Penniedarling

 Did you know that I've never done a test for my Drivers Licence... not a real test that is.

1967 I was working in Canberra and decided I needed to learn how to drive, I was 21.  David was overseas and his brother took me out a couple of times but he didn't say anything or tell me what I should know or do so I went to a Drivers School sort of place, while doing the second lesson the Instructor said I was ready to get my Licence so off to the Canberra registry.  A chap sat with me... who's car was I in??  Must have been the driving instructor's, we turned left from the car park, left at the first street, did a 3 point turn, right out of that street then right back into the Registry Office.  I sat in the car thinking I had failed but the Inspector said 'Come and get your licence!  

Not long after I was off to England to marry David who had a horrible Vauxhall Wyvern that our friend Peter had named 'Vera'  I found Vera very difficult to drive because I couldn't see over the steering wheel plus sleeping in this vehicle when off on our weekends exploring the UK, wasn't good, I had to sleep on the front seat so had the steering wheel on my head or on my knees... it wasn't good for David on the back seat either.  When I saw how much room there was in a London Taxi... farewell 'Vera'  and  HELLO to 'Tabitha' the Taxi which was a great success, we bought four Taxi's in all, one at a time though and David them fixed up until he was happy with our last one... we shipped the last Tabitha home to Aus in 1970 and we took off to see the rest of the world by Trains and Ships.

Back in Australia, Tabitha was my vehicle until David wanted to restore her fully, a Ford Falcon Station Wagon was my next vehicle.  In October 1971 my Canberra Licence expired and I needed to get a NSW one so off to the Registry Office which was in Waitara back then, the chap doing the paperwork asked if I had a vehicle with me and I said yes but was very worried because of my pregnancy David had put big wooden chocks on the pedals so I could reach them... without looking at me this chap asked me when my baby was due and I was able to tell him that it was almost one week overdue... then still not looking at me he said, I don't think we will bother about a test.'  And I received my NSW Licence!

In 2000 I volunteered to be a driver for the Olympics and I did take the Instructor from our training office at Ultimo down to The Fish markets and back... easy peasy!  I just loved driving all over Sydney, down to Wollongong and out to Penrith for the Olympic team from Iceland!  

The only time I felt a little uncomfortable driving was in the USA, not because I was driving on the left hand side of the car and on the right hand side of the road but because David's instructions were difficult to follow, he'd say turn left when he meant right and visa versa!  😏  

Below - 'Tabitha' the Taxi.

Cooking a meal on the luggage area of  'Tabitha' while tripping around Europe and below  driving 'Tabitha'.

Very cosy sleeping and eating area and below a very large snow fall during the night while in the Futa Pass, Switzerland in 1968, which made trying to get outside in the morning for a 'wee' very difficult, both of us had to use our feet to push a door open because the snow had built up on the running boards.  BTW squatting to do a wee in such deep snow wasn't fun... so much melting, much easier for blokes who could just stand and aim away.

My car during the Sydney Olympics.

Here is my 20 year old Pug, I just love her, we did have another couple of Pug's before this one, one of which was a 8 seater, very handy for all the kids.                                                                                                                                                            

Labels: Cars, Story

# posted by Pennie @ May 05, 2023