I thought I would let Chrimbo and the New Year pass before taking up lessons again. It has been a great struggle to stop myself sneaking out in the middle of the night and slipping into my parents' car and taking it for a sneaky joy ride. They have refused to let me practice in it.

There are so many adverts on TV about speeding and drink driving, perhaps there should be more about the dangers of slow driving as well?

It's been a while. Things have gone a bit 'Pete Tong'in my life and I had to put my driving lessons on hold for the last few weeks. Having moved out of Brighton I will continue my driving lessons in another part of the country - Weston Super Mare.

I also miss my driving lessons with Steve who was my brilliant instructor. However, life goes on and I will continue to document my determination to become a driver.   

Last Saturday I had an extended lesson because I was going to do a mock test. It certainly did not help that I was still hung over from the night before and my instructor informed me that it took 18 hours for the alcohol to leave the system. Great. It was certainly not 18 hours since I had last touched alcohol.

Is there not any kind soul out there who would consider taking me out to practice? I am a good driver really. I promise you.

Last Saturday I had a very varied lesson that included travelling at 60mph along a twisty country road before being spilled on to a dual carriage way and increasing my speed to 70mph. I also had the usual fun of negotiating the built up areas around Brighton where you can be travelling in 1st gear for a while. We did, indeed, get stuck in a jam towards Newhaven but once out into the picturesque countryside of East Sussex it was a breeze and I enjoyed the views, perhaps, a little too much as my instructor commented on my lack of concentration several times. I must keep my eyes on the road and my mind on the gears, mirrors and any potential hazards.

I don't have a driving lesson until Saturday week now but I have been told to prepare for a mock driving test where my instructor promises to be ruthless, well, not ruthless but I will have to drive as if I am being examined. The butterflies have already started fluttering in my stomach.

Last week I had an unexpected journey into unknown territory. Unfortunately, the wheel of my instructor's car was damaged so I had a lesson driving back to his home so that he change his tyre before he could do any further lessons. The trouble was that he couldn't take the tyre off as a vital piece of equipment was missing. In my technical ignorance I have forgotten what it is called. I drove all the way to Shoreham, a place I had only previously visited by train, bus or bike, so I was quite excited by the experience.

I was again a little rough with the gear stick and my skills on the steering wheel do need improvement but I still put this down to not enough practice. These are things to bear in mind as well as keeping up with the flow of traffic and not to be over cautious at times. I am comforted by the reassuring words of friends who tell me 'everything becomes automatic after a while'.  They don't offer to take me out in their own cars though.

Yesterday I had another driving lesson which went well considering that I was stressed and exhausted after a gruelling day at work. That's always my excuse for my poor concentration at times. Practice, practice, practice...I need more practice to get to grips with the 'reverse round a corner' for sure as my poor brain panics whenever I attempt it.

Still, the sensational ride home along the seafront was fabulous and I must congratulate the employees at Baker Street Cycles in Brighton for the attention they gave to my rusty, old clanger of a bike. Maybe I was wise not to go for a rusty, old clanger of a car right now considering I have yet to pass the test.

In last week's lesson I managed to wheel spin my instructor's new Mini. I also stalled the car and some other errors which I put down to work stress and emotional upheaval. I am still a bit rough with the gear stick when doing a gear change and the only remedy to that is more practice. Practice makes perfect and until I find some poor sod willing to take me out, there's not a lot I can do to perfect my skills.

As far as cycling is concerned, I have found out that the local police have been dishing out fines for errant cyclists who cycle down St James's Street, a one way street. I am extra vigilant not to cycle down there now. However, on Saturday I saw a car make its way down there effortlessly. Luckily, there was no other traffic to cause a disturbance. I am not the only driver confused on the roads.

I have had to put my driving on to the back burner as my instructor was not able to offer me a lesson this week.

The L plates are sitting forlorn and neglected now in my bedroom and I cannot wait until Tuesday for my official lesson.

Last Thursday I managed to get from Kentish Town to Brighton within two hours for my driving lesson at 6pm. I was as tense as a coiled spring and so consequently my mind was not quite as fresh as it should have been during the lesson. I stalled the car and made quite a number of silly errors.

The lesson focused on pedestrian crossings. I never realised before that cyclists should only cross at a Toucan crossing which my instructor tells me an easy way of remembering is to say 'two can' be crossing. There's also a Pelican crossing, a Puffin Crossing and then the Zebra which is the most easily identifiable pedestrian crossing in my view.

I read a story in the paper yesterday of a young man who has been charged with 'careless' driving as he was responsible for the death of one of his passengers. The girl was not wearing a seat belt but he was travelling at twice the national speed limit in a sports car. He has been given community service and a ban from driving for two years when he will have to re-take his test.

I am not sure whether I think he should pay a higher penalty for what he has done because the girl was not wearing a seat belt which is, of course, illegal these days even for back seat passengers. Stories like this frighten but do not deter me from driving as part of the skill of driving is anticipating idiots on the road.