This may be well known to some, but it is new to me, perhaps because I usually buy certificates for my own use from the G.R.O. This morning I received a birth certificate from the register office at Canterbury (Kent, apart from the Medway towns, is now a single sub-district). Despite my slight colour-blindness, I noticed immediately that it was printed in black and not red. Of greater interest was that the details on it appear to be a facsimile of the entry in the register. This means, of course, that the register entry can now be seen without the risk of copying errors either on the quarterly return to the G.R.O. or on a certificate prepared in manuscript. Also, one can see a facsimile of the informant's signature. I wonder how common this practice is nationally. Incidentally, I sent a message of appreciation to the register office. Jeremy Wilkes