Hi,

Someone mentioned to me that there is an old air field in/near Norton (?) that you can pay to use to practice on. Is this true? If so where is it?!

Or...

Does anyone know where else I could go and practice that is nice and quiet?

Claire x

I Learned to drive on tankersley golf clubs practise range.
I just need to improve my putting skills now

Base Green is popular with people blocking the road doing their U turns!

Originally posted by claiireee
Hi,

Someone mentioned to me that there is an old air field in/near Norton (?) that you can pay to use to practice on. Is this true? If so where is it?!

Or...

Does anyone know where else I could go and practice that is nice and quiet?

Claire x

Thats is true.

Best way to get there is to describe it from the manor. Go from manor top and head towards Herdings following the tram tracks. The tram turns off just before norton areodrome keep going and turn left at the roundabout and then left onto the site.

Not sure how much it is I think its a fiver for three hours not sure but its not expensive. Went there when I was just about to learn to show my brother my skills before he let me drive his car.

The only things to look out for is you can drive on there from the age of 12 (with a adult) and becuase its private land your insurance is invalid. Some of the drivers are worse than the qualified ones on the real roads so don't know which is more dangerous.

The good thing is you have roundabout, juntions, "counrty roads", places to do your manoveres.

On the whole its a good place, but doesn't beat the real road for proper practice.

Originally posted by unners
Base Green is popular with people blocking the road doing their U turns!

Well they won't be learners becuase you don't do U turns as part of your lessons as they are dangerous

Originally posted by claiireee
Is this true? If so where is it?!


It is true. It is not necessarily the best of places, but it is true.

Go South along Ridgeway Road. Past Gleadless Town End onto Norton Avenue. At the next roundabout it is immediately on your left. (first left off the roundabout and then first left again)

Here (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=437250&y=382750&z=1&sv=437250,382750&st=4&ar=N&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf) is a bit of a map. Not that clear, but the roundabout in question is at the junction of Norton Avenue/Bochum Parkway (ring road), and Lightwood Lane.

Originally posted by jubby
Well they won't be learners becuase you don't do U turns as part of your lessons as they are dangerous

Oops you got me there,i ment 3 point turns!

Originally posted by jubby
Well they won't be learners becuase you don't do U turns as part of your lessons as they are dangerous

I think Taxi drivers are taught that as part of their training programme!

Originally posted by unners
Oops you got me there,i ment 3 point turns!

And where do suggest they learn this manovure which is auctual called a turn in the road haven't any such thing as a three point turn for over 5 years.

Originally posted by unners
Oops you got me there,i ment 3 point turns!

And where do suggest they learn this manovure which is auctual called a turn in the road haven't any such thing as a three point turn for over 5 years.

they only take a minute or two to complete. Unless someone is right near them revving and making them nervous. Be patient every legal driver on our roads once had to frive with the little red L's on as well so please try to remember back to then.

Originally posted by jubby
And where do suggest they learn this manovure which is auctual called a turn in the road haven't any such thing as a three point turn for over 5 years.

Calm down my dear it's only a joke.
Well it was a 3 point turn when i did my test 10 years ago.I wasnt to know they had rebranded it.

I think they re-branded it because you don't actually have to do it within 'three points', just a suitable amount for the road size, although I think they normally make you do them on a three point-sized road.

Originally posted by unners
Calm down my dear it's only a joke.
Well it was a 3 point turn when i did my test 10 years ago.I wasnt to know they had rebranded it.

Sorry did mean to have a go I just hate it when idiots come right up to you and honk, etc. Or hug your bumbper when doing the speed limit becuase its not fast enough. What they don't relise is when the learner brakes late becuase after they are still learning they will end up rearending learner and their insurance will have to pay out (if they are insured) becuase its their fault for being to close.

Its now called a turn in the road becuase you can do it now in more than 3 moves. You have to turn the car using as little number of turns as possible while not touching the kerbs.

One of the problems learners have with a lot of speed restictions humps etc, a lot of the quiet roads they normally use are now being used as rat runs, so are busier and the people shooting down the road didn't want to be held up by a couple of road humps so are really annoyed that a learner is holding them up

Originally posted by jubby
And where do suggest they learn this manovure which is auctual called a turn in the road haven't any such thing as a three point turn for over 5 years.

No I've been asked to do them on a road where it is impossible to do it in three points and in the old days the instucter wouldn't have asked someone to do a 3 pointer on that road

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jubby
[B]Sorry did mean to have a go I just hate it when idiots come right up to you and honk, etc. Or hug your bumbper when doing the speed limit becuase its not fast enough.

I presume you mean 'did not'. I also hate it when someone comes right up to your back end,what i do is slam the brakes on and they tend to get the message then and back off.Then i slow down to really annoy them!

Originally posted by unners
[QUOTE]Originally posted by jubby
[B]Sorry did mean to have a go I just hate it when idiots come right up to you and honk, etc. Or hug your bumbper when doing the speed limit becuase its not fast enough.

I presume you mean 'did not'. I also hate it when someone comes right up to your back end,what i do is slam the brakes on and they tend to get the message then and back off.Then i slow down to really annoy them!

Yes that's right i did mean did not had my 13 mth son "helping" me type at the time :suspect:

All I do is keep driving at the safe speed for that part of the road. If's it safe to do the speed limit then that's what I do if not I slow down.

Was on chesterfield by pass on sunday and I overtook a Jag the look on his face my wife told me was a picture, as I don't think he relised learners are allowed in the right hand lane....

Be CAREFUL though!


If you are not legally insured for off-road driving and you have an accident you are in trouble.

The place at Norton is rubbish anyway, get insured as a learner on your parents car and go driving with your mum or dad. Much better!

Best place I found when teaching my missus was down Loxley, as you drive towards Dam flask res' you'll go down a hill and there is a fishing farm on the left, turn down there and there is an old dis-used factory grounds and hardly anyone ever goes there so the risk of embaressment is slim as well....

Although, I must add i'm not sure that it's still as good a place as it was cos there were contractors arriving down there before we finished...

They have a Skid Pan at lightwood, it is just a shame it has been left to get in a state.

It could be very profitable.

I can't go with my parents, that's the problem. Unless I want to pay to get to Newcastle for an hours practice!

I finally managed to get to Norton after about 10 lessons and found that it wasn't really helpful, it's more ideal for people who are just beginning to drive, although I practised some reversing on there.

It's £5 for an hour, but there's nothing stopping you staying on longer.

However, the roads are in a terrible state and there's branches from the trees poking out everywhere (I managed to get scratches all down my grandad's car *oops*).