CONSIDER this quote, taken from the website of Britain’s best-known motoring organisation: “Everyone ages differently. There is no safe or unsafe age for a driver.”

The AA is certainly right with the first part of that statement – we all do age differently. But is it really true that there is no unsafe age for a driver?

I pose this question because of a fascinating meeting I had last week with a charming, eloquent and funny gentleman called Geoffrey Gillow. Darlington folk will be familiar with the name because he was the man who opened Darlington’s first independent menswear outlet in Grange Road 50 years ago. The sex shop is right next door but let’s not got there.

Geoffrey celebrates his 100th birthday on September 30 and his colourful life story is condensed into 1,000 words or so elsewhere in today’s paper.

And one of the remarkable things about Geoffrey is the fact that he still gets behind the wheel of his Mercedes A-Class car.

Before we go any further down the road, I should stress that Geoffrey recently voluntarily took his driving test again and passed without a problem. He has aged in a way that any of us would happily settle for and, having seen the lunatic boy racers who tear round the roads near The Northern Echo building at night, I have no doubt he is a safer driver than many 80 years younger.

Geoffrey, however, is an exception. In the most respectful sense, he is a freak of nature and who can blame him for wanting to retain the independence that driving gives him for as long as possible?

But the key word when it comes to Geoffrey retaking his driving test on the brink of being 100 is “voluntarily”. He didn’t have to undergo the test – he chose to, albeit at the suggestion of his family.

As the law stands, once motorists reach 70, they have to reapply for their licence every three years. There is, however, no test or medical examination, although a medical declaration has to be made which could lead to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) making further investigations.

Despite my encounter with Geoffrey Gillow, and the enjoyment I had in seeing someone reach a century in such fine fettle, I still can’t help wondering how it can be right that a 100-year-old isn’t legally required to take a test to carry on driving.

Shouldn’t there be a requirement for all of us to take a driving test every ten years?

PUBLIC relations isn’t rocket science. It usually comes down to common sense.

And, in the case of disgraced American swimming champion Ryan Lochte, it’s so obvious what he needs to do.

In case you’ve not been watching the news, Olympic champion Lochte has made a right old mess of his life.

He’s gone from hero to zero, and lost a boat-load of sponsorship money in the process, by lying about being the victim of an armed robbery in Rio.

The truth is that he and his mates got drunk, committed an act of vandalism, and the armed robbery scam was part of their amateurish attempts at a cover-up.

The latest development is that Lochte has been charged by Brazilian police with making a false statement. He now has to decide whether to go back to Brazil to face the music or allow the case to be heard in his absence.

Well, here’s what he should do: lReturn to Brazil and make a full apology in open court.

  • Hold his hands up to being very stupid and making a terrible mistake while under the influence of alcohol.
  • Volunteer to spend time in Brazil, teaching disadvantaged kids to swim.
  • Set up a scholarship in Brazil to help finance a promising young swimmer’s training costs over the next five years.

In general, people accept apologies – as long as they’re not half-hearted.

Ryan Lochte’s reputation has taken a dive. He needs to do the right thing to get it back up to the surface.

BACK to Geoffrey Gillow – soon-to-be centenarian, entrepreneur, man of impeccable taste, and Sunderland fan (although those last two may not sit naturally together).

Geoffrey lays claim to the quote of the week. When asked about his plans for his 100th birthday, he replied: “Oh, I doubt I’ll make it – to tell the truth, I’ve been walking round like an old man just lately.”

IT reminds me of my mum who still bombs around on a bike and, as far as I know, she’s never taken a cycling proficiency test in her life. She still goes down to the newsagents every morning to deliver the papers to the “old people” down her street. She’ll be 85 next month.

AND so to the younger generation... During August, I’ve been hosting summer school media workshops at Durham University.

The last one was on Wednesday and I was asked to cut it a bit shorter than usual.

“The Great British Bake-Off starts tonight and they all want to see it,” I was told.

What’s happened to students? Didn’t it used to be sex, drugs and rock and roll? Now, it’s crepes, fudge, and Arctic roll.

FINALLY, my star of the week award goes to Lucy Lei.

I met Lucy last week while I was covering the GCSE results at Haughton Academy in Darlington.

Eight years ago, Lucy left her home in China with her mother and arrived in this country, feeling frightened and bewildered.

She couldn’t speak English and yet she achieved 12 A* and A grades in her GCSEs.

That’s quite an achievement, so the least I could do was learn a little Chinese.

祝贺您的令人瞩目的成就

That’s “Congratulations on your fantastic achievement.” (At least, I hope it is.)