How it all got started

Like many of the best things in life- my micro ISV adventure started almost completely by accident.

I failed my driving test. I managed to drive into a bus lane- whoops.

Now, as anyone who has tried to book a driving test in London will know- the waiting list is about three months (as I write, the closest test in Barking is three months and a week away).

My driving instructor told me that it was possible to get closer tests- all you had to do was check the test booking website non-stop for a few days, and when someone cancelled their test, you could leap in and take their slot.

Unfortunately- I have a day job, and understanding as my boss is, I couldn't see him, or the rest of my team putting up with checking the DSA website all day trying to get a driving test.

So, I did what any self respecting computer programmer would do- I automated it. Just put together a quick bit of .NET code which would check the website every few minutes for me, and then email me when a new driving test came up. Simple- and it worked, within a couple of days I had a new driving test.

A couple of weeks later, my girlfriend was off work with swine flu, and I was quarantined at home too- with nothing to do. I decided to polish up my solution, knock up a website and see if anyone else was interested...

And so, Driving Test Cancellation Checker (http://www.drivingtestcancellations.co.uk) was unleashed onto the world.