You may have read here last week that I was called up for a photoshoot with the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to whom we’ve lent a LEAF.

I’m not a big fan of these photo calls. Flash bulbs and copious poses should be reserved for professional models, not manufacturer MDs, but when duty calls, I duly oblige.

Being the mayor of our capital, means Boris’ time is a little precious so these publicity shoots often get rolled up alongside others, as was the case for Nissan’s time in front of the camera.

Waiting in line for my shot with Boris, I noticed on the list after me was a chipmunk. For some reason I imagined a man dressed as a chipmunk who was running the London Marathon would roll up, so you can imagine my surprise when a young man dripping in gold (I was later told this should be referred to as ‘bling’) arrived with an entourage that’d put a royal to shame.

I wondered what all the fuss was about so asked one of Boris’ aides who the young man was.

‘That’s Chipmunk,’ I was told.

My blank face told the aide all he needed to know.

‘The rapper,’ he added.

‘Oh,’ was all I could muster as a reply. Turns out he’s had a few hits… Needless to say I didn’t mention it to my kids – I can do without the months of ribbing.

SUN

On a more serious note, I’m pleased to report that along with the arrival of the spring sunshine it seems many car buyers have also emerged from hibernation.

The Easter break was extremely busy and many of you have been reporting increased interest from buyers. The feel good factor of two four-day holidays, and the appearance of some much-needed sunshine, is proving to be the tonic many buyers needed.

When spring arrives people start thinking about treating themselves – and fortunately those treats could well be a new car for many this year.