I recently came into possession of my grandfather's driving licence. It seems that, back in the 1930s and 40s, it had to be renewed annually, for a fee of 5 shillings (25 pence; but 5 shillings was worth a whole lot more then). I suppose that the annual fee eventually became our modern roadfund licence (now about £150 a year, depending on the sort of vehicle you drive). Anyway, it seems that, each year, the relevant authorities issued Grandpa with a little receipt, that was stuck in a little pocketbook. All the receipts have beautiful, elegant handwriting, in fountain pen: beats laserprinters any day. At the back of the pocketbook, however, is an ominous notice dated 21st June 1954, noting that, at a City Magistrates Court, Grandpa had been convicted of driving without due care and attention (goodness knows what he'd done, but he was never the greatest of drivers), and was fined £3 plus 10/6 costs. I think an ordinary wage might have been about £8-£10 a week, so £3 would have been an awful lot. And - yes - it says "Licence endorsed". So that's what an endorsement was, in those days at any rate: a little sheet that was stuck (with a bit of yellowing Sellotape) in the back of the pocketbook. I'm surprised Grandpa didn't just rip it out: but perhaps people were more law-abiding in those days.