40...40!!, you're a mere pup, SWMBO is now retired and she's far from slowing up, and still shows some hopeful youngsters how it should be done.

Bad luck for the good lady, but hope they had a nice time at Drayton Manor, i used to take my young uns there and we always had a good time.

A word to the already wise, keep schtum, its your car your gatepost, far as we're concerned here the post fell over.

Get yerself round to a little bodyshop sharpish, one of your flock is bound to know of one thats a one man and his dog operation, you might find a quiet quote from him will have your car sorted for less than the excess and subsequent increases, if you're in Northants i could point you in the right direction via Avant (mod).

I'm saying nowt about my luck or lack of it on the roads, don't wan't satan looking over my shoulder marking me complacent card.

Edited by gordonbennet on 16/04/2014 at 17:50

I was very lucky after passing my test in 1974. Had a minor scrape with another car just over a year later, 50-50 situation easilly fixed with T Cut. Went off the road on ice early in probably 1977, slightly bent rear bumper and a flat tyre.

I was hit head on by another car in early 1979 during a blizzard, he was out of control in a borrowed car having written his own off 2 days earlier. I was driving a Spitfire at the time, he was in a Cortina. Mine needed a new bumper, number plate and a few little dents sorting, his was a write off. Just could not believe my luck.

Hit by a motorcycle once, after exchanging details he rode off with no problems but I ended up in hospital the next day with glass in my eye.

Mrs first accident was in a Volvo, went off the road backwards on ice, strait through an open gate, hit nothing. She hit our very own front wall once, took the wing off, blamed our cat.

at 40 your still a young motorist, many happy years driving ahead of you. Please don't slow down too much, it's difficult enough to make good progress these days without having to overtake the slower ones - as well as a worry as a driver who feels compelled to overtake is more likely to do somethng stupid and be a danger to himself, the overtaken and oncoming motorist - and such an incident would be both first and probably last ever crash