My first car was a Mini GDK198D, which had more filler in it than metal (almost), but I took my test (and passed) in a newer Mini ODK959M. .....
both DK .... Rochdale registrations
You're right Andy - where I was born and bred. EN was Bury as I recollect.
In those days the registration indicated where you were from, as most people bought from local garages, and when sold, cars tended to stay locally as cars for sale were generally only advertised in local newspapers. The internet has obviously changed all that and car adverts in local newspapers are a thing of the past. The nearest you get to local registrations is the county or metropolitan district identifiers.
Correct The Mayoral car used to have EN1 on it ... on loan apparently.
I remember DK being Rochdale as my Dad worked for various funeral firms in & around Rochdale and many of the ir cars had DK registrations .... even a crappy old Bedford van 2538 DK - no idea why I can remember that!
There was a car / van rental place on Oldham Road in Rochdale near to Tom Mellor Ford whose fleet of vehicles were registered 1111DK, 2222DK, 3333DK, etc and then the reverse DK1111, DK2222, DK3333 etc. In those days, you just approached the local vehicle taxation office (in the case of Rochdale, in the magnificent Town Hall), and if the number wasn't allocated, for a nominal fee of £5.00 (from memory) you could have it. Try doing that today.....
In the 50's, my father had a Morris Minor with DDK157. He (wierdly) bought an Austin 1800 in 1965 from Ratcliffe Bros. on Halifax Rd in Rochdale and managed to get DDK157C just by 'asking'. My mother also bought a Lambretta 125 scooter from Robinsons in Rochdale around the same time, and got DDK57C on it!
Dispite doing all this, when they were sold, he just let them go with their registration still on them. I suppose, there wasn't the interest in them then.
The surname of a wartime friend of my father was ROW - he approached Birmingham tax office in the good old days, and for a miniscule amount came away with ROW 7.
Talking of Bury registrations - there was an 'interesting' reg knocking around the Burnley area for years in the 80' and 90' s - TEN10T. Not seen it now for years.
I don't particularly see the liking for these abstract personalised registrations people put on their cars that mean absolutely nothing, however an ''interesting' registration, I get..........to a point....