Video: Pudsey Bear to take driving lesson through Mid Ulster

At some point, many of us will have been stuck behind a learner driver and reminisced about the ‘quarter to three’ steering grip and the ‘mirrors, indicators’ drills.

But imagine taking a lesson, with the attention-grabbing Pudsey Bear on the roof of the car, as you drive through the roads of Mid Ulster.

That’s the challenge facing Maghera instructor Cecilia Craig and her pupil Rachel as they take part in a mammoth 2,000 miles relay for Children in Need.

“Give us a wave, but don’t give us a beep, because when someone beeps at us, being learners, we think we have done something wrong,” laughed Cecilia.

“Rachel is a wee bit nervous, but she is a good driver, so I am sure she will be fine.”

The relay starts in Derry today [Thursday] and will travel through Limavady, before Cecilia and Rachel take on the Pudsey roof box and driving from Castledawson through Cookstown en route to Dungannon.

“Pudsey will travel to Larne and across Scotland and down through Wales and England.

“Overall the relay will cover 2,000 miles with around 150 instructors.

“The target was to raise £5,000 for Children in Need, but that has already been exceeded.

“I have been doing my own fund-raising and people have been really generous,” said Cecilia.

The charity relay is the brainchild of Louise Walsh from Hampshire. She was inspired by last year’s Children in Need to organise the epic two-week long driving lesson relay and put the idea on a driving instructor blog.

Within hours, 650 instructors, including Cecilia had contacted her offering support.

Each leg will be approximately 40 minutes to one hour long and will involve a learner driver or someone taking advanced lessons along with their instructor.

The Castledawson handover is due to take place around 11.30 am at Moes near Castledawson roundabout.

To make a donation to the Big Learner Relay text PASS73 to 70070 .

And remember no beeping, just give a wave.