23 February 1963: The case of the electrified Land Rover

On this day in 1963, an unsuspecting bobby gets a shock when he stumbles upon an electrified Land Rover.

A warden writes a parking ticket in Newport, Wales, on 20th September 1984
(Image credit: Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)

Most of us would probably do almost anything to avoid getting a parking ticket. But few would go as far as a Sussex farmer in 1963, who, in his own words, was waging a “private war” against an enemy that was new to the capital – traffic wardens.

With his lorries bulging with produce from his farm, 40-year-old Peter Hicks would regularly drive to Covent Garden to set up shop. But as anyone who has driven in central London knows, finding somewhere to park is tricky, especially when you have a fleet of lorries. So, he parked them illegally on Shorts Gardens, near Seven Dials.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.