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Guy Annan: My beacon of hope was
awaiting the arrival of another
grandchild, and Thomas was born
Saturday, 13th November. Unfortunately
he lives in Australia so thank goodness
for Skype.
John Lomas: D-Ream already said it.
Things Can Only Get Better.
Karen MacLeod: The arrival of my first
grandchild.
Mike Yeomans: The strength of my
colleagues to give support and humour in
difficult times. Mainly through zoom
meetings and social media
Paul Harmes: Seeing my grandson
come round and spend time with us. He
struggled with not being able to go out,
then going out and stopping again.
And a glimmer of hope is we could
spend Christmas with him this year.
Peter Harvey, MSA Scotland: To see
everyone starting to be able to get back
to work even with all the restrictions;
hopefully the vaccines will help even
more.
Rod Came: To wake up each morning,;
my beacon of hope is to achieve that
small miracle the following morning!
Russell Jones: One thing that cheered
me up in 2020 was that, despite having
a family bereavement in the first 48
hours of the year, I was able to take a
young driver for her test the next day.
She had been born with sight in one
eye only, and her learning curve had
been particularly challenging for both of
us, so her success on her driving test
really cheered me up a great deal given
my circumstances, which she knew
nothing about.
Terry Pearce: The development of a
vaccine and hope of getting an injection
early in 2021.
What’s the one thing you’re looking
forward to most in 2021?
Colin Lilly: A vaccination
Guy Annan: Going back to keeping
racing pigeons.
John Lomas: Getting back to work and
meeting more instructors. (Sorry about
that, because it means you will have had
a crash if you get a visit from me)
Karen MacLeod: Being there when my
grandson is learning to walk and talk.
Mike Yeomans: Delivering classroom
interactive presentations, and being able
to spend time networking and meeting
family and friends.
Paul Harmes: Normality would be nice
or even getting close to it.
People to understand we are all in this
situation together, and we should follow
the rules and help built this pandemic.
What did I learn? That I have the
strength and the willpower to
overcome problems when things
look bad...
We did so well in lockdown #1 and
then it all went wrong again.
Peter Harvey: To be able to meet
friends, family and fellow MSA GB
members in real time rather than via the
various digital platforms.
Rod Came: Well, it has got to be
Brexit. Other than the end of WW II,
which I was too young to remember,
Brexit has to be the greatest change that
this country has known in the last 75
years. Whether the decision to leave the
EU was the right one only time will tell,
but the die is cast and we have got to
live with it. The future is unknown to us
all but history has a peculiar way of
repeating itself, this country has excelled
in the past and can do again given the
right impetus. Once we have beaten off
the shackles and restraints of the past 47
years, the only way is up.
If this upsets any Remainers please see
comment under ‘build back better’.
Russell Jones: The one thing I’m
looking forward to in 2021 is for those
ADIs who persevered through the
Covid-19 pandemic and not ‘jumped
ship’ to realise that success is possible
no matter how much difficulty they are
finding it, and they can reap the rewards.
Terry Pearce: Being able to continue
safely travelling around Britain by train.
Who did you raise a glass to on
Christmas Day?
Colin Lilly: The scientists and volunteers
who have assisted with the development
of vaccines and treatments for
Covid-19. Often forgotten but are most
likely to take us out of this pandemic.
Guy Annan: Absent friends.
John Lomas: Ebenezer Scrooge and to
acknowledge that I have woken up again.
Karen MacLeod: On Christmas Day we
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We need to restructure both
practical and theory testing... the
long waiting list for both is starting
to affect ADIs’ businesses...
raised a glass to the swift departure of
this virus.
Mike Yeomans: A glass to the
remarkable achievements in science over
the year and to a brighter future
Paul Harmes: A few friends have gone
this year and they will be missed sadly.
Peter Harvey: Good health, wealth and
to see coronavirus under control all over
the world.
Rod Came: I raised a glass or two for
my wife’s birthday on Christmas Eve,
and on Christmas Day - to Brexit on 1st
January.
Russell Jones: I raised a glass on
Christmas Day knowing that because I
don’t need to work, and while hoping to
maintain good health, I’ll be able to
spend a little more time on a golf course,
as well as working as much as I wish to.
In my view it’s a continuation of onwards
and upwards.
Terry Pearce: My family and memories
of relatives I have lost.
What’s the one thing the DVSA has to
do first in 2021?
Colin Lilly: Simply, to get its act
together. Driver training and testing is an
important part of its remit and needs
more attention. The clients will not
tolerate slipshod short notice treatment,
when aspects of their lives are at a
crossroads.
Guy Annan: To continue to try and
bring the waiting list down. However, I
was advised by an examiner in Taunton
that to do that they may need to take
back the waiting room!
John Lomas: Ensure that priority is
given to candidates whose tests have
been cancelled multiple times, whether
due to Covid, weather or their own
examiners’ actions.
Karen MacLeod: Sort out the
availability of theory tests in Scotland.
Mike Yeomans: Improve its
communication with the ADIs to restore
confidence in the DVSA.
Paul Harmes:To make a big effort to
bring as many examiners to a full day of
testing, whenever testing is available.
Weekends to be opened back up on both
days again.
To go back to the previous situation,
that if a pupil does not attend they will
not get a refund. Too many pupils are
booking and not arriving after knowing
they’re not ready and not losing the fee.
Perhaps create a standby service for
pupils waiting at the test centre for any
no shows. I understand this could be
both controversial and difficult, but we’re
in strange times so need different
responses. Continued on page 26
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