PCV Test

After a few months of bus lessons with Mike from Cotswold Green, the time had come for my 1 1/2 days of "official" training, followed by the test on the second afternoon.

I arrived at the training centre near Stroud at 8am and met my instructor, Will, who explained that unfortunately the coach was in Cirencester, so we had to drive over there to start with. We got there and found the coach we would be using, and found the next problem: no "L" plates ! A quick trip to the local garage sorted that out, and eventually we were ready to go.

Will explained the controls particular to this coach, and we set off towards Gloucester, where the majority of the training would take place. The lessons spent with Mike paid off, as I was fairly confident with using the gears, and also with the size of the vehicle, and we headed through Cirencester and out onto the A419 to Gloucester.

When we arrived in Gloucester, we started going round areas likely to be travelled on the test, with Will telling me how specific things had to be done in order to win the approval of the examiner. After about 2 1/2 hours, we stopped at a food wagon, and had a cup of tea and a break from driving, then it was off back to the training centre at Stroud, for maneuvering practice in the yard.

After reversing the coach around the yard between cones, and stopping in a small yellow box several times, we were back out for more normal road training around Gloucester. At the end of the day, we went back to Cirencester to drop the coach off, and then I went back to the Cotswold Green yard, but I was too tired to do any shunting, so I went home !

The next day started well, with a good drive from Cirencester to Gloucester, and then off around some more test routes. we then went back for more maneuvering practice, and a few tries at emergency stops. After lunch we headed over to the test centre, and as we got closer, I got more and more nervous! We met up with Mike at the centre, as he was very keen to see what happened at the final hurdle !

The examiner kept me waiting for about 5 minutes, but I thought it prudent not to complain ! When he arrived we went out to the coach and he explained how the test would go. First up was the "S" shaped reverse into a marked bay, which went fine until I drove into a shadow and lost sight of my marker on the wheel arch - luckily I managed to lean out the window and regain my bearings, and completed the task successfully.

Next up was the emergency stop, where I had to accelerate up to 20mph and then stop in one coach length. This went without incident and we then went out onto the road where we ended up behind several Gypsy caravans being pulled by horses. This held us up for about 10 minutes, but once we had got round them, the rest of the tent went very well, and I was incredibly relieved when we got back to the centre and the examiner told me that I had passed !

Mike and Will came over to join me, and after a quick chat with the examiner, the "L" plates were removed from the coach, and I drove back to Cirencester, with my two trainers as my first passengers I had carried as a qualified driver !

Back to the Cotswold Green depot then, to pass on the good news to Rob and the others. After a coffee and a chat, I headed for home, where my lovely wife had baked me a celebratory cake !

School Bus !

From Monday to Wednesday this week, one of the Cotswold Green buses has been turned into a classroom for nine employees to study towards an NVQ. This is all to do with the Government insisting that all bus drivers (as well as taxi, lorry and coach drivers) have to now hold a CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence).

The first day got off to a bad start, as the training company had made a mistake and did not turn up at the depot! After a few cups of coffee and several phone calls, the training was abandoned, so we went home early, with instructions to be back at 9 in the morning.

We reconvened the next morning, and straight away found the next stumbling block: the internet was not working, so some of the essential testing material could not be downloaded. Luckily I had my mobile internet dongle in my car, so we managed to get online, and I earned myself the promise of a cake!

Then came the paperwork ! Form after form after form to fill in, sign, initial, read, and file into the portfolio, and this was just the induction for the NVQ. For the rest of the afternoon, and the following day we talked about customer service and diversity, and took it in turns to take an online exam, which was one of the modules towards the CPC.

All of us passed our exams, so Rob was pleased with the progress made. I have another appointment to see the NVQ assessor on Monday, when I have to take along my homework- a copy of my CV, and a learner statement about when I have provided good customer service.

This evening I have been left in charge of the children, as Liz has gone on a girls night out to watch the new Harry Pottter film, so I have taken the opportunity to work on some more fare charts for the new Cotswold Green website which will be launched in August.

Bus Driving around Cirencester

I had another bus driving lesson today, my third so far, this time in the biggest vehicle in the fleet, a Scania N113CRB (about 38 foot long).

After arriving at Cotswold Green HQ, I set off on an observation exercise with Mike, to do a school run. After putting on my new official Cotswold Green uniform polo shirt, we went and picked up the students from the school in Stroud, and went on a route through Minchinhampton and out to Tetbury, with Mike teaching me tips about driving on a school run. As soon as the last students left the bus, we stuck the "L" plates on, and set off again with me behind the wheel.

This bus was very different to the Dennis Darts I had driven on my previous lessons, it was longer, and much more powerful. We went into Cirencester and around the very narrow and winding one way system, and as I mounted the pavement twice, we went round again - this time I corrected my errors, and Mike almost looked pleased !

When we got to Stroud, we did the traditional trip around the one way system, and I managed to get round the tight corner, for the first time without running over George Holloway's toes !

I drove for about 2 1/2 hours this time, and when we got back to the depot, Mike got me to do a reverse into a gateway, and then get the bus into the right space in the yard. It was just gone 7pm so it was time to get across to Stroud, ready for the weekly St John meeting.

Sidecar Racing, Strawberry Bon-Bons, and a Red Flagged Race

I was out on the course at May Hill on the ambulance today with Helen, so we left HQ first this morning. When we arrived on station, the first bit of good news was that the marshals had brought sweets ! After a few strawberry bon-bons, we had the bad news: racing had been delayed by 30 minutes with a start time of 11.15, due to rain elsewhere on the course.

After ½ hour we had another radio message that racing had been delayed for a further ½ hour due to hailstones on the course! Myself and Helen went down the road to post my postcards (which I had been carrying around in my bag for 2 days) and while we were there we had another message, that racing would now start at 12.45. We also went down to Ramsey Hospital to re-familiarise ourselves with the helicopter landing pad, in case we had to take a casualty there from the track.

At 12.30 the next message came that we would be now starting at 13.45. By this time I had done 3 crosswords and eaten the rest of the sweets, and we were getting a bit fed up with all the delays.

Racing eventually started at 14.00 and the race passed by without incident. We then had ½ hour before the electric bikes came round, so we went into Ramsey and bought an ice cream each- my second ever Manx ice cream!

In the sidecar race, there was a serious incident at Ballacobb, and the race was red flagged, as a sidecar had crashed and caught fire. The driver and passenger were both airlifted to hospital, along with a marshall. This put a dampener on the day, and the race and planned practice were abandoned, so we were stood down.

Day off tomorrow, and we are off in the minibus to visit some places around the island.

Racing, Electric Bikes, and a Veggie Chilli

We all managed to get a bit of a lie in this morning, as the roads were not closing until 11.30, ready for the first race at 12.15. I was stationed at Ballaspur for the day, with Simon (from Merseyside) and Andy (from Kent), so we got a lift in the back of the Ballacraine ambulance, and walked the last few hundred yards up the track to our post.

The marshall point at Ballaspur is a scaffold tower from the field next to the track, so we had a really good view of the racing as they passed, really fast, only a few feet away from us. The marshals there are very friendly, so we passed the time chatting to them, while we were waiting for the first race to start.
The first race started on time, and less than four minutes later the first of the 600cc bikes came past us. The race passed without incident for us, so after the last Travelling Marshall went through our location, we climbed into the field behind our post, and sat in the sunshine to eat our lunch.

Next up was the sidecar practice laps, and apart from a few bikes getting very close to the boarding, there was nothing notable at our location. Once the sidecars had left the track, we waited to watch a first for the Isle of Man: the first battery powered bikes doing a lap of the mountain circuit. These bikes are powered by big batterys and motors in place of the tank, and they can reach speeds of over 100mph- but quietly ! Because of this, if the bikes are going through a yellow flagged incident, they must sound their horns, to give us some warning that they are coming, and a chance to get out of the way! The electric bikes came through at quite a respectable speed, although a few of them did seem to struggle with the hill, and one of the marshals mentioned that he had seen a sign in a shop in Douglas: “Extension Leads For Sale, 37 ¾ Miles Long” !!

After the electric bikes had completed their lap, the crossing points were opened, and we walked back down to Ballacraine for a break, where we bought Andy (who has a well known fondness for chocolate) a “TT Special”, which was a chocolate muffin, with a mars bar shoved in the top.

We then returned to our station ready for the next race, and at that time the midges decended on us, so we were trying to watch out for bikes, and also avoid getting bitten to death by the midges. The first bikes came found the corner, only a couple of seconds apart, and from then on were really going for it, with several coming close to crashing into the airbags on the way out of the corner. One bike went over so far, his footpeg went into the tarmac, back wheel lifted, and for couple of seconds all of the marshals and medics were sure he was going to come off. Somehow he recovered, and we spent the rest of the race on the edge of our seats !

When we got back to HQ, the Commissioner had cooked us all dinner, as we had had a long day with no chance to get anything from the shop. The veggie chilli was delicious- and very spicy! Racing again tomorrow, and roads close at 10.30, so I will have to leave HQ at about 9 to get up May Hill on time.

On a private plane with a celebrity !

After a morning at work, Liz took me to Staverton airport to catch the plane to the Isle of Man for the TT Races. When I got on the plane I had two surprises: one was how small the plane was- the pilot gave the safety briefing kneeling down! - the second was that I was sitting next to John Sergeant (recently of Strictly Come Dancing fame). He was not very entertaining though, as he spent the whole (45 minute) flight listening to his mp3 player.

The first part of the flight was not too bad, but when we started the descent towards the IOM it became very bumpy, and the landing was very rough!

Geoff picked me up from the airport in the hired minibus, and 1/2 hour later I was at HQ getting into my uniform ready for the evening practice races. I went to the Grandstand and signed on as a marshall, and covered the finish line until roads opened at 21.30- by that time I was freezing cold, as I had forgotten to take my bomber jacket.

Back to HQ for some toast, followed by Jammy Dodgers with a cup of tea, then off to bed now, ready for an early start for race day tomorrow- weather dependent!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling....

Fame at last ! I was on duty at the Cheese Rolling on bank holiday monday, and I was interviewed by a German TV crew for a documentary.

The Cheese Rolling is an annual tradition in Gloucestershire, where a group of mad people run off the side of a hill (cliff) chasing a cheese. First to the bottom wins the cheese.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVSJujKLSKk

You can see me at about 1.47 minutes in, as I drive in with the ambulance.

We had a busy day, with 55 casualties, 11 of these needing transport to hospital.