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Original poster

Ds doing a learn and pass week course in driving in Blackpool

22 replies

lemonice · 05/07/2005 21:43

He's doing his theory test tomorrow, fingers crossed he is doing it with his finish friend and apparently thy are both blagging in his words earphones (he is dyslexic and friend is err finnish) I am worried he won't pass- he drove 200miles today!!!!

OP posts:

Milliways · 05/07/2005 21:46

Oh, good luck to your DS.

Do you mind me asking what that sort of week costs? My DD is only 14 but my nephew is 16 & counting the days!

redsky · 05/07/2005 21:56

ds passed his theory test first time last week. (Proud mummy). But he hasn't driven his own car at all yet - I prefer his little Fiesta to our 2 flash motors.

Original poster

lemonice · 05/07/2005 22:15

The total cost is 560 but I paid the 60 and exh is paying the rest (accommodation, tests included)
the girls have spent about 400 each over time and now lapsed (failed and not got that far) so we will see...

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Milliways · 05/07/2005 22:37

Yes, if he passes first time it will be very good value! Especially as having a holiday at same time. Fingers crossed.

Original poster

lemonice · 06/07/2005 14:05

DELIGHTED ds has passed his Theory Test today and so has his friend. I am really pleased for both of them so fingers crossed for the Driving Test on Friday

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Janh · 06/07/2005 16:03

Was this course recommended to you, lemonice? Have you got a link? Does the cost include the test fees? My DDs (23 and 20) are a bit the same - have a few lessons and then lapse - if this is successful it would be well worth it

Congratulations to DS and Mr Finn!

Blackduck · 06/07/2005 16:06

Does anyone know of such a course in the West Midlands area? I NEED to pass my test for a job!

Donbean · 06/07/2005 16:07

are you from Blackpool then lemonice? (your name always makes me want to eat cakes)

Original poster

lemonice · 06/07/2005 16:19

Dps brother did one in Blackpool and thought it was brilliant, not absolutely sure this is the same place. It was booked and organised by Finn's chauffeur including taking the boys up there (!!!). There are others but not in the West Midlands as far as I know (we are in Warwickshire.)

It sounds like ds is enjoying it, he has a tractor licence and has driven a car on fields before but not on the road.

It includes the test fees it was £474 +£87 (I think the 87 might be the b&b)

Donbean dp calls being on mumsnet all day lemonicing

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Original poster

lemonice · 06/07/2005 16:39

Dp says it is the same course his brother did i will find out the name as soon as i can

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Blackduck · 06/07/2005 16:46

Please do find the name - if it has to be Blackpool so be it...

BigBumpBonnie · 06/07/2005 16:46

hiya donbean, if you're still around. see you tomorrow

lemonice, i live in Blackpool and recently took my driving test. There is a company called A1 that do the residential type intensive course, could that be it?

Oh, also the first test I took I drove back in the test centre through the wrong gate. ( I failed) There are two exits and one entrance. Probably self explanatory to most people but just tell your son to watch out that he drives back in the entrance and not one of the exits!! Apparantly I'm not the only one that's done it.

Original poster

lemonice · 07/07/2005 20:59

Well scrap that for a good idea

Just rang ds to pass on the info about the Blackpool Test Centre and ds picked up the phone and siad oh yeah i'm in Pizza Express at the bottom of town...What town..."town where we live"..follows mystified convo.

Apparently they did a mock test today and didn't do well enough so not doing the test tomorrow because it will reflect on the centre!!! So that's how they have such a high pass rate and presumably their price promise of retest (free if you fail first time) is void...charlatans...

OP posts:

Milliways · 07/07/2005 21:05

Does he get his test fee refunded? Or does he get to try later with same company? Sounds a raw deal to me!

Original poster

lemonice · 07/07/2005 21:12

It does to me too!! I understood that if he failed he got another go FREE! So when he comes home shortly will find out, he has paid for tonights accommodation too so I want to know when he finished today as it is a five day course...I am open minded at the moment (sort of) until I find out what happened...perhaps it is a ds problem...

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Original poster

lemonice · 07/07/2005 21:36

Ds just come back with his mate....they had to sign a disclaimer on monday...too cross so will update tomorrow..rats...

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Milliways · 07/07/2005 21:40

BigBumpBonnie · 08/07/2005 09:38

i didn't want to say anything before but my driving instructor used to say that some of these companies do that. There were many occassions when he was waiting at the test centre and they called the name of a pupil on one of these courses who just wasn't there. They used to not let them turn up for their test if they didn't think they were ready. It is disgusting but I was hoping your son was with one of the reputable ones

pindy · 08/07/2005 10:05

started reading this and thought what a great way of learning to drive - got to the end of the thread and was sooooooooo - how is your ds, hope he carries on and passes soon - at least he has done the theory bit well done for that.

Janh · 08/07/2005 10:09

Bum.

for you and them, lemonice.

bubblerock · 08/07/2005 10:18

That's awful Lemonice! Definately name and shame - you'd think for that price they would at least get to take the test, did he get a lot of practice during the week and how many instructors were there?

Original poster

lemonice · 08/07/2005 10:28

I can understand not doing the test if they aren't ready but, they were entered for it on Wednesday afternoon and told on Thursday that they couldn't do it, too many errors in the mock test but that was thursday morning so they would have had the rest of Thursday and Friday morning to continue driving lessons which as it is an intensive 5 day course is a high proportion of the time isn't it. And it seems that was then the end of the course. But i don't know whether they chose to leave yesterday or were offered the option to continue but without doing the test. I can't believe that was not the alternative, but will interrogate ds when he gets up....I want to
make sure I have the whole story before I go off the deepend (I will put dp on the case I think in case there is more to it in the ds department)

I looked on the company website today to see how they describe the course eg number of hours in car and classroom and what happens if you don't take the test but there is zilch information, kicking myself for trusting someone else to organise this. Exh is coming back from Hong kong tomorrow for a Uk visit and he will go ballistic, I hope he doesn't feel a need to see me

On the bright side he has done the theory but i would like to know from him exactly how many hours he spent driving.

There seem to be a lot of these in Blackpool so I'm not sure now it is the same one that dps brother went on...it wasn't A1 though, it was Omega.

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