i'm looking at driving lessons (again ), i have passed my theory and have had ummm probably about 20 lessons with bsm although not recently....

did you use a larger company to learn to drive or a local one? it's so hard to know without any recommendations...i am thinking of using the aa but i really disliked bsm soooooo not sure if i should just look around locally?! prices all seem the same really except a few bonuses from the aa if you learn with them.

I just went to a local driving school. I learnt with the owner and think he had 2 other people that he shared the business with. I found him brill (though it did take me over 50 lessons and 3 tests - the man had the patience of a saint!). He taught a few of my friends to drive but so thats what made me pick him.

I remember him saying that he didnt really like the big driving schools but. He said some of his pupils who had came from them had picked up bad habits and in his opinion a lot of the big companies fire out instructors as a way of making money for themselves and they aint always the best. I suppose he would say that but, and you cant be a driving instructor unless you pass a specific test so how bad can they be? Its maybe just luck.

Do you have any review sites you could check? I know when I passed my test my instructor asked me to leave a review of him on our towns local info page. Possibly Yell.com type thing, cant remember!

I used AA and I thought they were great - always new cars!

hmm i might have a look at reviews hadn't really thought of that (d'oh). lisa they teach in ford focus' here which is the same as our car but obviously newer haha so that would be a real advantage...i quite fancied having a woman driver though and found a local lady but no idea if she is good or not - did you find the aa flexible? i enquired a year or so ago in our old house and they wanted me to state in advance when i wanted lessons which doesn't really work for me!

Just found my review *cringe* If you scroll down to May 2008, nicola K is me

http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/lisburn/business-guide/feature/aaron-driving-and-adi-training-school/46610/review

Dont know if you can jig about with the site and find something similar for your area.

lol Snoops, you fancied him didn't you!!!!

Yer just a bit Well in an older man type way - he was hot for in his 40's

Also in my defence it was over 3 years ago, I was only 23 at the time!

I could tell you did from what you wrote!

Lol! He did have a nice car but - an audi A3. Prob the only time in my life il be able to say I drove one!

pmsl at snoopy's review HE IS THE BEST awwww

Mari personally I think i'd go for local but I dunno I just used my friends dad!

LMFAO @ 'oh and he has a very nice car'!!!!

I went local and was very pleased with them x

i used an independant instructor when i was learning , he was laright but he was a smoker ( as was i ) i liked it at the time but looking back think you dick ! .,,, used to stop for a couple fag breaks throughout lesson ! and he booked 10-11 then next person 11-12 so he was leaving himself no time to go to next person
must have wasted a good 20 mins of lesson between running late or fag breaks !

I went with a local independant female instructor, she was so lovely - we used to spend the whole lessons just driving around having a good old chinwag, it really helped with keeping me relaxed (and after about 15 lessons I passed )

xxx

I did an intensive course with a local bloke. He was really nice and although I failed my first test through sheer nerves he managed to get me through my test after only 18 hours driving lessons.

xx

I went local and it was actually a neighbour who taught me! It meant we had a laugh when we were out and that kept me relaxed and it didn't take too long to pass. With him we just arranged lessons week to week to suit both of us xx

I used BSM but the way it was run was more local as they didn't get business through BSM just use the company name/car. The guy I had was great, maybe you just had a bad instructor?

it could have been that...i had him twice oddly enough 3 years apart and in different towns (umm stalker perhaps haha).

he used to go on and on about total rubbish...i am not a fan of small talk at all and it did my head in - he said it was part of the bsm technique, to get you to talk while you learn which makes sense but it seriously drove me mental (not just him...anyone doing that to me for 2 hours is like torture!)

hhaaha. Thats weird my instructor talked a lot too. I also hate small talk but actually he was a really nice guy so it didn't seem like crap fake small talk.

I went with BSM purely because at the time they were the only ones i had heard of. I think it just depends if you click with the instructor to be honest. The woman i had was fab and sometimes i had to pull over as we were nearly crying from laughing (i know this does not sound helpful in learning to drive but it meant that i was always relaxed!)

I did my lessons with one guy who had set up on his own.

he was brill passed first time. always had a laugh. we went to lunch a few times and still keep in touch now