The Ages of Man A 'C' VIEW

Some wise sage once informed us that life only delivers three certainties

Birth – Death – Taxes

Several government ministers, especially since 2010, seem to have streamlined this theory and found new and interesting ways to omit one of them.

Aristotle theorised that there were indeed four ages of man and over the years philosophers ruminated over this and attempted to quantify and qualify them.

Many mystics, theologians and even scientists believe there is something magical about the number seven, hence “Seven deadly sins, seven virtues, seven colours of the rainbow, seven notes on a scale, seven wonders of the world...” the list goes on.

Little wonder then that Shakespeare in “As You Like It” eventually came up with the “Seven Ages of Man” and this seems to be the one we have adopted.

Why then....despite hundreds of years of academia and meditation has the most important rite of passage been missed.? I refer, obviously, to “passing your driving test”. Leaving it out is like inventing football but forgetting to include goals. Totally ridiculous and “shame on you” Shakespeare!

I only know one person for whom “passing the driving test “ hasn’t been important, He used to write a column in this magazine and, to be honest, he’s a bit strange in other ways too...

I passed my driving test in 1974 and was lucky enough to buy a Mini Cooper for my first car. It was red with a black roof and pretty much immaculate. Not for long...

A genius named Mick...embarrassingly I’ve forgotten his surname just for now (was it Wood?)..had a body and paint shop on the old Alfreton Colliery site. He took my car in hand. Soon it had integrated flared wheel arches, wider “Rostyle” rims on spacers and was sporting metallic racing green paint.

Obviously buying and modifying the car came at considerable contemporary expense leaving little or nothing for the optional extras like car tax, insurance or MOT. They would have to wait their turn.

Back in the 1970s nothing widened your horizons like passing your driving test. Nothing gave you the freedom, the hope, the “joie de vivre” in the same way. Is it the same for today’s generation, consumed as they are by social media, tik tok and virtual reality?

We had “real reality” and the curiosity to go out and explore it. We knew there was a world waiting to be discovered, exploited and enjoyed. In truth we never got much further than The Anchor at Oakerthorpe... but what did the truth matter? We could go anywhere and conquer anything

Passing the driving test. “Va Va Voom” as Thierry would say.

I would love to hear from you, so please drop me an email on jacoyle213@outlook.com