Numberplates.com is running a free photo competition. The prize is a nice 4 Gb Apple iPod Nano, like the one featured in this hi-res photo…

The contest is basically that you send in a decent photo of your personalised number plate, or of any good ones that you might see while you’re out and about. Just upload your pictures to the Numberplates.com website and you’re automatically entered into the draw for a cool iPod.

What have you got to lose? It’ll cost you nowt but a few moments fiddling with a camera and an upload form, and you could end up with the Nano. These are great little players. Room for thousands of songs.

Rules and stuff applies, but it’s all very reasonable and full details are given on the site.

I’ve entered twice already, but keep that to yourself, eh?

This one is actually worth a look. It’s not just a load of sales stuff about number plates, or company propaganda. It is pretty entertaining - even funny at times. Well worth a look IMHO.

Anyway, have a look at the Number Plates Blog and see what you think.

Ooh, one more thing… You might like to take a look at this acrylic plate and private number plates site next time you want a set of acrylics. Quick delivery, good prices and excellent quality plates. I just bought a set as water had got in between the layers of my old ones and ruined them. The ones I just got from these guys are much better.

Anyway, I saw the same Jimny in a car park a few days later. The driver was at the pay and display machine as I got to it, so I asked him what the strange pipe was all about.

“Oh, that’s a snorkel,” he replied.

I bit my tongue. A number of smart-arse retorts died unspoken. Instead of pushing my luck, I just asked him what it did. He told me that it raises the air intake for the engine. Oh, I said, and asked what the benefit was. He explained that it was for “off-roading”.

I realised at this point that I was, essentially, none the wiser about what the point was. Still, he seemed happy enough to chat, so I persevered and asked him how it helped with off-road driving. Suddenly he seemed a little less certain. Well, he explained, it got the air intake up where water and dirt would be less likely to get in and bugger up the filter.

OK, now we were getting somewhere.

I asked how serious the problem with dirt and water in the air intake generally was. He said that it had never actually been a problem for him, even before having the snorkel fitted. I then asked if the snorkel meant that the car could drive through deep water without conking out. Again there was that subtle uncertainty, but he said that he reckoned it could. After a pause he said that he’d not been through deep enough water to really try it.

As a fellow Jimny owner I was really quite curious as to the amphibious potential of my car, so I thought I’d risk one more question. How deep had he tried.

Well, he said, just normal puddles, really. He’d never actually driven it off-road. His wife said he ruin the car and so it had just not happened.

He was clearly both embarrassed and saddened at the thought, so I thanked him for his time and went off to the bank.

When I got back his car had gone from the car park. I like to think he threw caution to the wind and headed straight for a dirt track - or even to a reservoir with the intention of a submarine trial…

Below is a hi-definition CGI reconstruction of what such a trial might look like.

I’d previously regarded them with complete indifference. When they called over to ask “Car wash, sir?”, I’d just say no thanks then go and do my shopping. Last weekend, for some unknown reason, I caved in and let one of these fellows clean the car while I was in Sainsburys.

What can I say? He did a bloody good job, and it was no more expensive than the automatic car wash that always misses the back of my car because it can’t cope with the way the spare wheel is mounted.

Give these guys a go. It’s worth it, and you don’t have to set extra time aside to clean the car.

If I can just find a proper replacement indicator at a reasonable price I’ll be quite happy.

The progress report I received went something like:

“They don’t care about my car. They don’t care about my neck. They don’t care that I’m having to wait ages for my insurance and GAP to be sorted out. They don’t care that no one calls me back…”

Hmm, you kind of see now why I didn’t ask, eh?

Anyway, Angela has been suffering with moderate whiplash. It didn’t come on immediately, but she kind of seized up a day or two later. Below is an anatomical diagram taken from her medical report. It shows the severity of the injury, but is not suitable for those of a sensitive or squeamish disposition - or those who have no patience with whingers…

But obviously not as good as this one.

The whole thing was rather unfortunate. The chap who crashed into the back of Ang’s Peugeot had only just got his new car. It was the first he had ever actually owned - all his previous vehicles had been company cars. After inspection it turned out that Ang’s car was so badly damaged that the insurance company decided to write it off.

Oddly, it turned out that the chap who hit her was actually a new employee at our offices! As Harry Hill would say, What are the chances of that happening?

I’ll be posting a pic if I can persuade Ang to let me have one.

Fortunately no serious injuries, but Ang has a bit of whiplash going on, and a very stiff neck. Needless to say, her reverse parking at the moment is even dodgier than usual…

The broken indicator lens didn’t get replaced in the end. Sod it, Andrew patched it up for me enough to squeak the motor through its test. I’ll leave it like that for now - I really can’t be bothered to search out an affordable replacement. I did mention that one place I enquired wanted £30 for a salvaged indicator unit, when all I need is a plastic lens, didn’t I? Sheesh…