Looking across to the snow capped alpine mountains seen from the back seat of a motorcycle

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Renewing My Photocard Licence - The Easy Way - By Ren Withnell

How...

1.  Find a Post Office that offers the "DVLA Photocard Renewal" service, here's a list http://www.postoffice.co.uk/photocardrenewal
2.  Grab your existing Photocard Licence AND AND AND the Counterpart, the paper bit.
3.  Go to that Post Office during normal hours.
4.  Spot the photo booth, hang around there looking like you need help.
5.  If help comes, do what the nice lady or gentleman tells you to do.
6.  Give them £24.50, that's 4.50 more than normal, but it sure saves a lot of messing about.

 Why? Because it sure saves a lot of hassle. For £4.50 you don’t need to organise a new photo, they take your picture there and then in their little makeshift booth. You don't need to fill out any daft forms. You don’t need to post anything and it just made my life a lot easier.

Reader's Comments

said :-
what to do simplified. very useful thanks
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
bunge said :-
post office website down so thanks for this info on price it would have cost £5 for photo in tesco booth so not only is it easier to use post office its allso 50p cheaper thanks
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Pilot said :-
My licence photo "expired" recently and I was worried about renewal because of the scare stories ran by MCN where guys had their licence returned with new photo but MINUS the entitlement to ride a motorbike!!

I got round it by getting my own photo (£5), filling in the form, paying the £20 renewal fee BUT, only retuirning the paper part of the licence saying that the plastic was lost. I kept this as evidence that I was licenced to ride. Following week shiney new licence appeared all OK so I cut the old one up. Job done.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Pilot...you make a VERY interesting point. I know a guy who'd been riding for 20 years, had been to court for speeding tickets where he'd shown his licence, a copper said he'd vouch for him and several other possible avenues...

His licence came back without motorcycle entitlement and none of the above was "acceptable" as evidence. Basically he had to retake his test.

I got a signed and recorded photocopy of my licence with a friendly solicitor, I'm told this is about the only thing they will accept...but check that, don't take my word for it.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
pocketpete said :-
It's pretty simple. Ask for a duplicate licence pay the fee £ 20 or so. leave the old one in a draw and use the new one. If any of your entitlements come back missing then you can photocopy the old one and sent it off. The DVLA do have a department that deals with this sort of thing. Then they will ask you a host of questions and will be able to find the old licence as it has a different sequence code and it will be registered on the missing/lost database and reinstate your groups.

The problem of missing groups usually occurs when people passed their test a long time ago and are on their first licence at the same address for years. This I have been informed was due to errors in scanning old records of test passes and various documents being destroyed in the process of computerisation of historical test passes. When the DVLA check they have no record of many people passing their test and wont accept a photocopy even if it is attested.

I happened to me I passed my HGV/Bus test in the Police when I retired I eventually changed address and hey presto my HGV/Bus entitlement had gone.
I was told to retake my test as the police records had not survived from the time I passed my test. Fortunately I had found my original paper licence(pre Photo) about 8 months later and sent it off they eventually put them back on. Otherwise I would have had to pay £ 3000 to takes my tests again if I wanted to drive big trucks. Not that I do but its handy to have for the daughter horse box.
11/04/2016 19:46:33 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Cheers Pocketpete. Good call too. I have heard a few friends tell me of how they "lost" their licence to ensure any future issues could be successfully challenged.

Your daughter has a horse box? You were a policeman? And here's me thinking you and your wife were hooligans tearing up the towns and countryside on your Inazuma. Next you'll be telling me you are a fine upstanding member of your community too.
11/04/2016 21:59:48 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
I'm not sure when you posted the original but the paper counterpart is defunct:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/no-more-paper-counterpart-to-the-photocard-driving-licence-will-save-the-taxpayer-millions-each-year
12/04/2016 09:45:49 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Yeah it's an old post this one Ian. The link is dead and you're right, the counterpart is also defunct now. I shall endeavour to do an update sometime soon.
12/04/2016 10:43:17 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
The counter part doesn't hold records of your entitlements only on a pre photo licence for those old enough to remember the green and then pink ones. These are still in use. It's only if you move or have to add a new category that the EU/dvla force you to have a new photo one.

Yes happily retired from gmp now complete with pension and zimmer frame.

It's a little hard to tear up the roads around Stockport on my little 250 when it sticks to slow slow slow.. But it's a fun little bike. Suzuki bests kept secret.

It's not much fun in the snow we had in Glossop last Saturday afternoon... we had a nice run out and heading back after our afternoon tea I have never been wetter or colder in my life. Paula was wetter than a wet thing. My intercom for the last 8 miles was blue not only from the cold but the curses coming via Bluetooth about her leaking boots jacket trousers. Hail stones bouncing up into the helmet etc. How she was never going on a bike again and how I should be shot for convincing her bikes were fun.
12/04/2016 13:17:32 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
"You do not have to say anything but what you do say will be written down in pencil so we can rub it out and stitch you up later"

God bless our boys in blue
12/04/2016 13:20:39 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Oh dear Pocketpete, it seems you took the good lady PocketPaula out on the wrong day. Yes my friend, those cold toes and stinging hailstones will not be forgotten for quite some time. I told you intercoms were not a good idea.

You need to purchase the following. Daytona Ladystar boots, expensive but actually waterproof. Karrimoor full leg zip overpants. Karrimoor or Regatta overjacket. Thermal base layers. Thermal mid layers. More jumpers and pullovers. Neck warmers. All this will add up to almost the same price as the 'Zuma.

After all this she still will not have forgiven you in which case you'll have to sell them all at a loss on Ebay.

Have you considered a side car? I'm sure you could rig up a heater.
12/04/2016 18:55:17 UTC
Pocketpete said :-
The monsoon was that bad it wouldn't have mattered what clothing we were wearing. I spend 170 on her jacket 150 on her trousers. Her boots were 79. Still soaked to death...

The only bit of us that was dry were my new boots. £ 29.99 from aldi of all places. Totally snug and warm just the rest onfor me was drenched. My helmet was dry bit full of hail stones on the front chin roll.

She will get over it we had a nice time apart from that.

I'm not sure if spending get a fortune on motorbike clothing was any advantage. My trousers we £ 23 from decathlon. They were bone dry. My £ 200 frank Thomas jacket was soaking...
13/04/2016 08:05:07 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Sharon and I have long since accepted that "waterproof" motorcycle clothing rarely stays waterproof. We both use over jackets/pants, the kind that you get from go-outdoors etc. They're cheap enough and if they only last 6 months it hasn't been a waste of money.

For example
http://bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=839

Sharon's found the Daytonas totally waterproof, I never found affordable waterproof boots so I use army issue boot liners.
http://bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=815


13/04/2016 09:15:58 UTC
Matt Mac said :-
Dear Editor ,I read your driving licence renewal with interest, in N Ireland or Ulster as we call it, Coleraine County Hall handles the driving licence renewals . This is just another difference , we are British part of the United Kingdom, we at least can drive to Coleraine. We will probably still have the paper part for a while yet.We had the plastic card licence for years as it was like an identity card,prior to this the old liçence had a photo as well.I know you said this was an old post,it was just another of abnormalities between us and the mainland .2
11/10/2017 19:50:27 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I was vaguely aware that Northern Ireland had a one or two different things to the mainland UK but reading your recent posts Matt Mac I am learning there are quite a lot of things that are different. Next you'll be telling me you can't get hold of Holland's pies or gravy on ya chips.
12/10/2017 13:37:21 UTC

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