As such, a petition to make the DVLA’s driving theory test include compulsory questions about motorcyclists has been launched, with the aim of making drivers more aware of bikers, and reducing the numbers of accidents on the road.  At present, prospective drivers can pass the test without answering a single question relating to motorbikes and bikers.

Hannah Squirrell, director of marketing at bike insurance specialist Bennetts, which launched the petition,  said: “With questions currently selected at random, there is no guarantee that a question relating to motorcyclists will arise in the current driving test format, so our petition is set to challenge that. With the casualty rate of motorcyclists currently a staggering 61 times greater than that of motorists something must be done to increase awareness of bikers on our roads.”

The petition has been approved by the government at least 100,000 signatures in order to have this raised in the House of Commons for debate. If you’re a motorcyclist who cares about their own safety and that of your fellow riders, then you should think about adding your name to the list.

First things first…

It sounds obvious, but sort out a moving date. This may well involve some back-and-forth between estate agents, but once all parties have agreed a day when keys can be exchanged, you can get cracking with everything else.

One month to go

- Moving house is a great reason to bin the excess baggage, so before you even start thinking about packing, have a good sort through drawers, cupboards, shelves – everywhere – and get rid of unwanted junk (don’t forget the loft and garage). Items of value can go on eBay, other stuff on Gumtree or Freecycle, or simply to a charity shop if you’re short on time. Sound like too much hassle? Call in a professional ‘clutterologist’ from the Clutter Clinic or Working Order.

- Check your contracts with service providers for things like TV and Internet. Many will require 30 days notice of cancellation or change of address.

-If you’re planning on hiring a removal company, now’s the time to get the ball rolling. Get at least three quotes, preferably from companies recommended by friends, and take the time to ascertain smaller details. Do you want someone to help with packing as well? Are packing materials included? How many people will the company send? Do they have customer testimonials? Finalise your booking as soon as possible, especially if you’re moving at peak times like the weekend.

Three weeks to go

Absolutely Vantastic
If you’re flying solo on the day, now’s the time to book a van. There are hundreds of hire companies online, all promising low prices and great deals, so make sure you consider the following:

-Pick-up and drop-off points vary and your choice will affect the overall quote. If you’re returning the van to a different depot the quote is likely to be higher.

-Van hire is almost always more expensive at the weekend. If you can move midweek, you’re likely to make a decent saving.

-Make sure you know the status of your possessions while in transit. Some van hire companies may offer cover for your items, and it’s certainly worth considering.

-It’s always worth booking the van for longer than you anticipate needing it, just in case things go awry.

-Regardless of whether you’re hiring a van or using a removals company, consider space and parking at your new house. Will you need a permit, or will you need to contact the council to arrange special conditions?

The incredible bulk
If you’re taking connected appliances like washing machines, cookers or dishwashers with you, will you be able to disconnect them yourself? If not, book a specialist to do the job a couple of days before you move. Ditto having them re-installed at your new house.

Take the measurements of big items of furniture and doorframes. Will your furniture physically fit out of your old house and into your new one? If not, make preparations to dismantle it as best you can or to inform your removal crew of the issue.

You can also use these measurements to make rough plans regarding furniture placement in your new house. Having an idea of where bulky items will go will help get them out of the way on the big day.

VITAL ADDRESS CHANGING STUFF
One of the most soul-destroying aspects of moving is informing people of your new address, and unfortunately your credit card company will probably miss your Facebook announcement. Banks, utility companies, insurance providers, employers, schools, doctors… they all need to know. There are plenty of comprehensive checklists online, which will help ensure you cover everyone, so set aside an evening to plough through the job (note: electricity and gas companies can be informed on the day, when you do final/new meter readings). If it seems like too daunting a task, services like iammoving.com lets you notify over 1,500 organisations of your change of address, for free.

Also, think about setting up a mail re-direct service with the Post Office to make sure any mail addressed to you finds its way to your new house.

Two weeks to go

If you’ve got kids or pets, make arrangements now to ship them off during the big day. Book cats and dogs into a cattery or kennel if necessary.

If you’re doing the packing yourself, now’s the time to take a deep breath and dive in. If you’ve had a good de-clutter you’ll be in a much better position to get this done efficiently as you’ll have an up-to-date knowledge of where everything is. Some things to consider when you begin packing:

- Things like books, DVDs, pictures and decorative ornaments should go first, since they’re non-essential items.

- Tempting as it is to lob anything and everything into the nearest box, colour-coding them or at least marking them ‘kitchen’, ‘bathroom’ and so on will make life at the other end considerably easier. Keep packing boxes in every room of the house and try to keep items in order.

- Still, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, so keep a couple of boxes on standby for the inevitable last-minute blitz, regardless of the items’ designated room.

- Keep a ‘last in, first out’ box in a prominent place and make sure you know exactly where it is during transit. Use this box for first-night essentials such as the kettle, bed linen, toiletries, medicine, a change of clothes, and so on.

One week to go

- Assemble an information pack for your old property’s new tenants or owners. Include things like the boiler information manual, guides for appliances, codes for alarms, leaflets about rubbish collections and so on. If you can, try to talk to the owners of your new place, too. They’ll be able to advise on things like bin days, creaky stairs or tricky door latches.

- If you’re able to gain access to your new house prior to moving day, consider getting a cleaner in to give the place a thorough once-over, or to at least give the carpets a good clean. It’s much easier to clean an empty house than one full of boxes.

On the day

- Moving house is physically and emotionally demanding. Try to make sure you’ve had a good night’s kip and are well fed before you start.

- As you leave your old place, take final meter readings, check every room for forgotten items and put the last of the rubbish out. If you’re leaving a fridge/freezer, ensure it’s empty, unplugged and surrounded by drying towels to catch the water run-off.

- When you get to your new place, take new meter readings and make sure the property is as you’d expected it. If furniture was agreed on, or any fixtures and fittings, make sure everything’s in order. If not, now’s the time to speak to the estate agent.

After you’ve moved

- Introduce yourself to the neighbours. Making yourself known to them is not only a nice thing to do but is also a prudent safety measure, because…

- Statistics show you’re more likely to be a victim of burglary during the first year of residence in a new property than in subsequent years, so you might like to think about having a safety assessment done on your new pad. Or, at the very least, consider having the locks changed.

- Moving house is tiring and by now you’ll be more than fed up with the whole process, but make sure boxes are unpacked as soon as possible, otherwise they’re liable to be shunted into a corner and left there forever more.

Congratulations! You survived the moving process and can now spend your free time trawling around DIY stores making interior decoration plans…

Well, we’re not so certain. You’re bound to know one or two people who adhere to their ‘astrological stereotypes’ – we know we do.

With the European Court of Justice’s much-trumpeted gender ruling is set to come into force next year, car insurance companies will have to start using other things to calculate the price of an annual policy – could astrological signs be used instead? Well, probably not. The likelihood of companies using a person’s astrological sign as a way of calculating what you pay for your car insurance is about as likely to happen as Richard Keyes and Andy Gray being invited as guests of honour to the Feminist and Women’s Studies Association’s annual gala lunch. But we thought it might be a bit of fun to have a look if there was any correlation between a person’s astrological sign’s ‘characteristic traits’ and how they behave on the road anyway.

We duly fired up the Gocompare News patented steam-powered Statistical Data Combobulator device, and had a look at the results based on quotes drivers have run on this esteemed website since the start of 2012. It makes for some enlightening reading…

Anyhow, here’s what we found out. We’ve even put together some pretty and informative ‘graphical aid’ to help you make sense of our figures…

YES! Astrological signs correlate with motoring behaviour

- GEMINIS have a higher average rate of speed convictions than any other sign. According to top astrological organ zodiac-signs-astrology.com, “a Gemini will not be pinned down by anyone or any rules,” which may go some way to explaining how these sorts of drivers are more ready to thumb their nose at traffic legislation.

- Meanwhile CAPRICORNS have -5.2 per cent lower conviction rate for speeding than average. According to the experts, Capricorns “evaluate everything and they don’t take daring chances without weighing the advantages and disadvantages first.” Can it be a coincidence that cautious Capricorns also have the lowest rate of car insurance claims too?

- Libra, a sign associated with ‘balance’ and ‘harmony’ has consistently close to the average of both claims and convictions. Like, cosmic. Man.

NO! It has none whatsoever

- Virgos are meant to have an ‘observant, precise’ character. Well, this doesn’t exactly stack up with our findings, which found Virgo to be the sign which had the most convictions for offences like jumping lights and going the wrong way down one way streets.

- Aquarians have the second-lowest rate of convictions and claims, despite them having a reputation for not being fond of rules.

CONCLUSIONS – sort of

If you had a long-held belief in astrology, then these findings will probably give you a bit of validation. But likewise, they’re equally likely to give you a bit of ammunition to say it’s a load of old hokum. Put it this way – we don’t think that the insurance industry will be consulting astrological charts in order to calculate your premium in a hurry. Now, let’s all have a look at this nice infographic, shall we?

Our inbox was creaking under the volume of enquires, and Joe has replied to as many as he can. We’ll be publishing another batch of questions the same time next week.

Hi Joe,
We have recently adopted a pair of two-year old Staffie brothers (Jiffy and Toby) from rescue home and they keep eating grass. They are being fed a natural allegedly nutritionally balanced dry food and only have dog treats such as gravy bones – no human food. Is this normal? Our previous staffies have occasionally eaten grass but not as much as these.

Thanks,
Jaki S

Joe says…
Grass eating is a very common phenomenon and to be completely honest no-one really knows for sure why dogs do it. Some people think that it’s a response to a dietary problem causing a nutritional deficiency, others link it to dogs suffering from nausea or intestinal pain, and some believe that it’s more of a behavioural issue. Personally I think there is likely to be some truth in all of these theories, but the main issue is almost certainly behavioural and grass eating is generally a habit linked to stress or some other factor. I suspect that in this case it could be a reaction to the upheaval associated with being re-homed so you may well find they eat less grass as they settle down, however it is probably also worth trying a different food and seeing if that helps as well. Whatever the ultimate cause I wouldn’t worry too much as it’s very unlikely to cause any long term issues for them.

Dear Joe,
I have a five year old Springer spaniel with a habit – namely , he loves chasing shadows and barking if sun is out. I can stop him by throwing a Frisbee/toy etc but as soon as I stop he starts chasing shadows and barking again! If it is cloudy he does ‘normal’ stuff like running, chasing, sniffing in the woods and so forth, but not barking.
To sum it up it’s like having two dogs. Any suggestions about the shadow chasing and barking issue as we thought he might grow out of it but obviously hasn’t. He is really noisy when he does it.
Karen

Joe says….
Shadow chasing and other ‘OCD’ like behaviours are quite common in dogs, particularly so in hyperactive breeds such as spaniels and collie which tend to be almost hard-wired for this kind of excitable behaviour. It can be a hard problem to resolve but there are some things you can do to try and reduce these behaviours. The best approach is to try to distract him whenever he’s about to start one of these behaviours – use food, or a toy or anything that will get and hold his attention. You can also use clicker training to teach him a command such as sit or lie down and then use this command to distract him from the hyperactive behaviour.

Hello Joe,
I have a puppy with white colouring. Is she more prone to skin conditions?
Joanne O’Carroll

Joe says…
Yes – dogs and cats are protected from UV radiation by the pigment in their skin, just like people are, although pets also have the benefit of fur of course. As with people, those with lighter or white un-pigmented skin are at more risk of skin conditions linked to the sun and solar radiation. The main danger from sun is in the areas of the body not covered in fur such as the ear tips and nose, and it is a good idea to protect these areas with a specific pet sunscreen in the summer. The potential consequences of not protecting your pet can be very serious as skin cancer can be life threatening to pets just as it can be to people. In fact in some countries like Australia stray cats with white ears routinely have their ear tips surgically removed when they are neutered to prevent them becoming cancerous later in life.

Hi Joe,
We have a moggie, Badger, who despite us using Advocate de-flea treatment every month on him comes in almost daily with fleas on his ears. The only thing I find to get rid of them is frontline spray which I rub on his ears wearing gloves. What else can we do? I have also completely sprayed and washed all his bedding.
He is a hunter catching lots of creatures, particularly baby rabbits at the moment. He is also wormed with Milbemax.
Thankyou,
Rosemary Comerford, on behalf of Badger (One year, six months old)

Joe says…
Some cats seem to be particularly attractive to fleas and if they are exposing themselves to lots by hunting then they can be quite frequently affected like this. Advocate should be sufficient to protect Badger but the ears are likely to be the least well protected as the active components of most spot on flea preparations travel in the fat under the skin and there is obviously less of this in the ears than elsewhere on the body. With this in mind I would recommend switching from a spot on like Advocat to a spray like Frontline as this attaches to the fur itself and therefore can protect all areas of the body more thoroughly.

That’s the findings from building society Prudential, who quizzed 2,000 people on their eating habits and found out that one in five (about 22 per cent, actually) planned on eating less healthily because of the high cost of everyday life, with the Department of Health’s recommended five-a-day of fruit and vegetables ‘unachievable’ because of high prices.

The research showed that two thirds of people thought healthier foods tend to be more expensive, while one in six buying as much as they can that is ‘reduced to clear’ aisle and one in ten (11 per cent) only buying foods that are on special offer. One in ten parents even said they were skipping meals so their children eat well.

Well, we say that’s hogwash. Eating well doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune. In fact, using seasonal vegetables which are in abundance and inexpensive cuts of meat which need long and slow cooking to bring the best out of them can yield incredibly tasty results. Don’t believe us? Here’s a few rip-roaring recipe tips and ideas…

Return of the mackerel

Forget about those stinky tins of stuff in tomato sauce that your gran used to like – mackerel is a totally underrated fish which is chock-full of essential oils, and it tastes particularly awesome on the barbecue. Best of all, it’s a doddle to cook and really cheap. Simply get your fishmonger to gut it (and remove the head if you don’t like your food to eyeball you while you eat it) and you’re ready to go.

Give it a bit of seasoning like salt and pepper, place a few slices of lemon or lime in the fish and wrap with foil. Then, place in a pre-heated oven (or on the barbecue) on 200 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes or until the mackerel is cooked through.

Serve with potato salad and dressed leaves for a perfect (and cheap) summer evening treat. Watch out for bones – if you don’t fancy picking through your fish, just get your fishmonger to fillet the mackerel for you, and then pan fry it for a few minutes each side.

Market value

Pay a trip to your local market or greengrocer for fresh fruits and veg. They may well be able to offer better deals than supermarkets, particularly at the end of the day…

Neglected cuts

You might think twice about eating an animal’s tail or cheek, but these are some of the tastiest cuts. You’ve just got to know how to cook them properly – long and slow is usually the best way to go about it, with plenty of sauce so it doesn’t dry out. You can use a casserole dish, or even better, spend about £20 on an energy-effiicient slow cooker which you can leave on all day without worrying about.

Here are some of our favourites, but don’t be afraid to ask your local butcher what neglected cuts he’s got.

Turkey legs and breast
We’re not talking gobbledegook – turkey isn’t just for Christmas, it’s a cheap and tasty year round staple, if you cook it properly.

Available for just under £2 from some supermarkets, turkey legs have loads of rich dark meat on them, and one can easily feed a family of four. They also wouldn’t look out of place on Fred Flintstone’s table. Great for recipes like aromatic tagines. Menawhile turkey breast is nearly as cheap, and really cost-effective alternative to pricey chicken breast.

Neck of lamb
Just throw in your casserole dish with chopped leeks, potatoes, herbs, carrots, parsnips and whatever else you fancy and some stock for a delicious lamb hot pot. Ideal with a bit of crusty bread.

Oxtail
Fantastic in rich, tangy stews.

Pork cheek/Ox cheek
Time to ‘face up’ to these ridiculously tasty and cheap cuts. Make sure they’re well browned first and then cook them long and slow in plenty of sauce. Ridiculously delicious.

The root of healthy eating

Reckon cheap root vegetables like carrots and beetroot are boring? You’ve got it all wrong. Try roasting them and you’ll soon see what we’re talking about.

Beetroots
Try roasting them in a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and rosmary. Fantastic for a warm salad.

Carrots
Roast your carrots with some cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, olive oil and the juice of an orange for a flavour explosion.

Got any other cheap, nutritious and easy ideas for food? Email the editor with your suggestions and you could win a prized Gocompare.com stationery set and an autographed picture of Gio Compario, star of our award winning* ad campaign. (Promoter: Gocomapre.com Ltd)

*Marketing magazine’s ‘Most Irritating Advert’ 2009/2010

Whiplash, that notoriously difficult-to-diagnose (but highly lucrative) personal injury, is a real pain in the neck for the insurance industry. Its thought that it adds about £90 to everybody’s policy every year. In fact, Britain has such a high incidence of claims related to this sort of malady, that it’s been branded ‘The Whiplash Capital of Europe’ – we’re already the ‘The Binge Drinking Capital of Europe’ and ‘The Obesity Capital of Europe’. Shouldn’t we leave some accolades for the rest of the continent?

So, it came to pass this week that ‘the industry’s’ big swinging Dicks descended on Westminster to discuss what on earth should be done about all this sort of thing, at a ‘summit’ held by justice secretary, real ale enthusiast and jazz connoisseur Ken Clarke.

With the amount of accidents down in recent years and the amount of whiplash claims up, it seems that something should be sorted out. Anecdotal evidence (heard down the pub) suggests that most whiplash diagnoses are rudimentary at best, so plans have been ‘mooted’ to bring Britain’s procedures into line with that of Germany, where independent checks carried out by other doctors to ascertain whether the claim is for real, and having minimum threshold of 9mph for any claim to take place.

It all sounds good to us, but the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers – whose members would stand to lose a fair bit should the reforms came in – don’t agree. Karl Tonks, the body’s president chimed back: ‘Whiplash injuries are real, they can be long term, and must not be trivialised. Before it announces a raft of propositions which risk barring genuinely injured people from bringing legitimate claims, the Government must have a wider debate about the real issues, and it must also hold the insurance industry to account.”

“I’m really concerned that in all the latest populist rhetoric about whiplash claims, everyone is being tarred with the same brush,” he continued.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We have fewer crashes than all of Europe but more claims. We either have weaker necks — or there’s more fraud.”

Phil Bird of the AA on the aforementioned whiplash hoo-ha.

ROCKET MAN

This year, the world’s eyes will be on Britain for a momentous occasion which will bring together dedicated individuals from around the globe to compete for the biggest prize of all – no, it’s not the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling competition, or the World Gurning Championships at Ergremont Crab Fair – it’s some do called The Olympics, and it’s being held in London in a few months time, apparently.

To make sure that the capital will be as safe as possible, sophisticated missile defence systems will be placed on top of blocks of flats and commercial buildings throughout the city.

While this all actually sounds pretty cool, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there might be some insurance implications when there are a few tonnes of ballistic equipment perched on top of your home or workplace. We rang Malcolm Tarling at the Association of British Insurers to get the lowdown. “If you’re concerned about this, then talk to your landlord and they will confirm with insurers what the arrangements are,” advises Malcolm.

That’s that cleared up then.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Royal Bank of Scotland has said that its mostly paid off all of that £163bn we found down the back of the sofa to keep it afloat a few years ago.

Justine Greening, the transport secretary has ‘thrown her weight’ behind telematics car insurance.

Victims of PPI missellingare missing out on money to the tune of £80m because of using claim companies rather than doing it themselves, according to Thisismoney.com

Ofgem, the energy sector watchdog, paid out more than £1m in bonuses to staff during 2010 and 2011. Robert Oxley, campaign manager of the TaxPayers’ Alliance tutted: “It’s outrageous that so many staff are doing so well out of complicated and ineffective policies.

ON GOCOMPARE.COM NEWS THIS WEEK

Kristian Dando, the most unlikely motorcyclist since Clarissa Dickinson Wright, told us all how he got on with his compulsory basic training. He didn’t fall off, but got a bit upset.

Apparently, it’ll cost well over £4,000 for the average England fan to get to the Euro 2012 final in Kiev, should the England football team not conspire to limp out at the group stage.

AND FINALLY…

Full marks to this regular reader of The Money Shot, who submitted this screenshot of him telling a PPI claimback firm where to go in no uncertain terms.

What’s more impressive is how the company registered his objections, and has ceased contacting him. Proof, if it was ever needed, that it pays to never mince your words.

Join us for another thrilling instalment of THE MONEY SHOT. In the meantime, why not email the editor with your letters. If we print them, you could receive a prized Gocompare.com stationery set and an autographed picture of Gio Compario, star of our award winning* ad campaign. Three are up for grabs every week. (Promoter: Gocomapre.com Ltd)

*Marketing magazine’s ‘Most Irritating Advert’ 2009/2010

Expectations are at an all-time low. This might be a good thing, because Virgin Money have handily calculated the price of getting to the final for your average fan, and it’s not cheap. In fact, fans will need to spend about £4,400 to get to the final in Kiev in June, going on the costs on a three-night hotel stay, travel, food and drink, tickets and a new replica shirt for the tournament. That’s around one sixtieth of Wayne Rooney’s £250,000 weekly wage packet at Manchester United.

Getting through all three Group D games against France, Sweden and the Ukraine will cost England fans around £2,122, with the opening match against France in Donetsk costing around £819. That’s a lot of money to endure the eye-bleeding, hit-and-hope fayre usually served up by ‘JT,’ ‘Stevie G’ and the boys, not to mention having to listen to the England Band parp out the music from ‘The Great Escape’ on their ruddy trumpets for 90 minutes.

In fact, there’s been a dismal take-up of tickets so far. Early reports suggest only around 6,000 of the 30,000 tickets available to England fans have been sold, with governing body UEFA warning about profiteering in Ukraine and potentially empty venues.

Simon Hall, spokesman for Virgin Money, said: “Some fans might say that seeing England lift the Euro 2012 trophy would be priceless. But the costs will certainly mount up if – against the odds – England do make the final. To keep costs down, fans need to make sure they aim to get the best deals possible. A first Euro Championship win for England will last forever, but you don’t want the debts to last forever as well.”

It’s just as well that England will do their customary thing and limp out at the quarter finals then, isn’t it?

HOW MUCH THE AVERAGE SUPPORTER WOULD PAY IF THEIR TEAM GOT TO THE EURO 2012 FINAL

Poland £3,742
Netherlands £3,925
Greece £3,932
Ukraine £3,943
Russia £3,956
Denmark £4,056
Portugal £4,151
France £4,238
Germany £4,269
England £4,326
Czech Republic £4,980
Italy £5,047
Republic of Ireland £5,131
Croatia £5,139
Sweden £5,352
Spain £5,599

Today is a different kettle of fish altogether though. If all goes well, I’ll be able to legally ride a motorcycle with an engine of up to 125cc unaccompanied, providing I display ‘L’ plates and I don’t carry a passenger or go on the motorway, for the next two years. What’s more, I could start enjoying the relatively cheap running costs associated with commuting with a bike rather than a car. Today is the day I take my Compulsory Basic Training.

What is CBT?

Unbelievably, until 1990 it was perfectly legal to buy a motorcycle and ride it away without any basic knowledge of, well, anything to do with it. “Every showroom had their own horror story of a rider pulling away and having an accident five minutes down the road,” says Simon Walsh, my biking instructor. For many riders of a certain age, training consisted of little more than being put on a bike and told to go, with the test itself being far less stringent. Now, any prospective biker has to go through a CBT course, which will cover just that – basic on-the-road safety, how the bike works, and actually how to ride the bloomin’ things. They then have two years to pass the full motorcycle test – if they don’t they’ll have to go through the CBT again.

Stall of fame

We get through the familiar territory of safety equipment, and move outside. It turns out that bike ownership and maintenance is a lot more ‘hands-on’ than that of a car – weekly checks of oil, brake fluid and regular applications of WD40 to the bike and oil to the chain are a must for a safe ride. Somebody who had once, oh, I don’t know, accidentally put oil into the radiator of their car and had to call out the AA to remedy it (I DEFINITELY DIDN’T DO THIS) might find it all a bit intimidating.

Because of relatively limited view afforded by bike mirrors, the loss of peripheral vision caused by wearing a helmet and the natural ‘blind spot’, it’s essential we go through the observational checks that are essential for making sure that you can be aware of hazards approaching from the rear.

Getting on to the bike, it would appear that my brain and muscle memory has decided to completely forget what it was instructed yesterday. Not for the first time today, I stall. Then I do it again. And again. And again.

Finally, I get up and running. We swiftly move through gear changes (I’m now getting up to the giddy heights of third) and stopping to turn at junctions. Just as I’m getting accustomed to picking up a bit of speed, we switch to riding slowly. Very, very slowly.

Cone, but not forgotten

Thanks to the laws of physics, riding a motorbike is a lot easier and less wobbly at speed. But travelling slowly and steadily – essential for threading through traffic and doing turns in the road to head back in the opposite direction – requires a combination of plenty of revs from the throttle, riding the clutch and a heavy foot on the rear brake. Add to this the obligatory ‘lifesaver’ glance down the road, and it needs rather a lot of coordination. Eventually, I manage a few turn in the road, and then manage to tightly navigate some cones, before picking up speed again ready for the emergency stop procedure.

A quick sandwich and a chat later, and we’re joined by another rider for the afternoon, Jesse Baker, an 18 year old 3D design student from Cardiff. He completed the CBT after his sixteenth birthday, but having not managed to pass his test in the past two years, he’s having to do it for a forthcoming test. With plenty of road experience behind him, and a family of bikers at home, he’s a lot more au fait with motorcycling than I am, and it shows. He asks me why I’m doing the CBT, and I tell him if it’s for work. “What are you a pizza delivery boy?” he asks. Consider me cut down to size…

The open road

After the classroom session, where we go through hazards, awareness and technique for approaching roundabouts and junctions it’s time for a quick run around the track to re-familiarise myself with riding technique, and it’s the time to face the road. During the lesson, a thunderclap shakes the building to it’s very foundations, and a downpour of monsoon proportions ensues. It all seems very ominous. Thank goodness for those waterproof trousers.

“It’s actually easier riding on the road,” says Jesse, but I’m unconvinced. With my helmet on, it’s unlikely Simon can see my lip trembling with fear, but he must have spotted the nervousness in my eyes. He asks me if I definitely want to go through with it. “I’ve got no reservations about taking you on the road,” he informs me. “But it’s up to you.”

I’m hesitant. It’s something I feel I should do – after all, I wouldn’t want to waste my own time, or Simon’s. I duly ‘man up’ and oblige. Simon will be following me on his mean-looking Kawasaki GT1400 and issuing instructions via radio. We move away from the riding centre – true to form, I stall a few times before moving off – and on to the road in the direction of the Valleys. I’m all too aware of the large, heavy cars around me.

Heading up over the city flyover and picking up a bit of speed, there’s a mixture of clear blue sky and ominous black clouds ahead over the mountains. In a car, it would have been an impressive enough sight, but on two wheels, it’s even better. We head in the direction of the fearsome Coryton Interchange – a vast, multi-sectioned roundabout which connects the M4, Cardiff and the valleys. It’s confusing enough in a car, but on a bike which I’ve had little experience on, I’m pretty grateful for the instructions being communicated to me through the radio.

We head up to Treforest and perform the procedures that we’ve been taught on the track, until they’ve been performed to Simon’s satisfaction. Jesse’s a lot quicker to get things right than me, but I eventually get it together.

It’s then back to Cardiff, back the way we came. I’m hesitant pulling off and leading the way, and very nearly have an ‘episode’ while pulling off. But a few deep breaths and a pep talk from Simon, and I’m back, reaching the giddy heights of 50mph on the dual carriageway. Alright, so I’m not breaking any landspeed records, but what with the great flashes of lightening overheard, it all feels rather dramatic as I trundle along the A470.

We return back, and debrief. I’m presented with a certificate which entitles me to ride a bike for the next two years. I take my gloves off, and I’m not sure whether they’re wet from the rain or the sweaty-palmed anxiety confronting the roundabout. Whether I will decide to switch from four wheels to two in a hurry is matter altogether – after all, it’s not called compulsory ‘basic’ training for nothing, and it’ll be a while before I’m a confident rider. But one thing’s for sure – I certainly seem to notice motorbikes a lot more on the road when I drive home.

“The best part is it gets better every time you hit the road,” says Simon later. I think he may be on to something.

THINKING ABOUT DOING YOUR CBT? THEN CONSIDER THESE POINTS…

- Have a meeting with the instructor beforehand. Ask about his track record, and if possible, speak to people who’ve called on his services in the past.

- What facilities do they have access to, and what’s the size of the average class?

- There’s no set price for a CBT, but the cheapest deals might not offer you the best training.

When the Money Shot thinks back to its time at school, it tends not to think of the merciless jibes and mild physical cruelty dealt out by ‘Basher’ Barnes and his fifth form cronies, the sweaty-palmed, tongue-twisted embarrassment and subsequent humiliating rejection from the object of our affection we sat next to in double biology when we asked her to the village hop, or the day it was forced to strip down to its Y-fronts and vests and play prop forward on that freezing, wet January afternoon by a sadistic games teacher.

No, it thinks of the tuck shop and its sweet sucrose succour. Well, that and the tracing paper toilet roll we alluded to last week.

Among the sweet treats available at the tuck shop, our favourite was by far and away the Double Dip, from leading confectionary purveyor Swizzles Matlow. Never mind the damage it did to our molars – the tangy, sherbet hit was like manna from heaven for this particularly maladjusted weekly personal finance feature.

This week, an altogether less delicious (but even more damaging) ‘double dip’ reared its ugly head. We are officially back in ‘a recession’.

Contrary to popular belief, Britain was actually in a period of growth, even if it was sluggish at best. But as most folk use the term ‘recession’ as shorthand for ‘general economic fuginess’ it seemed as if it never really went away.

But now, it’s officially back. And it doesn’t so much mean business as threaten to put the kybosh on it altogether. It would appear that George’s Not-So-Marvelous medicine of fast-track deficit reduction doesn’t appear to be working, but it’s difficult to believe that the opposition would be doing anything differently.

In a sequel that’s as likely to be just as long and joyless as The Matrix Reloaded, there’s stormy economic weather on the horizon. You’d best get used to the sound of BBC business correspondent and official ‘Voice of the recession 2008’ Robert Peston pretty soon. We’re going to be hearing a lot more of him over the coming weeks and months.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Olympics Sustainability Legacy: London to be renamed Citius Altiusfortius. Yar, totally, I’m cool with that going forward, yar, blinding.”

BBC Money oracle Paul Lewis, presenter of the consistently informative Moneybox program on Radio 4, on the Olympics.

A SHADY SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION

Ray Ban shades are the essential eyewear choice for the discerning young hepcat about town. While they’re a timeless fashion classic, they don’t come cheap – about £160 for a pair of the classic ‘Wayfarer’ style, since you ask.

So, when a promotion to receive a pair of the American optical bobby dazzlers for free – nothing, nada, gratis – appeared on popular ‘social networking’ website Facebook from myrewardscentre, style-conscious cheapskates everywhere thought they’d get themselves a slice of the action. Because everybody loves free stuff, right?

Well, unsurprisingly, the offer turned out to be nothing more than a massive scam. It required the would-be Wayfarer owner to make a purchase, transfer some cash or make a credit card payment, with the likelihood of the trendy specs arriving being in the same league of internet certainties as the money from that Nigerian prince turning up in your account, those ‘performance enhancing’ pills working, or ‘Joey7Barton’ conducting himself with class and dignity on Twitter. In short, it was spammier than your average Brit’s diet during the dark days of rationing.

As the old adage goes, if it looks too good to be true, chances are that it probably is. Read the small print, check the terms and conditions, and whatever you do, stay vigilant. There are a lot of sharks out there.

NEWS IN BRIEF

The seemingly unstoppable rise in the cost of car insurance, has, er, stopped. The average annual price of a fully-comprehensive policy dropped by 1.1 per cent to £1,132 in the three months to April this year, according to the AA, which said that that insurers were heavily discounting certain premiums to ‘snatch’ new business. “While it is good to hear that car insurance premiums have gone down, no one is going to be celebrating just yet,” mused Gocompare.com’s top car insurance buff, Scott Kelly. “Premiums for many drivers remain close to record high levels. Average car insurance premiums have increased by more than 50 per cent in the last two years, so any slight dip needs to be put into context.”

Ever dropped your phone in a glass of fizzy pop or down the pan? You’re in good company – ‘drowned’ phones account for 430,000 claims a year, according to gadget-cover.com.

A lady from Oldham was refused car insurance when she moved address….100 yards down the road. Tesco Insurance told her she’d upped sticks to a ‘crime hotspot.’

ON GOCOMPARE.COM NEWS THIS WEEK

As well as economic storms, there’ve been literal ones this week too. That cold, wet stuff outside is rain, and there’s been rather a lot of it lately. Here’s some tips for driving your car safely in it. You’d do well to take heed..

The multi-million point PPI claimback industry is “too big to be left alone“” warned Which?

Have you lost sleep at night wondering what the European Health Insurance Card entitles you to? Well, fret no more – Kristian Dando has the answers.

AND FINALLY…

A small, unfortunately-named village in the county of Perthshire is attempting to forge links with a similarly unpromisingly-titled location across ‘The Pond’. Dull, in Scotland has ‘reached out’ to the Oregon city of Boring to seek to become ‘a sister community’. The scheme is the brainchild of Perthshire resident Elizabeth Leighton, who passed through the location on a cycling holiday in 2011.

“It might seem like a joke, but this could have real benefits for Dull,” said Marjorie Keddie, possibly whilst looking up from ‘The Big Book of Advanced Accountancy,’ adjusting her beige cardigan and turning down the volume of the Adele album she was listing to. “Everyone has been smiling at the prospect of the very eye-catching road sign this will inevitably require.”

Join us next week for another THRILLING installment of THE MONEY SHOT. In the meantime, why not drop the editor an email with your letters? The best ones win a highly-sought after set of Gocompare.com stationery and an autograph from Gio Compario, star of our award-winning* ad campaign.

*Marketing magazine’s ‘Most Irritating Advert’ 2009/2010

We’re still technically in a drought, as incredulous as that may sound, but we thought it prudent to dish out a few tips on driving safely in flood conditions with the help of the Institute of Advanced Motorist’s chief examiner and advanced driver extraordinaire, Peter Roger.

“A suddenly very wet road surface increases the chances of slipping when braking or steering, which is a problem not just for motorists, but cyclists and motorcyclists too,” says Peter.

To stay as safe as possible in wet conditions read on, and take heed…

HANDY HINTS FOR DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN

- Before you set off, set your heater controls – rain makes the windows mist up in seconds. You don’t want to be fiddling with controls when you should be concentrating on the road

- Slow down. In the rain your stopping distance should be at least doubled. Giving yourself more space helps you to avoid spray, especially when following a large vehicle

- Keep your eyes on the road ahead and plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer smoothly. Harsh manoeuvres will unbalance the car

- If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – it may create problems if you start to aquaplane

- See and be seen. Put your lights on – as a rule of thumb, whenever you need to use your wipers you should also turn your headlights on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting

- Making sure your car is properly maintained will make a difference too. Check your wipers regularly, that your tyres are properly inflated and have enough tread, and that all of your lights work and are clean. By law, you must keep the windscreen washer filled, but remember, to keep your windows clean, you must do the inside as well

TOP TIPS FOR DRIVING IN FLOODS

- In cases of severe flooding, you should reconsider making the journey at all.

- Drive on the highest section of the road and don’t set off if a vehicle is approaching you.

- Leave time and space to avoid swamping other cars and pedestrians.

- Drive slowly and keep going once you have started – make sure you have a clear run. In a manual car, keep the revs high by “slipping the clutch” (which means the clutch is not fully engaged) all the time you are in the water.

- If you can’t see where you are going to come out of the water, such as when approaching flooding on a bend, think twice about starting to drive into it.

- In deep water never take your foot off the accelerator, as this could allow water to travel up the exhaust pipe.

- Once you’re out of the water, dry the brakes before you need them. The best way is to lightly apply the brake as you drive along for a few seconds, after checking nothing is following you too closely.