OKAY girls...don’t be shocked by what I am about to say, but I have had a bit of an awakening.

For years (and years) I have banged on about the importance of independence, not relying on men and the fact that girls are just as good at executing a three-point turn and parallel parking as any man.

In fact, a surprising number of us have even grasped the finer points of checking tyre pressures and filling up our washer bottles.

Driving myself (and other people) everywhere has become an obsession over the last 11 years.

Having been told in no uncertain terms by my ex-husband that I was a liability behind the wheel of a car, I was determined to prove him wrong. I am now programmed to be in charge, maintain 100 per cent of my motoring independence and never become one of those girls who says rubbish things like “oh, I really CAN’T reverse to save my life”.

Indeed, I have driven many hundreds of thousands of miles by myself, all with reasonable success, and even in different countries. Therefore, I have got to the point in my motoring career where I feel I have nothing left to prove. I am also a bit tired.

So, imagine my delight when my lovely new boyfriend comes along and starts saying things like “We’ll take my car – I’ll drive, darling, then you can have a glass of wine”.

Sheer joy!

I can’t remember the last time when I was a passenger on such a regular basis and I am starting to enjoy it.

I can now enjoy the rolling hills of Oxfordshire, have a little snooze and apply mascara without having to worry about on-coming traffic. And my lovely new boyfriend is such a great driver that I don’t even feel the need to criticise his technique or thrust my foot into the footwell in an attempt to brake on his behalf.

It’s all going really well.

There is also, of course, the fact that my trusty Ford Focus is rapidly coming to the end of its days and is probably going to fail its MOT next week.

Boyfriend’s car is almost brand new, nice and shiny and I haven’t yet discovered any sweaty rugby kits, banana skins or Labradors in it.

However, I don’t think I have actually witnessed him parallel parking or three-point turning yet...only time will tell, I guess!