Imagine my parents surprise when they found out after 10 years of funding private education for their 1st born son, I managed to fail spectacularly at my O'levels, I took 12 O'levels and 5 CSE's and didn't get a grade C or above in the “O's” and managed a grade 1 CSE in Geography (in old money that's equivalent to a C at O'level. You could say I have never recovered from the shock but my parents hid their disappointment well and focused on what I had learned to do at school – skin a rabbit, hit a 10p piece from ¼ mile with a 303 and I could read a map....very well.
Well you can imagine my excitement at receiving a TomTom SatNav system as my leaving present from work, digital maps I was in heaven, I am going to be driving all over Europe for 7 weeks and wouldn't have to look at a map whilst cruising on the German autobahn at 120mph.
I got to Calais, typed in Barbara's home address and it showed me a thumbnail of the route and said it would take 4.5 hours, and I just set off and drove and did what I was told by the anodyne female voice (I have heard you can download celebrity voices – think I'll find myself a sultry female Scouser for my trip back to the UK, on second thoughts she might nick my wheels!.)
Anyway the SatNav got me to Babsi's front door without a hitch, but the unnerving thing was I had no idea where I was going, rather than memorizing the route, Lille, Brugges, Eindhoven, Dortmund – I had no idea where I was heading, you just have to trust the voice, so for someone that believes they are good map reader and and have a good sense of direction – relinquishing control to the little box stuck to my windscreen doesn't fit well with me. I have now done over 1500 miles in a week and haven't taken a wrong turn. It has also saved my bacon on a few speed traps.
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