New chap in town with a Cambridge Special project

[Tony Griffiths]

Charles, I don't think I knew about the driving test - that's great! It must have made a lovely change for the examiners as a car enthusiast, to have a real car as opposed to the more modern offerings I'm sure he was used to...

This reminds me of one of my favourite Brockbank cartoons - sadly I cannot find an image to show you, but it consisted of a number of worried-looking examiners drawing straws for the next candidate. Through the window could be seen through the driving snow a young lady wearing a crash-hat and sitting in a D-Type Jaguar ...

Crazy that it's not in the famous Brockbank soft-back book - nor any of the others I have. Never mind, even reading about raises a broad smile. Thanks.
Which reminds me, driving test stories. There must be millions of amusing ones out there. In 1969 a friend, Phillip, who had been riding a 650 Norton for several months without a licience, need to take his test. So, as a sort of joint joke, we decided that he should take it on my 1921, chain-cum-belt 269 cc Villers-engined Sparkbrook. I warned him about the chances of spark-plug whiskering and the severe difficulty of stating when hot - and to compensate he should get to the test station an hour early and let it cool down. Of course, he was only just in time and, true to form it would not kick start. Now, Phillip was a young guy and super fit, and so proceeded to push the bike up and down the road in a vain attempt to get it running, the examiner looking on. After the allotted 30 minutes had passed - Phillip now drenched in sweat and in not too good a temper - the examiner informed him that the allocated time was up and the test cancelled. Further, he pointed out, he would not have let him take the test in any case, as one front brake block was missing. This information was greeted with some anger apparently and a brusk enquiry as to why this important fact had not been made clear from the start. Seeing Phillip getting really wound up, the examiner fled back into the test centre. When we went to collect the bike later that afternoon it - naturally - started first kick.