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#1: Driving Author: Róisín, Location: Gaillimh

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:55 pm
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Did Joey or Jack ever have lessons of any form and then any kind of a test to pass before they got their licence? Did they have to have a licence at all? I seem to remember that in the very early books anyone could drive as long as their wrists were strong enough to tackle the bends on the road up to the Sonnalpe ( Laughing

) and then during the war that Joey suddenly had a runabout.

#2: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:06 pm
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I don't think you had to pass a test in those days - in Britain (no idea about Austria). My grandma drove an ambulance during the Second World War and even for that I don't think she had to pass a test Rolling Eyes

: she certainly didn't have to pass one to drive a car IIRC. Presumably people were just taught by friends/relatives until they felt confident enough to drive on their own. I suppose either Jack or Jem must have taught both Joey and Robin, although I don't think it's ever mentioned. Madge, however, always seems to be driven about by Andreas so presumably she never learnt!

#3: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:07 pm
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Don't know about Austria, but in the UK driving tests weren't required until 1935. Anyone who was driving before that didn't need to take one - one of my uncles never took a test until he was a driving instructor in the army during the War.

So Jem, Jack, Dick and Madge would never have had to take a test to drive in Britain. Jo probably took one in the missing bit in the middle of Exile.

#4: Author: Róisín, Location: Gaillimh

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:17 pm
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Thanks for that - I suppose the cars then wouldn't have been able to go as fast as they do today etc, so the circs were different. And the roads would have been of a different quality too.

#5: Author: Miriam, Location: Jerusalem, Israel

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 7:10 pm
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In 'Gillian' Jo writes to the school from ~India and mentions that she is learning to drive there - being taught by her friend Dacia (Erica's mother). I don't know how this fits in with 'Two Chalet girls in India', since I'm still debating whether to buy it. EBD never mentions Jo learning to drive, so this would be a useful oppotunity. I don't think Madge ever drives in the Tyrol, and I'm not sure that she does in England come to think of it. Maybe she never learnt at all?

#6: Author: KathrynW, Location: London

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 7:37 pm
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Driving tests were also abandoned during World War 2 so Jo could have learnt then and got her licence without having to pass a test.

#7: Author: CatherineS, Location: Smalltown, West of Scotland

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 7:50 pm
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Joey's wish to learn to drive before she goes home is mentioned in 'Two Chalet Girls in India'. I haven't finished it yet (I'm really enjoying it, though), so I don't know if it's covered in more detail later in the book.

#8: Author: skye,

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:32 am
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Alison H wrote:

I don't think you had to pass a test in those days - in Britain (no idea about Austria). My grandma drove an ambulance during the Second World War and even for that I don't think she had to pass a test Rolling Eyes

In one of the books I'm almost certain that two of the teachers return from somewhere and find the school car is missing and Madge has moved it into the garage as she wants the car filling with petrol so she can drive somewhere. So she could drive when the school was on the island as it was one of the island books, I think.

#9: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:04 am
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Jo does learn to drive in Priya's India story; she is taught by someone in Dacia's family (avoiding spoilers here).

Also Louise Redfield is driving in New CS:

Quote:

Miss Annersley, with Louise at the wheel, got into the school car with her, and drove off to St Scholastika’s, where the prodigal was received with a rapturous welcome which made her crosser than ever, until Rosa bore her off to bed, bath, and supper.

As Louise is in the Sixth in this book, she is presumably 17 or 18. Not sure what the deal was about American drivers' licences during this period.

#10: Author: Karry, Location: Stoke on Trent

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 7:10 am
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Madge uses the car in Shocks - when she comes back to be with Dick during Mollys illness and operation

#11: Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:54 am
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I got to the point about learning to drive in India and then my brain melted Shocked

#12: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 1:35 am
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Madge drives to visit them when they're all on Camp - at least is says

Quote:

She bent to kiss her sister as she spoke, before pulling on her driving-gloves

She, Gisela and Wanda definitely didn't arrive with Jem and Jack as they arrive halfway through Mittagessen and the doctors were there before, so one of the 3 must (massive EBDs excepting) have driven the car.

My mother (born 1924) has never taken a driving test - she learnt to drive during the war, mainly when she was in the WRENS, but possibly partly from her father - her mother never drove. She's still driving now at 82 and I don't think she's ever had any points on her licence Shocked

#13: Author: Chris, Location: Nottingham

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:24 am
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My uncle learnt during WW2 and never took a test. We used to stay with him for two weeks every summer as children and he always bought 'kangaroo petrol'! He never had an accident, though, but I am convinced that it was more by luck than judgement.

#14: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:35 am
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Dawn wrote:

Madge drives to visit them when they're all on Camp - at least is says

Quote:

She bent to kiss her sister as she spoke, before pulling on her driving-gloves

Must have been Madge, I would think, given how closely chaperoned the Austrian girls were. They'd never be out alone, and so would never need to drive. And I don't think the Maranis had a car, did they? They didn't in School At.

#15: Author: Róisín, Location: Gaillimh

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:50 am
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Chris wrote:

My uncle learnt during WW2 and never took a test. We used to stay with him for two weeks every summer as children and he always bought 'kangaroo petrol'! He never had an accident, though, but I am convinced that it was more by luck than judgement.

What's kangaroo petrol?!

#16: Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 1:52 pm
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We had kangaroo petrol when learning to drive! It's the awful jerking movements when you try to pull away smoothly from the traffic lights, or wherever you'd stopped, and the clutch never seemed as smooth as it should!

#17: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:55 pm
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Interesting. In Australia we call those bunny hops.

#18: Author: Chris, Location: Nottingham

Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 1:55 pm
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Exactly right, Fatima! Don't think Uncle ever really got the hang of smooth clutch control after 50 years of driving!

#19: Author: Caty, Location: New Zealand

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:01 am
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I was thinking about this today and wondering if EBD herself was able to drive? Does anyone know?

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