2011 – Issue 1 of 4

DWO 123
AUTONUMEROLOGY;
This was the term used to describe the hobby of noting vehicle number
plates, whereas nowadays youngsters would probably just use the three
letter word – ‘Sad.’ However as bus enthusiasts, it was and still is,
common for us to use motor tax records in our hobby.
In the late 1940s a brown covered booklet was published called ‘Where’s
That Car From?’ which listed all the registration letters issued by the
various County Councils and County Burghs. A year or two later the
Measham Motor Auctions produced a little green booklet giving the dates
of when the various registration letters were issued, which was of great
help to the enthusiast. I still have my copy. (How sad is that?)
Much of the detail from these books was committed to memory, but now
60 years on most of this has gone (How sad again). Carved in stone
though are the registration marks used in the south east of Wales, i.e.
Glamorgan’s NY,TG, TX; Cardiff’s BO, KG, UH; Monmouth’s AX & WO
along with DW and HB from Newport and Merthyr Tydfil. These were
normally issued alphabetically in their own areas; but with some
exceptions. These were also the most numerous to be seen on the buses
and coaches I used to see travelling to Barry Island in the late 1940s.
When three letter registration marks began to appear, (Staffordshire was
the first in July 1932 with ARF 1) it was decided that certain letter
combinations would be omitted where they may cause offence, e.g. BUM,
GOD, JEW and SEX etc.
However, in 1958 it was considered fine to issue PAK in Bradford, but I
doubt if that would be the case these days. A few years later Essex C.C.
issued LOO and POO (in numbers first format).
Strangely, Monmouthshire’s DWO mark was not issued. Does anyone
know why? It was thought perhaps there was an irreverent meaning in
the Welsh language, but this drew a blank. There are very few words in
the English language begin with DW; and anyway Newport C.B.C. didn’t
have a problem issuing DW marks.
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