Neil's Corner
by Neil Cairns
The following are a series of articles written by Neil Cairns, one of the Register's 'Techno bods' and Safety Fast scribe. From time to time, Neil will write other articles which will be loaded to this page. If you have a suggestion for his ever ready pen, you can email him here. Some of these articles will be of a general MG nature, others specific to the Y Type and / or XPAG engine.
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Buying and Running an old MG Y A Buyer's Guide |
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(opens in a new window) |
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Understanding (decoding) UK Licence Plates
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SINGLE LETTER Registrations, by area. First issued from 1903, but some were reused as offices ran out of numbers in the late 1950's & early 60's i.e 'A166'.
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A |
London |
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J |
Durham |
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S |
Edinburgh |
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B |
Lancashire |
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K |
Liverpool |
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T |
Devonshire |
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C |
Yorkshire, West Riding |
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L |
Glamorgan |
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U |
Leeds |
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D |
Kent |
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M |
Cheshire |
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V |
Lanarkshire |
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E |
Staffordshire |
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N |
Manchester |
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W |
Sheffield |
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F |
Essex |
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O |
Birmingham |
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X |
Northumberland |
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G |
Glasgow |
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P |
Surrey |
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Y |
Somerset |
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H |
Middlesex |
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Q |
Not issued |
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Z |
Dublin |
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I |
Not Issued |
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R |
Derbyshire |
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DOUBLE LETTER Registration by area. Note that some letters were re-allocated in both 1974 and 1981, as busy Registration Offices ran out of the original letters. Issuing in the old area then ceased as the new Office began using them, and in some cases letters have been in three different areas countrywide! This lack of space is shown as '74 or '81. Most were issued to their areas originally in 1903, under the "Motor Car Act 1903" i.e. 'A 166', 'AB 166', and later 'BAB 166', and after 1963 'B166 BAB.
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A_ B_ C_ D_ E_ F_ G_ H_ I_ J_ K_ L_ M_ N_ O_ P_ Q_ R_ S_ T_ U_ V_ W_ X_ Y_ Z_ |
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AA |
Hampshire, Salisbury, Bournemouth |
AN |
West Ham, Greater London Council; & Reading from'74 |
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AB |
Worcestershire |
AO |
Cumberland, Carlisle |
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AC |
Warwickshire |
AP |
East Sussex, Brighton |
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AD |
Gloucestershire |
AQ |
Not Issued |
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AE |
Bristol |
AR |
Hertfordshire CC; & Chelmsford from '74 |
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AF |
Cornwall |
AS |
Nairn; & Inverness from'74 |
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AG |
Ayrshire; & Hull from '74 |
AT |
Kingston on Hull |
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AH |
Norfolk |
AU |
Nottingham |
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AI |
Not Issued |
AV |
Aberdeen; & Peterborough from'74 |
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AJ |
Yorkshire North Riding & Middlesborough '74 |
AW |
Shropshire |
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AK |
Bradford; & Sheffield from'74 |
AX |
Monmouth, Cardiff |
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AL |
Nottingham |
AY |
Leicester |
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AM |
Wiltshire, Swindon |
AZ |
Not Issued |
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BA |
Salford, Manchester |
BN |
Bolton, Manchester |
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BB |
Newcastle on Tyne |
BO |
Cardiff |
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BC |
Leicester |
BP |
West Sussex, & Portsmouth from'74 |
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BD |
Northampton |
BQ |
Not Issued |
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BE |
Lincolnshire, Grimsby |
BR |
Sunderland, Durham; & Newcastle'74 |
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BF |
Stoke on Trent |
BS |
Orkney, Kirkwall from '74, Inverness from '81 |
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BG |
Birkenhead, Liverpool |
BT |
York; & Leeds from '81, |
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BH |
Bucks CC; & Luton from '74 |
BU |
Oldham, Manchester |
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BI |
Not Issued |
BV |
Blackburn, Preston |
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BJ |
East Suffolk, Ipswich |
BW |
Oxford |
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BK |
Portsmouth |
BX |
Carmarthenshire |
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BL |
Berkshire, Reading |
BY |
Croydon, Greater London Council from '65, London from '74 |
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BM |
Bedfordshire; & Luton from '74 |
BZ |
Not Issued |
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CA |
Denbigh; & Cheshire from '74 |
CN |
Gateshead, Newcastle on Tyne |
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CB |
Blackburn, Bolton from '74,Manchester from '81 |
CO |
Plymouth; & Exeter from '81 |
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CC |
Caernarvon; & Bangor from '74 |
CP |
Halifax; & Huddersfield from '74 |
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CD |
Brighton |
CQ |
Not Issued |
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CE |
Cambridge; & Peterborough from '81 |
CR |
Southampton; & Portsmouth from '74 |
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CF |
West Suffolk; & Reading from '74 |
CS |
Ayrshire; & Glasgow from '81 |
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CG |
Hants CC; Salisbury from '74;& Bournemouth from '81 |
CT |
Boston, Lincoln |
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CH |
Derby; & Nottingham from '74 |
CU |
South Shields;& Newcastle from '74 |
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CI |
Not Issued |
CV |
Cornwall, Truro |
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CJ |
Hereford, & Gloucester from '74 |
CW |
Burnley; & Preston from '74 |
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CK |
Preston |
CX |
Huddersfield |
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CL |
Norwich |
CY |
Swansea |
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CM |
Birkenhead; & Liverpool from '74 |
CZ |
Not Issued |
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DA |
Wolverhampton; & Birmingham from '74 |
DN |
York; & Leeds from '81 |
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DB |
Stockport; & Manchester from '74 |
DO |
Holland; & Boston'74;&Lincoln'81 |
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DC |
Middlesborough; Teeside from'74; Middlesborough from'81 |
DP |
Reading |
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DD |
Gloucester |
DQ |
Not Issued |
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DE |
Pembroke; & Haverfordwest from '74 |
DR |
Plymouth; & Exeter from '81 |
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DF |
Gloucester |
DS |
Peebles; & Glasgow from '74 |
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DG |
Gloucester |
DT |
Doncaster; &Sheffield from '74, |
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DH |
Walsall; & Dudley from '74 |
DU |
Coventry |
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DI |
Not Issued |
DV |
Devon C.C.; & Exeter from '74 |
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DJ |
St.Helens; Warrington from '74;Liverpool from '81 |
DW |
Newport Monmouthshire, and Cardiff from'74 |
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DK |
Rochdale; Bolton from '74; Manchester from '81 |
DX |
Ipswich |
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DL |
Isle of Wight; Newport Isle of Wight from '74; Portsmouth from'81, |
DY |
Hastings; & Brighton from '81 |
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DM |
Flint C.C.; & Chester from '74. |
DZ |
Not Issued |
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EA |
West Bromwich, & Dudley from '74 |
EN |
Bury, Bolton '74, Manchester '81 |
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EB |
Isle of Ely, Cambridge from '65, Peterborough from '81 |
EO |
Barrow in Furness, & Preston from '74 |
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EC |
Westmorland, Kendal from '74, Preston from '81 |
EP |
Montgomeryshire, & Swansea from '74 |
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ED |
Warrington, & Liverpool from '81 |
EQ |
Not Issued |
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EE |
Grimsby, Lincoln |
ER |
Cambridge, & Peterborough from '81 |
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EF |
West Hartlepool, & Middlesbrough from'74 |
ES |
Perthshire, & Dundee from '74 |
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EG |
Peterborough |
ET |
Rotherham, Sheffield |
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EH |
Stoke on Trent |
EU |
Breconshire, & Bristol from '74 |
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EI |
Not Issued |
EV |
Essex, & Chelmsford from '74 |
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EJ |
Cardigan, Aberystwyth from '74, Bangor from '81,Haverfordwest from '83 |
EW |
Huntingdon, & Peterborough from '74 |
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EK |
Wigan, Warrington from '74,Liverpool from '81 |
EX |
Great Yarmouth, & Norwich from '74 |
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EL |
Bournemouth |
EY |
Anglesey, & Bangor from '74 |
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EM |
Bootle, & Liverpool from '74 |
EZ |
Not Issued |
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FA |
Burton on Trent,& Stoke on Trent from '74 |
FN |
Canterbury, & Maidstone from '74 |
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FB |
Bath, & Bristol from '74 |
FO |
Radnor, Hereford from '74, Gloucester from '81, |
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FC |
Oxford |
FP |
Rutland, & Leicester from '74 |
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FD |
Dudley |
FQ |
Not Issued |
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FE |
Lincoln |
FR |
Blackpool, & Preston from '74 |
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FF |
Merioneth, Aberystwyth from '74,Bangor from '81 |
FS |
Edinburgh |
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FG |
Fife C.C., & Brighton from '74 |
FT |
Tynemouth, & Newcastle '74 |
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FH |
Gloucester |
FU |
Grimsby, Lincoln |
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FI |
Not Issued |
FV |
Blackpool, & Preston from '74 |
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FJ |
Exeter |
FW |
Lindsey, Lincoln |
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FK |
Worcester, & Dudley from '74 |
FX |
Dorset, & Bournemouth from '74 |
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FL |
Peterborough |
FY |
Southport, & Liverpool from '74 |
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FM |
Chester |
FZ |
Not Issued |
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GA |
Glasgow |
GN |
London |
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GB |
Glasgow |
GO |
London |
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GC |
London |
GP |
London |
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GD |
Glasgow |
GQ |
Not Issued |
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GE |
Glasgow |
GR |
Sunderland, Durham from '74,Newcastle on Tyne from '81 |
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GF |
London |
GS |
Perthshire, & Luton from '74 |
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GG |
Glasgow |
GT |
London |
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GH |
London |
GU |
London |
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GI |
Not Issued |
GV |
West Suffolk, & Ipswich from '74 |
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GJ |
London |
GW |
London |
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GK |
London |
GX |
London |
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GL |
Bath, & Truro from '74 |
GY |
London |
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GM |
Motherwell & Wishaw, & Reading from '74 |
GZ |
Not Issued |
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HA |
Smethwick, Warley from '74, Dudley from '81 |
HN |
Darlington, & Middlesbrough from '81 |
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HB |
Merthyr Tydfil, & Cardiff from '74 |
HO |
Hants, Salisbury from '74,Bournemouth from'81 |
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HC |
Eastbourne, Hastings from '74,Brighton from '81 |
HP |
Coventry |
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HD |
Dewsbury, & Huddersfield from '74 |
HQ |
Not Issued |
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HE |
Barnsley, & Sheffield from '74 |
HR |
Wiltshire, Swindon |
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HF |
Wallasey, & Liverpool from '74 |
HS |
Renfrewshire, & Glasgow from '74 |
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HG |
Burnley, & Preston '74 |
HT |
Bristol |
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HH |
Carlisle |
HU |
Bristol |
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HI |
Not Issued |
HV |
East Ham, Greater London Council from '65, & London from '74 |
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HJ |
Southend, & Chelmsford from '74 |
HW |
Bristol |
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HK |
Essex, & Chelmsford from '74 |
HX |
Middlesex, Greater London Council from '74, & London from '81 |
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HL |
Wakefield, & Sheffield from '74 |
HY |
Bristol |
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HM |
East Ham, Greater London Council from '65, & London from '74 |
HZ |
Not Issued |
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I (and Z) issued originally in Northern Ireland as it could easily be misread as a numeric 1 |
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JA |
Stockport, & Manchester from '74 |
JN |
Southend, & Chelmsford from '74 |
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JB |
Berkshire C.C., & Reading from '74 |
JO |
Oxford |
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JC |
Caernarfon, & Bangor from '74 |
JP |
Wigan, Warrington from '74,Liverpool from '81 |
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JD |
West Ham, Greater London Council from '65,London from '74 |
JQ |
Not Issued |
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JE |
Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire from '65,Peterborough from '74 |
JR |
Northumberland, Newcastle from '74 |
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JF |
Leicester |
JS |
Ross, Stornoway from '74, Inverness from '81 |
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JG |
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