I'm
the one on the left. The young lady is my wonderful
cousin Helen, who lives and works in London. She is a "head
hunter" specialising in executives for international corporations.About the author. . .
I'm
the one on the left. The young lady is my wonderful
cousin Helen, who lives and works in London. She is a "head
hunter" specialising in executives for international corporations.
This is the last good picture of me, taken at a pub in London not so very long ago. I made the mistake of shaving off my beard, and every photo since has made me wince. I suppose I should grow it back again, but so far vanity prevails. . . as you can see, it is much too grey! Once the rest of my hair (such as I have) is grey that may be the time to do it.
I have a long history in driving safety education. For 30 years I was with the Research Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, where I helped research transportation and safety issues. In addition to my technical duties, I wrote many film scripts on seat belts, fuel conservation, and winter driving. Various films won various awards, and one, "Dice In A Box", played in theatres across Canada - often to better reviews than the feature!
I owe my understanding of driving primarily to John Powell, a most analytical and innovative advanced driving instructor based at Mosport Circuit in southern Ontario. There is hardly a famous name in motor racing who hasn't taken training from John. (Visit the Powell Motorsport website for more information).
I owe the idea for the book to
dear friend Moira Sneddon (left), from Scotland. During one of
the many long nights of driving a van across Canada, we were discussing
how demanding it was for North Americans to drive in Britain.
We step off a plane at Heathrow, groggy after losing a night's sleep, and then jump into an unfamiliar rental car to face some of the most hectic traffic in the world, following a set of rules only dimly understood if at all, and on the wrong side of the road besides.
"Well," she said, "You're a writer. . . why don't you do something about it?" Why not, indeed!
I thought it would be a pamphlet, but it turned into a book because there was a lot to cover.
The photo above right, showing me beardless, was taken at Crinan. The water is the Sound of Jura. The car is a very hot Ford Escort, alas, not mine to keep.
...Rob Lockhart
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