19/08/2026
Today - 19th August 2026 - I’m celebrating my first day of training to become an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor) on 19th August 1974 with BSM.
The initial training area was in the Fulham area of London. After completing a weeks intensive training, I was selected to work at the BSM branch in Ealing, West London.
I then went on over the next few months of teaching experience and passing the 3 stages of exams to qualify on the 18th December 1974 as a fully qualified Dot (Department of transport as it was known then) ADI.
I then went on to teach at various driving schools in different areas of London for around 8 years. Then I relocated to Cornwall and taught in the local area there including a spell in Plymouth in Devon for around 18 months.
Then I moved to Belfast in Northern Ireland and taught there including the late 1970’s for another 18 months.
I returned to London and worked at BSM in Kensington High Street for a while.
I left there and worked for a company called ‘Driver Education Centres’ in Crystal Palace. We had an off-road circuit where we teach 16 and a half year olds. So that by the time they reached 17 years old, they had mastered car control and the manoeuvres required for the driving test. The only element they hadn’t experienced was driving on the road in real-life traffic situations. We also had a skid-pan where I taught the art of skid control to motor racing students, London ambulance crews, Metropolitan Police and even anti-hijack techniques to American Embassy staff involving reversing at high speed onto the skid-pan and spinning the car around 180 degrees and driving off in the opposite direction.
I then went on to set up my own multi-car driving school covering all areas of London.
Then I met my future wife to be, Alicia. We decided to move out of London and relocated to West Berkshire. For the first 6 months I commuted to London every day but began advertising locally and built up my driving school here specialising in helping nervous drivers, those who suffered from anxiety, autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and other traits. I decided to close my London driving school by offering my driving instructors to purchase their own cars and to keep their present pupils.
I now work solely on my own with just one automatic car. But have a great rapport with many of the local instructors.
I know I should be planning my retirement, but I just enjoy helping my students starting from lack of confidence to full licence holder. So it’s still open-ended at the moment.
