Driving Schools

Gosh. I haven't double-declutched for a long while! My driving instructor owned the Palmer School of Motoring. I think he lived in Canley, and had an office in Berry Street.

Tony years ago when I lived in Hillfields I had some driving lessons at a school in Berry St it was called Colins Driving School, probably the same one. He took me out on a lesson one day and I frightened him to death because I was driving too fast!

Hi mayjan, It could well have been the same office, possibly used to make bookings for several instructors? I had my lessons, paid for by my mother (thanks Mum!), in 1967

I am sure there was more than one driving school in Berry Street. I learned with Parkside School of Motoring in 1971 which had an office there, which I think was only 2 or 3 doors up from Palmers, and the names were similar enough to confuse people. Parkside ran a fleet of Mk1 Escorts, some of which were kept in a yard on the corner of Binley Rd and Biggin Hall Crescent. Lessons were 25/6d at the time of decimalisation.

I think you are right MisterD-Di - whilst I was a child growing up in Coronation Road there was a driving school just around the corner in Berry Street; it was next door to Saddler's shop. I can only remember three shops in the street between Coronation Road and King Edward Road - Wooley's on the corner of Coronation Road, the driving school and Saddlers. (Saddlers later became a ladies hairdressers in the mid 60s.) A doctors surgery was on the corner of King Edward Road. Across King Edward Road was Hammond's the butchers (later it was Ber-Dots), then Holland's the sweet shop, which was later known as the Tuck Shop, a little further down was McSweeney's ladies clothes shop, then Fred Burrows' florists; the last shop in Berry Street just before the 'Brook Entry' was Keen's butchers/grocers. I seem to think that when McSweeney's closed down a driving school took the premises over. Circa the late 50s early 60s a turf accountants opened, I'm not sure if it was where the florists was. Sorry I can only remember a driving school called Palmers and I think it was the one next to Saddlers. Of course, I'm going back over 60 years and my memory isn't as good as I seem to think it is and I may be proved wrong

If you enjoyed that short film try this link as the original seems not to work. Notice the handbrake being used at the traffic lights unlike today with cars going backwards and forwards wearing the clutch out!!! Sorry the film shows the Standard 8.