Former Hartlepool and Peterlee driving instructor takes a drive down memory lane

Derek Sinden, 83, qualified as a driving instructor in 1988 and ran the Peterlee School of Motoring until his retirement in 2007.

Shortly after moving to Bannatyne Lodge Care Home, in Manor Way, Peterlee, care home staff learned how he helped hundreds of drivers from the area pass their driving tests.

The care home’s activities coordinator, Dawn Minto, arranged for driving instructor Mick Jones, of Mick Jones School of Motoring, in Peterlee, to take Derek out on the route he used to take learners on and to the Hartlepool Test Centre, in Mainsforth Terrace.

Derek had driven the route thousands of times in his Nissan Sunny and so the experience brought back many fond memories.

He said: “What a wonderful surprise.

"Mick took me to Hartlepool and, on the way, we drove along the routes I used to use for the learners.

"It was great.

“We talked about the changes to the tests and about the different manoeuvres, especially how to parallel park, as no one ever wanted to do that.”

Dawn said: “We thought it would be nice for Derek to get back in a car and be taken on his old route by Mick, who gladly agreed.

“You could see it meant so much to Derek and he was beaming from ear to ear when he returned to the care home.”

Derek was born in Hartlepool before moving to Peterlee in 1963.

Shortly after taking over the Peterlee School of Motoring in the late 1980s, Derek appeared in local papers after he invested hundreds of pounds into upgrading his Nissan Sunny so he could instruct drivers with disabilities.

Derek’s daughter, Angie Calvert, recalled one of the stories her father recounted about his instructor days.

She said: “He used to tell me about a time he took a pupil out for a lesson and dad dropped his pencil onto the car floor.

“He went to pick it up and, at the same time, the learner also leaned over to get it while he was supposed to be driving.

"At this point, dad grabbed the wheel in a panic.

“He said it will stick with him forever, laughing that his life flashed before him.”

Julie Armstrong, home manager at Bannatyne Lodge, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to Mick Jones for taking Derek out for a drive around his Peterlee and Hartlepool instructor route.

“Person-centred care is at the heart of everything we do at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home, learning about residents’ likes and dislikes, their histories and hobbies, and catering activities accordingly.

“Dawn did a fantastic job organising this for Derek and you could see afterwards how much he enjoyed himself.

"I’m sure it brought back lots of wonderful memories, helping hundreds of drivers in the area to get their licences over his 25 year career.”