In the RED driving seat: Stuart Walker

Today, we are launching our new blog feature: in the RED driving seat.

Each month, we will be grilling our driving instructors from across the UK to see what makes them tick.

First to answer our questions is Stuart Walker, Instructor Training Development Manager.

• In your opinion, what is the most difficult element of the practical driving test?

There’s a saying that the only difficult questions are the ones you don’t know the answer to. So the most difficult element of the test will be anything you have not prepared for fully. If you’ve had plenty of practise at doing everything properly and without having to rely on your instructor to help you, the only really difficult element for many people is coping with test nerves.

• If money was no object, what make and model of car would you choose to drive?

If money was no object, I would employ someone to drive me. Other than that a 1968 390 V8 Ford Mustang (the car in the film Bullitt).

• What is your favourite aspect of your job?

Being able to develop a skill that will last someone a life-time.

• If you were hosting a dinner party, which three guests, dead or alive, would you invite and why?

I’m not sure I could invite any dead guests, it’s a bit unfair on the living ones. On the plus side they don’t eat much, but they’re not very good conversationalists. Definitely on the living guest list would be Professor Brian Cox. He has a fantastic way of explaining the most complex theories in the simplest of terms. Robson Green would be on there too, just so we could become pals and go extreme fishing afterwards and the comedian Milton Jones.

• What do you like to do in your spare time?

The usual things like DIY, gardening and shooting people on the Xbox. But, I like to think of that more as satisfying my competitiveness in a safe environment rather than out on the road…. Although I have sometimes wished I was driving a tank when some numpty pulls out on front of the learner, just because they see the L plates.