Freedom!

When your child passes her driving test it is both exciting and terrifying in equal measures. On the one hand you join in with the jumps for joy (metaphorically, this knee isn't jumping anywhere for a while) and on the other it hits you like a tonne of bricks that she'll be hurtling down dual carriageways all on her own. Eek.

Another thing that hits you square on is the hike in insurance from having a learner driver on your policy to having a new driver. An additional payment of £625 thank you very much.

Then, round about day three when she's exhausted all the local places she can go to just because she can, and even picked up her brother from school, she comes to you and asks for ideas for a day out. Oh boy. I come up with anything within half an hour's drive while she rolls her eyeballs and says things like 'I can drive you know' and 'it won't be an adventure if it's only up the road'. Eventually one of my forty minutes away suggestions goes down well and craftily that makes sure she is only 15 minutes away from my parents.

All this and she knows the story well that I jumped in my car the day after I passed my test and toured the West Country and Cornwall with a friend for two weeks. Thankfully she has no such ambitions...yet.