ADUK Archive

Hi guys, I havnt been on, or around for a while of late for various reasons, including a change of Job, but thought I would break that lean spell with an update of today.
(I know its really Blow my own trumpet time, but am really really chuffed. )

I had my 1st RoSPA retest for the Bike this morning, with the area (A Serving Police Instructor) examiner.
For various reasons recently I had nowhere near the amount of preparation or even road time that I was wanting, and therefore expecting to perhaps find it hard just to maintain my previous Silver grading. I wasnt helped by the fact that I expected to finish work last night at around 10:30pm and didnt actually get away untill 2am. So of I went somewhat "bleery eyed" to the 9.30am test thinking I would should just treat it as a assesment and lesson to be learned, and as a chance for a run around, and could always stump up for a early paid retest in the spring.
However he has passed me with a GOLD.
Could have knocked me down with a feather, to the point I actually asked him "Are you sure about that?". His reply was that whilst from the Pre ride briefing and starting drills and the first few on road yards, it was obvious that I wasnt quite 100% on the ball, it was the fact that I appeared to "Zone in" so rapidly after that and went on to just enjoy a relaxed "Safe Smooth Systematic yet Progressive Ride" that didnt in any way seem forced or tried, told him that I did know what I was doing and was demonstrating AND maintaining it throughout the remainder of the almost 2hour ride.

Woohoo!!! Well done!

Now don't go and get complacent in 3 years time

Congrats , Who was the Examiner?

Congrats, that will put you under pressure when your car retest comes round to do the same!

Superb!

Thanks Guys.

And OILY PAWS his name is Stuart Watson. but I have since found out that he is no longer actively instructing as got promotion and he rides a desk now at Pitt St in Glasgow.
He used to be senior instructor at Strathclydes College at Jackton EK and was at one time AFAIK at Tulliallan

Any idea how many examiners RoSPA keep in Scotland? I think I've heard of Jim Reynolds over in our neck of the woods.

Regards

Alistair.

AlistairL wrote:Any idea how many examiners RoSPA keep in Scotland? I think I've heard of Jim Reynolds over in our neck of the woods.

Regards

Alistair.

Not many I think, I wondered if it was JR that did billzzr600's test he , (JR) just stays along the road from here.

OILY PAWS wrote:Not many I think, I wondered if it was JR that did billzzr600's test he , (JR) just stays along the road from here.

It's a fine place, I was born in Forth Park

I'll be meeting Jim Reynolds in a couple of weeks time for my test

Congratulations on a Gold as well!

Renny wrote:I'll be meeting Jim Reynolds in a couple of weeks time for my test

hmm you will, will you.............. hehehehe

Im not sure how many Bike examiners they have, but I do know that its only in the last 3/4 years that they didnt have to head over East from this area to be examined, usually AFAIK meeting at Grangemouth/Kincardine area.

Cars are different and in adition to Stuart who also does car tests we have Dave Arnott over here in the west

BillZZR600 wrote:Im not sure how many Bike examiners they have, but I do know that its only in the last 3/4 years that they didnt have to head over East from this area to be examined, usually AFAIK meeting at Grangemouth/Kincardine area.

That reminds me of the retest story my local diploma holder once told me - he filled out the form saying he wanted his retest in West Lothian, to be told to meet up at the other side of the Forth Bridge as usual

AlistairL wrote:

BillZZR600 wrote:Im not sure how many Bike examiners they have, but I do know that its only in the last 3/4 years that they didnt have to head over East from this area to be examined, usually AFAIK meeting at Grangemouth/Kincardine area.

That reminds me of the retest story my local diploma holder once told me - he filled out the form saying he wanted his retest in West Lothian, to be told to meet up at the other side of the Forth Bridge as usual

I used to be in irregular contact with training groups all around the UK (from Cornwall to The Orkneys, via Northern Ireland!) and was talking to one bloke who lived about an hour South of Glasgow. He'd had calls from a previous organisation, asking him if, since he was "in Scotland" he could go off and do tests the next day - them not realising than he was nearly as far away from that location as he was from London . . .

Horse wrote:I used to be in irregular contact with training groups all around the UK (from Cornwall to The Orkneys, via Northern Ireland!) and was talking to one bloke who lived about an hour South of Glasgow. He'd had calls from a previous organisation, asking him if, since he was "in Scotland" he could go off and do tests the next day - them not realising than he was nearly as far away from that location as he was from London . . .

I'm sure the English get maps with Scotland to a different scale from the rest of Britain I recall being asked to cover a course in Avonmouth starting at 08:00 on a Sunday morning. The problem was I was working a full day in Aberdeen on the Saturday.

I was late, overslept by 5 minutes....