Did your Mum ever drive?

Mum couldn’t drive, but Dad started to drive a delivery van in 1926 when driving tests weren’t around. His parents bought him a 3 wheeler Morgan when he was 21 in ‘32. He continued to drive into his 90s. I couldn’t wait to learn nor could my daughters - we’re a family of drivers. DH drove, but neither of his parents were bothered.

My mother learned to drive during the war. Her mother learned to drive in 1905, as her father wanted someone to drive him out shooting in his new Wolseley. I still have Granny's linen dust coat, essential wear back then with open cars and unsealed roads.

My mum never drove and neither do I and I have never wanted to either, there are enough idiots on the road without me joining their ranks!! ?

My mum passed her test aged 41 and eight months pregnant with my sister.

She didn’t enjoy it but whizzed back and forth to London to my Gran’s weekly.

Women drivers were the butt of jokes remember my MIL telling me a HGV was blocking her way she politely asked the driver to move over he laughed at her and said if she was in such a hurry she should move it herself Red rag to a bull she got in and moved it whilst he stood with his mouth open
Note my previous posts she had an HGV and PSV licence

Yes my mum learnt to drive, more to prove a point I believe, because when she passed her test she didn't seem to want to put her driving into practice, only occasionally. My father had type 1 diabetes and as he got older he suffered from increasing hypos, then she drove a bit instead of him, albeit reluctantly. Eventually towards the end of his life, my father, because of too many associated health problems gave up the car and they both decided to rely on taxis and friends.

Both my parents drove and my paternal Granny. I passed my test in my early 20’s, rode a motorbike before that, my daughter drives, but son doesn’t.

Sorry to hear your DH is suffering so much with his back pain Ashcombe. Glad I gave you both a laugh. I hope he improves soon. Severe back pain is a misery.

Well done you driving to France. I’ll happily drive all over the Uk and Ireland but have never had the confidence for driving on the right.

Some great stories here. The ability to drive is considered a rite of passage now but back in the 1950s and 60s it was quite rare to see women drivers, who were the but of jokes.
Even in the 1980s, I offered someone a lift and as she got in she said her husband didn't allow her to use the car.
My DH commuted by bus to work for 40 years so that I, who had children to ferry, plus shopping etc could use the car. He loved driving though I was a back seat driver as he would be talking about the fascinating route and forgetting to change gear!.

My Dad was the driver, my Mum bless her took lessons in her 60s but never passed a test. I passed my test in my 30s I’m so glad as it’s my lifeline now I’m on my own.

My farm worker Dad drove before driving tests were introduced, necessary for his work. After they married my Londoner Mum drove tractors but said a car was too difficult as she couldn’t see the wheels, she also found it difficult to learn with my Dad as her teacher. . They couldn’t pay for lessons so Dad was the driver. He could fix anything and we always had an elderly car of some sort, usually in pieces in the kitchen. I began to steer a farm lorry as a small child, drove the tractor and grew up expecting to drive a car. My Dad began to teach me when I was 17, I soon understood my Mum’s viewpoint and was relieved I was working and could switch to a driving school.

My mother and both grandmothers drove and were good drivers.

My dad drove and we always had a car
My mum always cycled everywhere .and was never interested in learning to drive
I passed my test first time at 28 and have always had a car

My mum learned to drive at 45y because dad had died and he was her chauffeur. She passed second time.

I really admired my brother’s mother-in-law, who learnt to drive at the age of 60-something when her husband died. She lived in East London. She realised that if she didn’t drive she would rarely see her daughter (my sister-in-law) who lived in a village in Hertfordshire with little public transport.

During the war!

Neither my mum or dad passed driving tests as they learnt in the army but they had a licence. My mum learnt on 6 ton lorries and drove an ambulance in they are.

When we could afford a car 12 years later only my mother drove. She drove into her 90’s all over Europe.

Neither of my parents learned to drive and had not the slightest interest in doing so. They were always happy to use public transport.

I passed my test as a teenager and could never understand their resistance to owning a car and the independence and freedom that it brings.

Mum still has a strong dislike of cars and is quick to admonish people who drive short journeys instead of walking/cycling.

Mum got her licence in the war when you didn’t have to take a test. Just as well, she would never have passed! Awful driver, very nervous, scraped gears, constantly ‘stalled’ the car at junctions. “Damn, I’ve stalled!” was often heard! (My sister and I grew up thinking that constant ‘stalling’ was part of the driving experience).

She daren’t drive far, just the couple of miles into the village or to the churchyard to put flowers on her parents grave. Dad was the main driver, he was very good.

Mum surrendered her licence when she had an accident in her 60’s. Her fault, but the other driver could have avoided her if he’d been concentrating.

I passed second time when I was 17, both my children passed first time at 17 and are good drivers. I have never been a keen driver but necessary where we live.

My mum never drove my dad did try to teach her but she was too nervous. My mother in law was the opposite end she had in her time a HGV and PSV licence and drove buses for many years. Interestingly enough she could never park a car near the kerb always thought he had a bus

My Mum's dad, my grandfather, taught her to drive. She was an only child. She then went on to drive in the second world war where she drove lorries while stationed on an ack ack battery in Scotland somewhere. She also taught her 3 daughters to drive as well and I will be eternally grateful to her for passing on to me this brilliant skill. Driving gives you such independence and means that you are not reliant on someone else.

I passed first time but didn’t enjoy driving and was glad to give it up a few years ago. I didn’t ever pass my maths though!

Mum failed her driving test five times and gave up trying. She did pass her O level maths at 60 though!

I remember my dad giving mum driving lessons in his old Ford Consul. She passed her test first time at around the age of 23/24. I still remember to this day the first time she drove after her test, and she had to drag me screaming and crying into the car because I was too scared for her to be driving!. I was about 4 at the time. However, she was a very good driver.

Her mum (my gran) took a test probably when she was in her 50s, but after a minor accident she refused to drive again! And my other grandparents never owned a car so they didn't learn to drive.

We never had a car, didn’t have the money and went nowhere.
I had a couple of lessons at 18 but still no car . At 26 and pregnant I passed my test second time.
The first in my immediate family.