N Gauge Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Papyrus on December 06, 2021, 08:49:00 PM

Title: Coincidence
Post by: Papyrus on December 06, 2021, 08:49:00 PM
For reasons we needn't go into here, a few years ago, and at not inconsiderable expense, I bought my wife a personalised number plate - WW15TLE. (Yes, yes, I know it's sad...) Anyway, this evening we were driving through Haywards Heath and we pulled up behind a car with the registration W15SLE! How about that for a cool coincidence?

Yes, I know this is boring and posey and of no interest whatsoever, but I just had to tell somebody.  :D

Cheers,

Chris
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Southerngooner on December 06, 2021, 09:02:07 PM
I was behind the best personalised plate I've seen the other day....WH05 HEE. Liked that one a lot....

Dave
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Newportnobby on December 06, 2021, 09:05:59 PM
Best I've seen was a blond bombsite in a white BMW convertible but, this being a family forum, I can't say what the number plate was.
Next best was a Range Rover with the plate GUM 800T
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Bigmac on December 06, 2021, 09:17:34 PM
Quote from: Newportnobby on December 06, 2021, 09:05:59 PM
Best I've seen was a blond bombsite in a white BMW convertible but, this being a family forum, I can't say what the number plate was.
Next best was a Range Rover with the plate GUM 800T

bombsite ?
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Newportnobby on December 06, 2021, 09:46:05 PM
Quote from: Bigmac on December 06, 2021, 09:17:34 PM
Quote from: Newportnobby on December 06, 2021, 09:05:59 PM
Best I've seen was a blond bombsite in a white BMW convertible but, this being a family forum, I can't say what the number plate was.
Next best was a Range Rover with the plate GUM 800T

bombsite ?

If I recall, she was not what you would term a blond bombshell :no:
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Southerngooner on December 06, 2021, 09:56:55 PM
In the late 80's there was a young woman driving round the Borehamwood area of North London in a Porsche with the numberplate ONP 1L, spaced as ON P1L. Not the most subtle one I've always thought!

Dave
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: stevewalker on December 06, 2021, 10:50:56 PM
Years ago, I passed a Rolls-Royce on the motorway, with a very expensive plate - "BBC 1"
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: chrism on December 07, 2021, 06:15:03 AM
Saw a Roller in Southampton once, MR51NGH - and, yes, the driver did have a beard and a turban  ;)
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: chrism on December 07, 2021, 06:18:22 AM
Some years ago there was an article in the paper about a lass who had 25 EXY on her car, but not laid out  like that.
She kept getting fines for not having the characters laid out correctly but said she was perfectly happy to keep paying the fines because it got her lots of attention of another kind  ;)
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Bigmac on December 07, 2021, 07:34:33 AM
Too many years ago..here on the i o wight...jaguar xj6 with OGO 2 L
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: mickeyflinn on December 07, 2021, 07:59:37 AM
The best one I have seen recently is RU10CAL. I saw it on the way to Glossop from Stalybridge, and partway between these two towns is Hadfield. For those of you in the know, this was the place used as Royston Vasey in The League Of Gentlemen, where Tubbs And Edward asked that question to the shop visitors.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: john12glen on December 07, 2021, 08:36:16 AM
A friend on the Isle of Man, was given as a birthday present this number for his sports car,  MAN4U
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: martyn on December 07, 2021, 10:58:01 AM
Two railway related;

A few days ago, I saw B12 LNE, and many years ago, GER 999E, which was the as-built number of now preserved N7 69621. Coincidently, the latter was near Chappel and Wakes Colne, which is now the loco's home base.

There seems to be a few numberplates beginning BO55...

Martyn
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Ebs on December 07, 2021, 11:29:56 AM
I'd always thought of registering ownership of the Oxfordshire plate OO78 OND and selling it to the owner of an Aston Martin when it became valid in 2028... but sadly you can't do that sort of thing
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: thebrighton on December 07, 2021, 11:49:13 AM
Many years ago a black Porsche with blacked out windows (no idea how they could see out properly) used to regularly be seen around here and its number plate was BAD 1.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Papyrus on December 07, 2021, 12:18:10 PM
Never thought my silly post would develop into a discussion on number plates, but just to keep it going, some years ago I came across PAR50N. This got me thinking, and in my opinion religious types have rather too many opportunities for this sort of thing. I'm sure somebody already has V1CAR, B15HOP, RAB81, 1MAM, PR11EST... I'm sure there must be others.

What gets me are the ones which are obviously meant to say something, but it's so obscure that it obviously only means something to the owner. At least it is reasonably clear what ours is meant to say. I just wish I could have afforded WH.......

Cheers,

Chris
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Ebs on December 07, 2021, 12:56:21 PM
The best one I have seen was an old clapped out Robin Reliant, done up to look like it belonged to the Trotters, registered DEL 80Y
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Jack on December 07, 2021, 01:49:29 PM
Quote from: martyn link=topic=55560.msg739300#msg7quote author=martyn link=topic=55560.msg739300#msg739300 date=1638874681]

There seems to be a few numberplates beginning BO55...

Martyn


I wonder if these number plates were on cars belonging to those of the married female persuasion?   :whistle: :smiley-laughing:
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: javlinfaw7 on December 07, 2021, 02:48:04 PM
Bad seems to be a Porsche thing, a Porsche 944 in Glasgow
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/117/1970-071221144551.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=117019)
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: The Q on December 07, 2021, 04:54:46 PM
I followed on the A1 (in a traffic jam) a Porsche it's plate was PEN15..

I read many years ago in a motorcycle magazine, the plate was on one of those, blue mobility scooters, why? Well the owner was a ex motorbike racer who'd had a serious accident..
Needless to say the scooters pathetic 175cc engine had been replaced by a near full race 750cc engine...
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Jon898 on December 07, 2021, 08:00:35 PM
Note this one I posted sheepishly a couple of years ago:

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=25580.msg319541#msg319541 (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=25580.msg319541#msg319541)

Jon
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: dave.nm on December 07, 2021, 09:07:35 PM
Saw this one some time ago
                 JUST
             AG04LEE

Dave
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Railwaygun on December 08, 2021, 10:49:31 PM
i saw a white Roller in Chiswick with WOM 13, and PEN 15 has also been seen there!
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: PLD on December 09, 2021, 12:27:20 AM
PEN 15 is/was owned by one of the registration plate dealers on IIRC a smart car. There was some controversy when one of the tabloids refused an advert featuring it (which got them plenty of free publicity in the rival publications!   ::) )
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Trainfish on December 09, 2021, 02:40:45 AM
Quote from: The Q on December 07, 2021, 04:54:46 PM
I followed on the A1 (in a traffic jam) a Porsche it's plate was PEN15..

I read many years ago in a motorcycle magazine, the plate was on one of those, blue mobility scooters, why? Well the owner was a ex motorbike racer who'd had a serious accident..
Needless to say the scooters pathetic 175cc engine had been replaced by a near full race 750cc engine...

Steve Parrish used to have PEN1S. I saw it at Brands Hatch many moons ago. The number plate that is. I think he sold it on soon after though.

Similar but not quite the same is this one which coupled with the mini is quite funny.

(https://images.regtransfers.co.uk/websiteimages/photos/pen-15/pen-15_hamilton.jpg)
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Newportnobby on December 09, 2021, 09:42:47 AM
I think we know what these folks did last night (but it might not be here long!)

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/117/264-091221093955-117072511.jpeg)
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Trainfish on December 09, 2021, 09:48:40 AM
I hope they got dressed before going to KFC but then maybe they had a home delivery  :P
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: chrism on December 09, 2021, 10:40:54 AM
Quote from: Trainfish on December 09, 2021, 09:48:40 AM
I hope they got dressed before going to KFC but then maybe they had a home delivery  :P

In which case, I hope one of them got dressed before answering the door  :D
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: TrevL on December 09, 2021, 06:57:18 PM
Maybe they are the home delivery?
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: jollysmart on December 09, 2021, 11:41:33 PM

I've seen K3VIN on a Discovery, GTY 50 N, a few years ago, and RF 05 TER on a van nearly every day on my commute when 05 was current(ish).
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: njee20 on December 09, 2021, 11:50:15 PM
Carrying on NN's tangential tangent of accidentally amusing number plates:

(https://pics.me.me/yo-are-you-on-ee-na-02-fam-me-irl-21503062.png)

For another train one, renowned OO gauge modeller (and petrol head) James Makin has GM66 EWS on his Focus RS; not personalised per se, he was just able to choose it on delivery.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Trainfish on December 10, 2021, 12:29:10 AM
My wife has CPK as part of her numberplate. She wasn't too impressed when I told her it stood for Cabbage Patch Kid. True story  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Bealman on December 10, 2021, 12:36:35 AM
This the number plate on my car (really!) - rather unfortunate, in recent times, methinks!  :uneasy:

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/96/255-270620031743-96094104.jpeg)
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: daffy on December 10, 2021, 09:00:48 AM
DOH  :doh:

Not just a reaction to George's currently unfortunate number plate, but part of our own as 'Simpsons' fans when we got it in the '90's.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: PLD on December 10, 2021, 09:32:41 AM
Back to the original 'coincidence' theme of the OP... A previous car of mine was a silver Astra hatchback *336***. On two different occasions at motorway services I spotted *366*** which was a silver Astra estate.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Newportnobby on December 10, 2021, 10:11:12 AM
I had a company Renault Laguna S356 WOF in silver to travel countrywide as a Sales Manager.
At some point my firm started getting parking/speeding fines from London areas and I never drove in London (used train/tube).
My car had been spotted somewhere and some other sod in another silver Laguna was using my plates to get away with his activities. Swine.
The cops did get him, though
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Nbodger on December 10, 2021, 10:30:44 AM
Quote from: Newportnobby on December 10, 2021, 10:11:12 AM
I had a company Renault Laguna S356 WOF in silver to travel countrywide as a Sales Manager.
At some point my firm started getting parking/speeding fines from London areas and I never drove in London (used train/tube).
My car had been spotted somewhere and some other sod in another silver Laguna was using my plates to get away with his activities. Swine.
The cops did get him, though

I apparently went through a red light on the East Lancs Road, but my car was parked in the office car park in Barton on Humber. Yep it had been cloned.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Trainfish on December 10, 2021, 11:40:41 AM
I was parked in Ryde on the IOW a few years ago and came back to find a parking ticket on the windscreen (yeah yeah, ticket to Ryde etc) but rather than putting RLH as part of my registration number the warden had put RHL instead. So some poor sod somewhere who has probably never been to the IOW would have got my parking ticket  :thumbsup:
This was long before they started taking photographs so I never heard any more about it  :)
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: daffy on December 10, 2021, 11:54:50 AM
Our ** DOH plate was first put on a new Astra CD that turned out to be such a 'Friday afternoon' badly built car that, after 5000 miles and some bitter wrangles and numerous failed attempts by the dealer to repair it (including a complete new dashboard), we got them to replace it with a new one.
When we went to do the exchange, just for a while there were two silver Astra's on the forecourt with identical plates. Not a coincidence, but odd to see all the same.

I once followed another almost identical DOH plate, though the car was not the same make.

I've also experienced the cloned car situation with that same plate, which we still have (it's on it's fifth vehicle now). While I was in Malvern in 2015 it seems I was involved in a hit and run in Liverpool. Police caught up with the  :censored:.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: javlinfaw7 on December 10, 2021, 03:09:24 PM
A friend of mine a few years ago had a letter from london for congestion charges amounting  to a fair amount  , he queried this as his Lorry had never left the west of Scotland. However he was sent a picture of a Leyland Constructor tipper with his plate ,he was able to prove that at the time of some of the events he was delivering concrete from his mixer in Glasgow. I don't know if they caught the cloned lorry
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: guest311 on December 10, 2021, 03:22:14 PM
Quote from: Trainfish on December 10, 2021, 11:40:41 AM
I was parked in Ryde on the IOW a few years ago and came back to find a parking ticket on the windscreen (yeah yeah, ticket to Ryde etc) but rather than putting RLH as part of my registration number the warden had put RHL instead. So some poor sod somewhere who has probably never been to the IOW would have got my parking ticket  :thumbsup:
This was long before they started taking photographs so I never heard any more about it  :)

a dyslexic traffic warden, or one in a rush to make his daily total ?

and don't tell me they don't have targets  :hmmm:
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: guest311 on December 10, 2021, 03:30:18 PM
Quote from: javlinfaw7 on December 10, 2021, 03:09:24 PM
A friend of mine a few years ago had a letter from london for congestion charges amounting  to a fair amount  , he queried this as his Lorry had never left the west of Scotland. However he was sent a picture of a Leyland Constructor tipper with his plate ,he was able to prove that at the time of some of the events he was delivering concrete from his mixer in Glasgow. I don't know if they caught the cloned lorry

probably not, after all it would require some one to get off their backside and actually patrol the road with an ANPR camera, or set an alert for that, and other cloned numbers, on the ANPR system.

off topic, but I was once stopped by plod outside Oxford while driving an RAF artic for 'displaying a different reg number on the rear of the vehicle from that on the front of the vehicle'.

ex military will know why this was farcical, anyway after several minutes of trying to explain to the errrr officer, I told him to get on his talking broach and check with someone who knew what they were talking about.
much moaning and groaning but in the end he did so, then came back to the truck and said he was going to check the load.

we discussed this, and the procedures involved, and the repercussions if he did not follow them, and in the end he gave up, followed me all the way back to Brize, at 40mph  :angel: and then got into an argument with the gate guards [forewarned by me that he was a total  :censored:] as whether he could just drive onto the camp.

he lost that one as well  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Trainfish on December 10, 2021, 03:34:15 PM
Quote from: class37025 on December 10, 2021, 03:22:14 PM
Quote from: Trainfish on December 10, 2021, 11:40:41 AM
I was parked in Ryde on the IOW a few years ago and came back to find a parking ticket on the windscreen (yeah yeah, ticket to Ryde etc) but rather than putting RLH as part of my registration number the warden had put RHL instead. So some poor sod somewhere who has probably never been to the IOW would have got my parking ticket  :thumbsup:
This was long before they started taking photographs so I never heard any more about it  :)

a dyslexic traffic warden, or one in a rush to make his daily total ?

and don't tell me they don't have targets  :hmmm:

My ex always said the RLH stood for Rush Like Hell so you're probably right  :thumbsup:

I used to know a traffic warden (dead now but nothing to do with his work as far as I know) and yes, he had targets to reach set by the town council.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: The Q on December 13, 2021, 06:30:13 PM
I know of a story many years ago when the military were paid in cash
where plod gave a military vehicle parked outside a bank a lot of hassle.. They were collecting the cash to pay the RAF station..
The following week plod stuck his head in the window to start giving hassle he found himself looking into the muzzle of a sten gun...

I've had a snowdrop try to charge me for driving on the wrong side of the road...
A one way street and I was turning right......

At one point I carried a black brief case handcuffed to my wrist, and a letter saying dear Mr policeman do as this man says...sadly I never got to use the letter..

Used the have an ancient Anglia van, 998cc engine... It's number plate began MGT.. a more inappropriate plate I can't think of...

Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: guest311 on December 13, 2021, 07:46:25 PM
ahhh, the bank run...

remenber them when I was in NI.
MT driver
Snowdrop as escort
Accounts officer. fur box mechanic + brain on a chain in the back.

vehicle was a J2, with a cashbox bolted into the back, which was held open with a V shaped wedge on the way to the bank, when the cash went into the box, the wedge was removed and the box locked itself.

key held in accounts back at base.

and of course this led to pay parades .......

JENKINS !

Sir - 244

salute with right hand, left out for pay...
sign here
salute
about turn

Foxtrot Oscar

and don't even think of checking your pay at the pay table  >:D

good old days before everything was through banks.

IIRC, and it was a long time ago, I had my pay paid into my bank when I was in the Gulf, but got my local allowance at pay parade, in dinars and fils.

then down the provost club for lunch  :beers:

happy days  :D
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: jollysmart on December 13, 2021, 08:46:49 PM

Since J2s have been mentioned, when I worked for the Post Office Telephones, a long time ago, we had a diesel J2, GYO84D, the only diesel van we had which we used to tow a compressor for road breaking. It was such fun as the compressor weighed almost a much as the J2 so once it got up to its very max of 45MPH stopping it or going round a corner was quite fun as the compressor pushed the van around so much. Luckily the GPO was still a Crown company so the police weren't too interested.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: guest311 on December 13, 2021, 08:51:11 PM
45 MPH  :-[

you must have had the GT version  :D

later of course replaced by the much  :hmmm: loved  :hmmm: JU250.

another pile of absolute  :poop:
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Trainfish on December 13, 2021, 09:08:15 PM
I nearly had a J2O once but I saw sense just in time and had a beer instead  :beers:
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: jollysmart on December 13, 2021, 09:14:03 PM

It did need a long hill ,going down,  to get the top speed but that just made stopping more difficult, we also had a Morris J? minibus with a completely reverse gear box, 1st where 4th should be and 4th where 1st should be, you had to concentrate with that. It also had the trick of backfiring very loudly if the ignition was switched off for a couple of seconds and back on, boom. Great until it blew the exhaust to bits, that apparently took a bit of explaining to the MT guys by the person who did the damage.

With the J250 which had a large rear door and twin side doors it was a hoot to drive ,but one of my colleagues had been working in a mining area and the van was overheating so he took it into the MT and when they lifted the engine cover in the cab the baked on mud completely surrounded the engine and there was complete impression of the underside of the engine cover which was the only thing visible. the MT were once again unhappy.

My JU250 the lower rear door hinge pulled thought the door metal and dropped down, the MT fix was 2 big washers on the other side of the door and bolt it back up with the remark "when it falls off again take it to another mechanic".

Loads more van memories as you say they managed to buy some truly terrible vehicles but then the choice at the time was rather limited.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: joe cassidy on December 14, 2021, 01:14:32 PM
Anyone got any anecdotes about electric milk floats ?

There can't be any vehicle slower, less manoeuvrable than that ?

In the meantime, my dad was a bus conductor in Dublin before the war. He didn't know how drive but one evening, after hours, he decided to have a go. He managed to start a bus but he didn't know how stop it so he had to drive it round in circles inside the bus garage until it ran out of petrol.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: guest311 on December 14, 2021, 01:28:46 PM
Quote from: joe cassidy on December 14, 2021, 01:14:32 PM
Anyone got any anecdotes about electric milk floats ?


only the usual, I'd assume.
in my youth, often returned home sat on one after a good night out, with the added advantage of course of a pint of proper milk to settle the stomach.

ahh, the rattle of milk bottles in crate, a sound no longer heard.

plastic bottles don't rattle  :'(
we do still have a milkman come round here, but not in a proper float.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Newportnobby on December 14, 2021, 01:47:48 PM
In the early 2000s I used to sell milk bottle capping foil to many of the major dairies but had to watch that business decline as supermarkets/plastic bottles killed off doorstep deliveries :'(
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: woodbury22uk on December 14, 2021, 02:02:06 PM
For a while around 2000, the Dundee and West Midlands parts of National Express were running a bus each with an identical registration plates.. Probably one of those 2 for 1 deals that went wrong. The following batch of buses were BU51, appropriate for the type. It all started going wrong when the BJ series was in use. Ok until they got to 2008. My neighbour's wife's BMW still carries an 08 plate, with the last 3 characters representing her name.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: joe cassidy on December 14, 2021, 02:03:47 PM
When I was a six-former in the mid-seventies I used to work "on the milk" at weekends for the Co-op dairy in Tamworth.

There was a period when milk bottles were no longer available so we had to deliver the milk in plastic sachets, loaded in bins on the milk float.

Anyone remember that ?
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: Newportnobby on December 14, 2021, 02:13:47 PM
Quote from: joe cassidy on December 14, 2021, 01:14:32 PM
Anyone got any anecdotes about electric milk floats ?


I recall in the comedy show 'Naked Video' there was a skit by a supposedly Welsh chap named Siadwell (pronounced Shadwell) whose uncle drove a milk cart.
One week Shadwell said "We went to Aberystwyth in my uncles's company car. Took us 7 hours"
There are clips on YouTube but I can't find that one
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: daffy on December 14, 2021, 03:13:16 PM
Quote from: class37025 on December 14, 2021, 01:28:46 PM

ahh, the rattle of milk bottles in crate, a sound no longer heard.

Our neighbours have a delivery every day of glass bottled milk carried in crates on a flat-bed van. Plastic crates though, so the 'rattle' is not quite the same as in my youth but it is still there. Just.
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: joe cassidy on December 15, 2021, 12:59:03 PM
Are you sure it's not "Ernie's ghostly gold tops, a rattlin' in their crate" ?
Title: Re: Coincidence
Post by: stevewalker on December 15, 2021, 03:45:52 PM
Quote from: joe cassidy on December 14, 2021, 01:14:32 PM
Anyone got any anecdotes about electric milk floats ?

Yes. Many years ago, the milk float delivering milk to my parents, on a slow, residential road, met a car coming the opposite way and pulled in between two parked cars - except that he swung in too early and the side of the the milk float went over the wing of my dad's car.

It caused no end of complications, as it was a company car, so had to be dealt with through insurance, but the milkman was on holiday, his brother was unofficially covering the round, didn't work for the company and he wasn't insured to drive the milk float.

After preliminary details had been exchanged and driver had moved the milk float, he added insult to injury, by coming back for the weekly milk money!