29th December 2006 40th Driving lesson

Very dull weather today never had the exact distance measured luckerly as I don't think I would of managed to see it cos it was so dull, instructor said she will measure it next lesson. Quite a good lesson today my steering was a lot better though still a few mistakes, forgot to check mirror quite a few times I actually think I wasn't checking them more than my instructor reminded me about. Completely forgot to signal at a junction for once my instructor didn't notice, I only remembered when we had been waiting a while to get out my instructor said the other drivers on the road could see I was waiting to turn cos of the signal I relised I had forgot and put it on then. I ended up changing gear on a bend again cos there is a junction on the bend which you can't see til you get on the bend and you can see if its clear without stopping. I used 5th gear again up to 50mph would of liked to get up to 60mph but didn't get chance as there were a few slight bends maybe try to next lesson. I went bit over the 40mph speed limit just after using 5th gear by accident.

First manoeuvre was my favorite turn in road which went great. Reverse round corner was the corner they use on tests the one that I totally messed up first 2 times not done it since til today. It went quite well the first one being the better one, second one I didn't steer left enough and got too near middle of road but corrected it and parked ok. Then for my worst manoeuvre parallel parking I just can't do it at all, well it could only go down hill from the other two which went well. My instructor picked the most awkward place possible for this there was a car parked on the right hand side of the road at the exact spot where I needed to start steering left so as well as looking behind and watching I wasn't going to hit the car I was parking behind I had to watch I didn't hit the car parked on the right. I got to the part where I stop and check its still clear before steering right then set off again too fast and didn't steer right enough and ended up on the kerb. Try again I managed it this time mainly due to my instructor slowing the car on the brake. I will never like this stupid manoeuvre.

I stalled twice today which is unusual for me first was as I stopped to check it was clear to go round a tight corner I didn't have clutch down to stop. The second one was when I pulled into petrol station and again braked without clutch. I put petrol in and really tried to get it exactly on £8 went very slow as it got close to £8 and stopped it few times to make sure I didn't go over and ended up 1p over well it said 1p but when my instructor went to pay they said it was 2p over oh well I will get it spot on one day. I was a lot better doing right turns off roundabouts today I can do them again now.

My instructor said next lesson I will be working on clutch control, no idea why as I have had to control clutch many times in each lesson and when doing manoeuvres so not quite sure what she means. Maybe she thinks I need practice as today she was telling me quite a bit not to keep looking at rev counter when getting biting point, mainly on manoeuvres, but it is a habit that I have had from starting lessons I am learning to know when I have biting point without rev counter more now I just have quick glance at it now. Maybe this is partly why my instructor thinks I need to work on clutch control and maybe cos of stalling twice though that was cos I didn't put clutch down to stop.