Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Dame Judi Dench drove without a licence for 30 years.
The 91-year-old actress used to get behind the wheel of a sports car, even though she only had a provisional licence – which is used by learner drivers while under supervision – and even after she had to go to court after being stopped by police, she still continued to drive for many years afterwards without having taken a test.
In an extract shared by The Times magazine from her memoir Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, which she has written with Brendan O’Hea, Judi admitted: “[I drove] in my black open-top MG sports car with red seats. I really loved that car. It had a retractable roof, which wouldn’t close, and so I always drove round with a couple of handy sou’westers in the glove compartment in case it rained. And then I got caught going round Parliament Square.
“The policeman asked me if I had a licence and I said, ‘I have a provisional licence.’
“So he said, ‘Right, I’m going to put you down for not having a proper licence. And also no L-plates and a broken sidelight.’
“I think I was called to appear at Bow Street magistrates’ court — it was as serious as that. Anyway, I tried my luck and I wrote a letter. ‘Dear Sir,’ I said, ‘on such-and-such a date I was stopped by the police and accused of not having L-plates. I did have L-plates — they were adhesive, but you know what the weather’s been like these days, my lord.’ I actually wrote that. I was still fined £2, which was a lot of money back then.”
When Brendan pointed out she had then driven “another 10 years without a licence”, she added: “Don’t be ridiculous. It wasn’t ten; it was 30. I was 50 when I passed my test.
“I’m a good driver, though.”
Her co-writer insisted the Skyfall actress is “not” a good driver, and urged Judi to tell the story about when her late husband Michael Williams had a panic attack as a result of her antics behind the wheel.
She said: “‘Bum-clenching Bridge’ — that’s what he christened it afterwards. It’s just up the road. It’s a single-lane bridge and no two cars had ever passed on it.
“Well, they hadn’t before I came along. As I approached it, I saw another car heading towards us from the opposite direction.
“The other driver and I obviously had the same idea — that if we upped our speed we’d be able to cross the bridge in time and arrive safely on the other side.
“All I heard as I hit the accelerator was Mikey shouting, ‘Jude! Jude! JUDE!’ He just closed his eyes. But we made it. Didn’t even take off a wing mirror.”
