general knowledge

[STELLA]

who owns the personalised number plate mcp1? what do you call the rounded part on the top of a book of matches? where does the brand name 'findus' come from? which bones are babies born without?

[FredPuli]

Babies are born without kneecaps.

[archbishop]

I think Findus is a contraction of Fishing Industries.

[pezza.......]

Dont know who owns it but MCP1 is on a Mercedes 2.5 D Classic registered in 2000!

[smudge]

pezza - just an aside. How did you find out when the personalised no. plate MCP1 was registered & to which car? I have a personalised plate on a Merc & you've got me thinking! (I used Registration Transfers).

[boognish76]

You can look up any car registration on the RAC Vehicle Data Check database - http://www.rac.co.uk/myrac/vehicle_data_check/ I don't know who owns that reg but he must be a Male Chauvanist Pig!

[darth vader]

re: car registrations - if it's not listed does that mean the reg is available? i would quite like "MACK 1".......

[indiesinger]

I thought it might be Michael Portillo for a second, but a quick look on Google revealed his middle names are Denzil Xavier (!) But that was a bit of a wild guess. I saw a registration plate in Berwick today which was X8 but it was on an old red Vauxhall. If he can afford a numberplate like X8, why does he have an old car?

I just used that vehicle registration checker and, rather worryingly, it says that my car that I sold 3 weeks ago last change owner in May 2003! And I've had it for 4 years so I don't understand! And it can't even recognize my new car's numberplate. Have I had a couple of dodgy cars?!

I tried to find out where the word findus comes from, but had no luck. I looked on their website (www.findus.co.uk (no, really)) and I didn't see it on there. So I e-mailed them, using their handy online Contact Us form. I asked them "What is the origin of the word "findus"? Is it a contraction of words? An acronym? And I got this reply:

Dear Ben

Thank you for contacting Findus Consumer Service.

Findus Origins in the Nordic region. In 1941, Marabou, in Sweden.
For all company history visit our web site, findus.co.uk.company-history.htm

Regards
Jenny Barker

So that didn't help at all. Maybe you could try e-mailing them again (I'm scared to do it again, they'll think I'm mad!)

And lastly, I'll finish on a joke.
Q. Why did the baker have brown hands?
A. Because he kneaded a poo.

[STELLA]

could the mcp 1 belong to a man.city player as in man.city player 1 ?????

[Caladon]

ok, you all got me very curious about the findus answer, so i emailed them myself! lol as for the plate X8, there is a vauxhall clio in my town with one letter and one number (can't remember what it is) but its an old person driving, therefore thechances are they had the plate from new, like x8, or it got passed down the family.

[Caladon]

Dear Graham Thank you for contacting Findus Consumer Service Findus derives from Fruit Industries ( Swedish Company est.1043) In 200- Became Findus LTD (in the UK). Is owed by EQT- a Swedish Investment I hope this is helpful to you Regards J Barker Kind Regards Jenny Barker Findus Consumer Services I think she meant 1943 and not 1043!