Latest news with #Hadleigh
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
‘My electric car costs have surged now my son is learning to drive'
I've been through a lot with my electric and hybrid cars. Making the switch to an electric vehicle (EV) and installing a charge point at home for my second-hand electric Renault Zoe took months, and I've recently battled to find any insurer to cover my battered hybrid Toyota Auris. We opted for these cars because we were keen to reduce our environmental impact, while reducing our fuel costs at the same time. What I hadn't considered was what would happen when my children wanted to learn to drive – something that, it turns out, could cost us thousands because of the pricier driving lessons and expensive insurance required to get them behind the wheel of these vehicles. We live in Hadleigh, Suffolk – my husband, Josh, a charity fundraiser, and I, a personal finance journalist, along with 17-year-old Finn, and 15-year-old George. Public transport is limited, so we're keen for them to pass their driving tests – but I had no idea how much more expensive we'd made it by opting for two automatic, environmentally friendly cars. Pricier driving lessons Manual cars are rapidly disappearing from our roads. In 2024, only 22pc of new car registrations were manual, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and more young people are taking their practical driving test in an automatic as a result. Already, almost 21pc of all passes in 2023-24 were in automatic vehicles, according to data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), compared with 17pc the previous year and just 5pc a decade earlier. Much of this is being fuelled by the switch to EVs, according to the AA Driving School, which predicts that one in four driving test passes will be in automatic cars by 2026. Seb Goldin, of Red Driver Training, said there had been a 16pc increase in automatic driving lesson hours at his firm between 2023 and 2024. 'This is likely accelerated by the accessibility when it comes to learning and the advent of electric cars,' he said. This trend is set to pick up pace over the next few years, due to the planned 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars – but, as we've discovered, it's adding extra costs for learner drivers. More expensive driving lessons are the first thing you'll notice. While specific prices vary depending on the area and the individual instructor, the AA Driving School quoted typical prices per hour for driving lessons as £40 for a manual car and £42 for an automatic in London, with respective prices at £38 and £40 in Edinburgh, and £35 and £36.50 in Cardiff. Just a couple of pounds difference may not sound like much, but given it takes an average of 45 hours of driving lessons (if you can access an additional 22 hours of private practice) to pass your test, learning in an automatic could add around £100 before you can even ditch the L-plates. Higher insurance costs Once you're on the road as a new driver, the real costs kick in – particularly if you're driving an EV. The average annual premium for 17 to 24-year-olds driving manual vehicles was £1,260 in April 2025, according to data from comparison website Compare the Market, but it was £1,642 for electric vehicles – a chunky 30pc more. Insurance premiums take into account the risk based on both the driver and the car they are driving, so younger drivers of EVs get clobbered both ways. Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Compare the Market, said: 'Younger drivers face higher premiums because they are statistically more likely to be involved in a claim – and the expense of repairing EVs can amplify that risk'. One in five new drivers crash within the first 12 months after passing their test, according to research by Ocean Finance, while around 37pc of 18 to 24-year-olds had at least one near miss in 2024. Automatic and electric cars also tend to cost more to purchase and repair, which again increases insurance costs. EVs are generally newer cars, with fewer second-hand models on the market compared to internal combustion engine cars. Newer cars of whatever engine type tend to have more technical functionality than older vehicles, which affects their value and repair costs. The type of driving licence you have can also push up insurance premiums. Craig Codell, electric vehicle product manager at Admiral, one of the UK's largest motor insurers, said this is because drivers with an automatic licence are more likely to make a claim than a driver with a manual one. Given the continued shift towards EVs, I worry that younger people are being priced out of learning to drive, particularly if they only have access to an EV, and their parents can't spare the extra cash. Finn has been looking for a summer job to help fund his driving, but if we weren't willing to cover the insurance and lessons he couldn't just magic up hundreds of pounds out of nowhere. 'Our car insurance leapt from £406 to £2,019' Back at home, it appears I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either way, it seems we'll have to fork out more. We face higher costs of car insurance, and for each driving lesson if Finn goes for an automatic-only driving licence. Or, we'll potentially need to stump up for extra driving lessons if Finn learns in a manual car, but doesn't have access to a manual for practice. It's frustrating that opting for more environmentally friendly vehicles should also land us with higher costs. Plus, with our car insurance up for renewal, it became apparent that our current insurers were not exactly keen to add a 17-year-old with a provisional licence to our policies. The renewal quote for our electric car with LV car insurance leapt from £392 a year to £1,134. Meanwhile, Churchill, the insurer for our hybrid car, pushed the annual premium up from £406 to £2,019. If we'd stuck with a manual Volkswagen Polo, of the same age and mileage as our electric car, the quotes after adding Finn started from £587 for a standard policy. The price rises seemed huge and made me think twice about whether we could afford to add Finn to our insurance. There's certainly no question of being able to cover him on both cars. Both companies suggested using their temporary insurance policies to cut costs – where, for example, you can insure an additional driver for up to 90 days in the policy year, split across up to five separate occasions. But this didn't sound ideal for weekend driving practice. Tech to bring prices down Thankfully, plugging our details into comparison websites revealed some less eye-watering prices. The cheapest option for both cars were telematics policies with Hastings Direct, often know as 'black box' insurance. Hastings Direct YouDrive came in at £569 for the electric car, and £490 for the hybrid. With a telematics policy, the insurer monitors your driving, either by fitting an electronic monitoring device, providing a monitoring device to plug in yourself or using an app on your smartphone. The device or app then tracks aspects of your driving, such as when, where, how far and how fast you drive, and how aggressively you brake, corner and accelerate. Drive safely, and your insurer could potentially cut your premiums. For the pleasure of driving without an insurer looking over our shoulders, I was quoted £610 for a stripped-down essentials policy for the hybrid, or £626 for a higher-rated policy with a lower excess. Premiums for the electric car rose to £749 and £802 for the same policies, but there were cheaper options elsewhere from around £650. Based on the insurance costs, I've added Finn to the hybrid policy rather than the electric. It's a shame, because the electric car is smaller, and therefore easier for a learner to park – and it has lower running costs.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Councillors speak out as south Essex farmland is removed from draft housing plan
West Leigh councillors have spoken out after a huge swathe of farmland between Hadleigh and Leigh was removed from a draft local plan. Castle Point Council published their draft plan this week, showing proposals to build 6,196 houses across Castle Point. Residents had been campaigning in large numbers to ensure the draft plan would not include the Salvation Army-owned land by Hadleigh Country Park after it was initially proposed. The newly-published draft plan has now removed this site after months of protests by both Leigh and Hadleigh residents. Owen Cartey, Conservative councillor for West Leigh, said: "Thank you to everybody who has helped our campaign go from strength to strength, whether that was putting up a poster, signing a petition, coming on a march or writing in your concerns to the consultation. "Every bit of action made a difference. "If anything changes in the coming months we will get our megaphones back out and make sure the voice of West Leigh residents is heard loud and clear once again." Lesley Salter, another Conservative councillor for West Leigh, added: "I know residents across West Leigh, particularly those directly backing onto this land will rejoice at this news. "We made sure our neighbours in Castle Point heard our voice loud and clear - no imposing overdevelopment on our border without listening to us first. "This just goes to show the power we all have to make positive change happen in our community."
Scottish Sun
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
BBC star who rose to fame in 60s & dated Coupling's Sarah Alexander dies aged 96 as tributes pour in
STAR GONE BBC star who rose to fame in 60s & dated Coupling's Sarah Alexander dies aged 96 as tributes pour in Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BBC star who rose to fame in the 60s and dated Sarah Alexander has died aged 96. Gerald Harper, who made his name on British TV, sadly passed away on Wednesday, his agent confirmed. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 Gerald Harper as Stephen Ashley in 'Crown Court' in 1979 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 Gerald Harper in the 'Murder by Misadventure' Play performed in the Vaudeville Theatre in 1991 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 Harper in the 2000s Credit: Shutterstock Editorial CDM Talent Agency posted on social media: "It is with great sadness that Gerald Harper has recently passed away - he was a valued client before he went to Spain to enjoy his retirement." It is unclear where the actor died or his cause of death. Gerald is best known for starring as the lead role in the adventure drama Adam Adamant Lives! and then as the main character in Hadleigh. Following his TV career, he returned to his main passion in theatre. His classical work includes playing on Broadway with the Old Vic company, playing Iago at the Bristol Old Vic and Benedick at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Gerald forged an illustrious career on the stage, featuring in various West End shows, including Crucifer of Blood and A Personal Affair at the Haymarket Theatre. The charismatic performer presented The Sunday Affair for Capital Radio in the 1970s. Gerald also hosted a series of Saturday afternoon shows for BBC Radio 2 in the early 1990s, in which he played classic songs from the past and gave away bottles of champagne and chocolates. The star will also be well remembered for his relationship with Coupling and Green Wing star Sarah Alexander. Sarah, 54, was only 25 when she was first spotted dating Gerald Harper, then 68, in 1996. Gerald was in his early 70s when Sarah, then aged around 30, became lovers. Sarah was at the height of her own fame at the time, as she was a regular in sitcom Coupling. A passer-by told the Sunday People of Gerald and Sarah at the time: "They were super-glued together! They were all over each other and didn't care who saw them. "Funnily enough, the young lady was making a lot of the running and kept grabbing him to French kiss him – it was quite a display." Friends said Harper was "absolutely bereft" when Sarah left him for Amandaland star Peter Serafinowicz in 2002. Before his relationship with Sarah, Gerald was married to Carla Rabaiotti, a former Pan American air stewardess. The pair, who later divorced in 1983, share a son. Harper was previously married to actress Jane Downs from 1957 until they divorced in 1975. They share a daughter. At the height of his fame Harper was TV's most eligible bachelor in ITV's Hadleigh, which ran from 1969 to 1976.
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
BBC star who rose to fame in 60s & dated Coupling's Sarah Alexander dies aged 96 as tributes pour in
A BBC star who rose to fame in the 60s and dated Sarah Alexander has died aged 96. Gerald Harper, who made his name on British TV, sadly passed away on Wednesday, his agent confirmed. 3 Gerald Harper as Stephen Ashley in 'Crown Court' in 1979 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 Gerald Harper in the 'Murder by Misadventure' Play performed in the Vaudeville Theatre in 1991 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 Harper in the 2000s Credit: Shutterstock Editorial CDM Talent Agency posted on social media: "It is with great sadness that Gerald Harper has recently passed away - he was a valued client before he went to Spain to enjoy his retirement." It is unclear where the actor died or his cause of death. Gerald is best known for starring as the lead role in the adventure drama Adam Adamant Lives! and then as the main character in Hadleigh. Following his TV career, he returned to his main passion in theatre. His classical work includes playing on Broadway with the Old Vic company, playing Iago at the Bristol Old Vic and Benedick at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Gerald forged an illustrious career on the stage, featuring in various West End shows, including Crucifer of Blood and A Personal Affair at the Haymarket Theatre. The charismatic performer presented The Sunday Affair for Capital Radio in the 1970s. Gerald also hosted a series of Saturday afternoon shows for BBC Radio 2 in the early 1990s, in which he played classic songs from the past and gave away bottles of champagne and chocolates. Most read in News TV The star will also be well remembered for his relationship with Coupling and Green Wing star Sarah Alexander. Sarah, 54, was only 25 when she was first spotted dating Gerald Harper, then 68, in 1996. Gerald was in his early 70s when Sarah, then aged around 30, became lovers. Sarah was at the height of her own fame at the time, as she was a regular in sitcom Coupling. A passer-by told the Sunday People of Gerald and Sarah at the time: "They were super-glued together! They were all over each other and didn't care who saw them. "Funnily enough, the young lady was making a lot of the running and kept grabbing him to French kiss him – it was quite a display." Friends said Harper was "absolutely bereft" when Sarah left him for Amandaland star Peter Serafinowicz in 2002. Before his relationship with Sarah, Gerald was married to Carla Rabaiotti, a former Pan American air stewardess. The pair, who later divorced in 1983, share a son. Read more on the Irish Sun Harper was previously married to actress Jane Downs from 1957 until they divorced in 1975. They share a daughter. At the height of his fame Harper was TV's most eligible bachelor in ITV's Hadleigh, which ran from 1969 to 1976.
Daily Mirror
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Green Wing star Sophie Alexander's former partner dies after successful career
Veteran stage and TV performer Gerald Harper - who was in a brief relationship with an actress 40 years his junior - has died. Gerald made his name on British TV in the 1960s and 1970s, starring as the lead role in the adventure drama Adam Adamant Lives! and then as the main character in Hadleigh. He then went on to forge an illustrious career on the stage, featuring in various West End shows, including Crucifer of Blood and A Personal Affair at the Haymarket Theatre. Although he was also in popular films, such as 1979 mystery comedy The Lady Vanishes, Gerald will also be remembered for his relationship with Coupling and Green Wing star Sophie Alexander. He was in his early 70s when Sophie, then aged around 30, became lovers. Sophie was at the height of her own fame at the time, as she was a regular in sitcom Coupling and had been in Smack the Pony for four years. Speaking at the time, a source who saw the couple together told our sister title, the Sunday People: "They were super-glued together! They were all over each other and didn't care who saw them. Funnily enough, the young lady was making a lot of the running and kept grabbing him to French kiss him – it was quite a display." But Sophie, who has since been in Hollywood film I Could Never Be Your Woman, ended things with Gerald in 2002. She left Gerald for actor Peter Serafinowicz, whom she since married. Gerald died on Wednesday, his agent confirmed yesterday. CDM Talent Agency posted on social media: "It is with great sadness that Gerald Harper has recently passed away - he was a valued client before he went to Spain to enjoy his retirement." It is unclear where the actor died. He leaves behind two grown-up children, one from each of his two marriages before he met Sophie. Gerald, who also a radio presenter, was married to actress Jane Downs from 1957 until they divorced in 1975. In 1976, he married Carla Rabaiotti, a former Pan American air stewardess; they were divorced in 1983. He had a daughter with Heartbeat star Jane, who herself passed away in 2015, and a son with Carla. Yet it is the fling with Sophie, long after the marriages, which caused the stir in Notting Hill, central London, where Gerald lived. Sophie reportedly moved in with the star, some 42 years her senior, which was believed to have raised eyebrows in the affluent area. It is said, though, Gerald was "absolutely bereft" when Sarah left him for Amandaland star Peter in 2002. Since then, Gerald's TV work declined and he focused more on plays and radio presenting. The charismatic performer presented The Sunday Affair for Capital Radio in the 1970s, and a series of Saturday afternoon shows for BBC Radio 2 in the early 1990s, in which he played classic songs from the past and gave away bottles of champagne and chocolates. Speaking to the Daily Express in 2006, dad-of-two Gerald, who grew up in Barnet, northwest London, said: "I was a TV star on my own terms and for the best part of 20 years I virtually didn't have a day off."
