For many, acquiring their first private registration plate leads to many more purchases throughout their lives. This has certainly been the case for self-confessed number plate enthusiast, Ash Raine. In fact, Ash admits that he has been desperate to own his own personalised plate since he was just twelve years old. He remembers being impressed by some family friends who had them and decided that he too wanted the status that went along with displaying a personalised plate on his own car. He obviously had a few years to wait.

Ash finally received his first car, as an eighteenth birthday present and almost immediately was on the lookout for the ideal registration to transfer to his new set of wheels. He eventually settled on V88 AJR, as it combined the year he was born with his initials.

With his enthusiasm for number plates undiminished, Ash realised that he should be able to source a plate with his name on it. Over the course of the following years he spent a considerable amount of time searching for the most appropriate ‘ASH’ plate. What he discovered, however, was that ‘ASH’ plates were selling for thousands of pounds and he could not justify the price at that time.

Finally, he found his justification when he completed his degree in May 2009. As luck would have it, Ash found the plate, ASH 74R, the day he received his results. He is understandably delighted with his new private number plate, which is proudly displayed on his Vauxhall Corsa Sxi.