First test
The driving test celebrated its 80th anniversary. The first person to take the test, R.E.L. Beene of Kensington, passed. Here is some of the advice given to candidates on a Pathé newsreel:
— ‘Don’t flick your cigarette ash outside. It’s very confusing.’ (The driver behind would have been looking for hand signals.)
— ‘Never drive on the crown of the road.’
— ‘Don’t look down at the gear lever while you change gear.’
— ‘Don’t be nervous. The examination is not an inquisition but a series of very reasonable tests.’
Old story
The chief medical officer and British Pregnancy Advisory Service argued over whether women should be advised to try for babies before the age of 30, for fear of losing fertility. How has the mother’s age at birth changed over the past 70 years?
| % live births to mothers over 30 | |
| 1943 | 42% |
| 1953 | 35% |
| 1963 | 29% |
| 1973 | 20% |
| 1983 | 27% |
| 1993 | 36% |
| 2003 | 49% |
| 2013 | 51% |
| % live births to mothers over 40 | |
| 1943 | 4.4% |
| 1953 | 3.4% |
| 1963 | 2.7% |
| 1973 | 1.4% |
| 1983 | 1.1% |
| 1993 | 1.5% |
| 2003 | 3% |
| 2013 | 4.1% |
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