Nice to be back working again. I am back up in Ullapool where the temperature has soared to 4.5C. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be this warm. It’s actually a relief to see rain (as opposed to snow).
I was a wee bit concerned yesterday afternoon. My Corsa had not moved since Boxing Day. With all the snow we have had, I thought it best to clear the car during daylight, rather than leave it until 7am this morning. This proved to be a good decision because the thick snow had frozen around my wheels, so I had to use a spade as a chisel to chip away the ice, which took over half an hour. I did consider cheating and waiting until Jane came home with the Navara to tow me out, but the ice was so solid I’m not sure even that would have worked.
My first lesson this morning was with Jed. I don’t remember any previous pupil learning as quickly as Jed. After only 7 hours we have covered everything (except dual-carriageways, which are not to be found within 50 miles of Ullapool) and are now just polishing his manoeuvres (which he can do all four of without my help). He passed his Theory Test before Christmas and (bearing in mind his rate of progress) I advised him to apply for his driving test. At the start of this morning’s lesson I asked him if he managed to book his test.
“I tried, but it (the website) said my test has been put on hold and that they will contact me when a date becomes available.”
What good is that? Jed and I are left not knowing when he might be able to take his test. It could be next week (extremely unlikely) or it could be Easter (much more likely). Naturally, Jed would rather not pay for weeks and weeks of lessons that he will not need. We were hoping that we could get a test date and schedule his lessons leading up to this date, but we can’t do that now. He has had a couple of lessons in Inverness, so he asked about taking his test there instead. Regrettably, Inverness Test Centre apparently has a ten-week waiting list, so that is not the ideal option.
Usually, when a Test Centre gets a bit of a backlog of tests, they bring in examiners from other areas to clear it. The trouble now, is that, with this weather, other areas will also start to get backlogs of tests, due to cancellations. I promised Jed I would try to get an estimate of a likely test date for him, but I am not bursting with confidence about this.
My next lesson is with Jayanne, who had her test cancelled due to the weather just before Christmas. I imagine that she will also want to know when her test will be. I wish I knew.
It gets worse. You may remember me writing about Anna’s test being cancelled in Elgin, a few weeks ago, when the temperature was 6C. Her rescheduled test is supposed to be in Elgin this Thursday, the day before she goes to university. And I have another pupil, Eddie, due to take his test in Elgin on the same day. I should be positive. Who knows, the Met Office might be completely wrong and we could get a quick thaw in the next two and a half days.
As if on cue, in the time I have been typing this, the temperature has dropped back to 2C and the rain has turned to snow AGAIN.
I haven't provided any top tunes recently, this came up on my MP3 player this morning. I'd forgotten just how brilliant this track (and the whole album) is. http://open.spotify.com/track/5NTAbVY1pBXaCLITRFWbVm
No comments:
Post a Comment