blue yonder...

So, you've had a load of lessons, and passed your driving test...

Suddenly you're in the car on your own, and although you can drive and check your mirrors and steer properly and not crash into people at roundabouts and all of that, suddenly you've got to get to Bishop's Stortford, or Aberystwyth or Bradford or Nottingham, and there's nobody sat next to you saying "Take the next road on the left" or "At the roundabout, turn right, taking the third exit". You have to take enough attention from the road to be able to read the roadsigns, and you have to plan your journey before you start.

So I've been doing this lately with some of my pupils. I'm not on about someone who's still learning the basics, but if you're getting towards test standard, you can learn a lot from being expected to get from a-to-b, in an area you've never driven before, with minimal input from me.

This usually involves travelling through the Mersey Tunnels, which all of my pupils find both exciting and scary. I'm not saying where we go to on these trips, because that would spoil the surprise.

What else? Well One of my pupils had her test on Thursday. She touched the kerb while reversing around a corner unfortunately, and because she was a bit nervous, she couldn't work out how to correct it. Not a bad fail though. No other serious faults, and she'll be on familiar ground, and less nervous next time.

So what do you do if you make a mistake on your left reverse?

Well first of all, before you do anything, have a good look around and make sure it's clear. Then you can adjust things by going forward. If the back wheel has touched the kerb, then you need to steer towards the kerb while driving forward. This changes the angle of the car so that when you reverse again, you should be in a better position. But it's probably better to be a little bit wide than too close. The left reverse is not a parking exercise. You don't have to be very close to the kerb, although if you're reversing into a narrow street, you would need to be close enough not to cause a problem to people driving into the street.

That's about all for this post I reckon.

Wednesday 29 August 2007

R.I.P. Skitty.

My cat is dead.

He got hit by a car yesterday and died at the vets. I'd love to write a big long entry describing just what a lovely well natured and beautiful cat he was, but right now I'm too upset. I've had him for a long time and his not being here has left a hole in my life.


Byebye mate. You were lovely, and I really really miss you.

About Me

My photo
Wirral, Merseyside, United Kingdom
"My big fear... Is to dig it at last and have it taken away." - Julian Cope