Drive-Tech News

We were delighted that James Gray MP accepted our invitation to attend the Drive-Tech Driving Centre last week during Tourism Week.   One of our  experienced instructors, John Yeo, was on hand to show Mr Gray around the centre to see ‘behind the scenes’ as to how we instruct both the public and lots of companies wanting to experience our many driving activities.

John started the tour in our skid briefing room so that Mr Gray could see how the skid pan is set up to teach anyone with a full driving licence how to control our vehicles on our specially prepared surface to mimic icy and slippery road conditions.   He also explained all about Health and safety issues in running such a course in a safe and controlled environment.

James Gray was then given a tour of the 4x4 course in one of the centre’s Land Rover Discoveries, which has been quoted by the Off Road Magazine ‘as being one of the best compact courses within the UK’. James then took to the wheel himself to experience 4x4 off-road vehicles and by tackling the many obstacles and driving through the exhilarating watersplash.

James expressed that the "Skid Control Course looked like good fun and a valuable experience  to learn and that having experienced a skid recently he would like to come back and do the course himself".  James also expressed that the 4x4  "was outside his normal comfort zone and was a totally new driving experience for him"

The idea for the invite was initiated by Visit England and the fantastic team at Destination Bristol - they inform us of lots of brilliant ways to promote our business within the tourism markets.    We have been working with them for over 25 years and even though we are not in the middle of Bristol they do as much for us as anyone in the great City of Bristol. 

For more details of  Skid Control, Karting and 4x4 Off Road Driving experiences please call our Team of experts on 01249 783010. 

All photographs taken by Diane Vose for Gazette & Herald

@wiltsgazette    www.gazetteandherald.co.uk

BUSINESS TO BUSINESS SHOW

Drive-Tech attended the very busy and popular Swindon Business Show last week.    We were helped by Anita Jaynes and the very friendly people at Swindon Business News who put all our lovely winter driving leaflets in their goody bags and let us display our fancy banner in the reception area. http://www.businessshowswindon.co.uk/

We were also the prize on their busy little stand and Debbie Smith, Director of Helix Public Relations was the lucky winner – Congratulations Debbie, we really hope you enjoy your skid session with us.

The show was extremely well attended and we also got to have a quick look at the Steam Museum at the same time!   It was a great networking event and we met lots of lovely people from all the local hotels in the area including the Campanile Hotel Group based on the Delta Business Park, Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel in Tortworth and the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.    It was also nice to catch up with Planet Pursuits the event organisers.

Hopefully we can catch up with everyone again, but this time in Bristol at the Brunel’s Old Station on the 20^th March at the next Show. http://www.rabbitevents.co/ 

The Winters in the UK are now so unpredictable and coming earlier and earlier it is even more imperative that you get some Winter driver training in with Drive-Tech Limited at Castle Combe.   

The skid pan is the perfect environment to learn how to control your car in icy wintry conditions on our specially prepared 'wet pan' we mimic the conditions you might come across out on the road.     We supply the vehicles which are front and rear wheel drive to enable you to experience both types of vehicle handling, together with both ABS and cadence braking exercises.     All you need is a full driving licence to take part.

Our courses are run mostly at weekends, but also every 1st and 3rd Friday.  You can either book onto a specific date or have an open-dated gift voucher which is valid for 18 months.    The course is suitable for young drivers as well as more experience drivers.    The course is just £95 for the standard, but if you would like to learn just that little bit more in a smaller group you might like to perhaps take part in one of our Intensive Courses.

The Daily Mail article today details the early prediction made by the Met Office saying it might be as early as October - and we all thought that last year's November snow falls were early enough!    Don't forget it might not even be the snow and ice that catches us out, even heavy rain can cause slippery surfaces on roads.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2039418/UK-weather-Snow-forecast-parts-Britain-early-October.html

Make sure you don't get caught out this Winter and book onto a skid pan course - for more information call our expert team on 01249 783010.

This is a fond farewell to our lovely skid pan instructor Ady Farrell - he is off to pastures very far away in Eagles Nest, USA to be with his fiancee Mel and a life of fishing and generally enjoying himself!    Ady has been with us for such a long time we have all forgotten when he started, but he has been such an excellent member of our team that he will be sorely missed by us, the rest of the instructors and all of our lovely customers.    He joined us after retiring from  being a Wiltshire PC for his sins and he not only specialised in skid training, but also 4x4 off-road driving.  But the call of the 'wilds' is too strong and he is now off to the States to get married and start his new life.  

We would like to take this opportunity of thanking Adrian for all his help and diligence to the job - he is such a team player and we wish him all the best for whatever comes his way in the future.    Hopefully one day he will be back to visit - if we have not all joined him in the meantime (we wish!).  

All the staff at Drive-Tech x

The Norland College of Nannies came and did their end of year skid control training with us in June 2011.  They have been coming to us for over 6 years and we believe they find the training invaluable for their future employment skills.  

The nannies take over the skid pan course for two whole days to learn the skills of front and rear wheel drive skid control, together with ABS and cadence braking exercises.   We always make it great fun and competitive with the time trial at the end to find the fastest nanny of the event!   

They tweeted "Wow! Hands still shaking from great Skid Pan course with our students. Crucial life saving skills every nanny should possess".