The Amsterdam titfer experiment

I sneaked into Amsterdam at the weekend and left an unexpected gift for one of the city's many cyclists. Yep, you guessed it - a brand, spanking new P40B titfer. Will the recipient follow the carefully worded instructions that accompany the hat? Or have they already chucked it in the canal? Only time will tell. See below for more photos.

Hat's a big surprise: titfer turns up in the panier of an unsuspecting Amsterdam cyclist. Instructions are stuck on the exterior and interior of the hoed.

A titfer tip-off. Street sign gives a clue as to the location of the wild hat.

Busted hat in Baton Rouge

What do you do in the aftermath of a hurricane? If your name is Sue and you live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the answer is that you pick yourself and take your dog Milo for a walk. Wearing eye-catching P40B headgear, of course.

The intrepid pair are pictured not long after the arrival of Hurricane Gustav. And while I can't promise that my lucky titfer 13 will offer protection against falling debris, it does provide an opportunity to show off the true American spirit.

Back home now for some crawfish pie, I think.

Location: Baton Rouge, USA
Date: Post-Gustav
Hat No: 13
Status: Semi Wild

The Demohatic National Convention? Yes we can!

Can we get a P40B hat inside a major international political event? In the words of aspiring US Presidential candidate Barack Obama, "Yes we can!" The evidence above comes from the Democratic National Convention last month, held in Denver, Colorado. And the lady posing is Ginny - someone born and raised in a political family down in Louisiana.

As a strictly non-partisan birthday brand, P40B can't afford to take sides in the ongoing electoral battle in America. But if Maverick McCain and his moose-munching sidekick make it to the White House, God help us all.

So thanks for taking the trouble to take the photo, Ginny. And for reminding us that there's more than one important date coming up in early November.

Location: Denver, USA
Date: August 08
Hat No: 13
Status: Semi Wild

Hat makes waves on the high seas

Ahoy there, shipmates! P40B hat on the horizon.

Another one that I shouldn't, strictly speaking, allow. My old friend Natalia has already featured in the P40B hall of fame, but she's done such a good job at sneaking her titfer on to a cruise ship, that I'm bending the rules for her just a tad. Note the signatures on the hat, indicating that it's already passed hands a number of times before circling its way back to the Natster. So, a second photo op is allowed on this occasion. But don't go thinking I'll allow anyone a hat trick. The branded headgear does have to change hands, you know.

Location: Somewhere off the Amalfi coast
Date: 19 Sept 08
Hat No: 5
Status: Semi Wild

It's that man again

In theory, it shouldn't be allowed. But Russ is a very good friend and I've decided he gets two bites of the titfer cherry. Rather than pass the hat on to someone else, he's travelled with it himself to two different countries. We've already seen this particular branded item on display in France and here it is again - this time in La Gomera in the Canaries. It apparently took 54 hours for Russ to get there, but I'm not allowed to ask why. I hope it didn't have anything to do with strict anti-hat regulations being in force in this exotic paradise.

Location: La Gomera, near Tenerife
Date: 12th Sept 08
Hat No: 19
Status: Controlled Release

Up in front of the beak

My old friend Ruth had better watch out. This seemingly harmless Italian sculpture at Pisa Airport appears to have his eye on her P40B titfer. No point in negotiating politely, as the bird only speaks pidgin English.

Ruth and her family have been on a tour of Italy and - like all respectable tourists - they packed some branded headgear. To find out more about their exploits and to see a P40B hat at the grave of one of the world's most famous astronomers, simply visit the Italiano Titfa Tour.

Location: Pisa, Italy
Hat No: 25
Date: 4th Sept 08
Status: Conrolled Release

P40B joins the mile high club

Winging it: the P40B phenomenon reaches Saudi airspace

You thought the top of the CN Tower in Toronto was high? Try a cruising altitude of 33,000 feet. As pilot Aran guides his Airbus 330 over the Middle East, the pressure in the cabin is mounting. The excited crew give the signal and the official airline titfer is traded in for a stylish white P40B model. But the fun can't last long. Flying a plane is a serious business and there are customers waiting for duty free.

Aran picked up the hat in Cambodia and there's no telling where the 23 will end up next. It's one wild titfer and no mistake.

Location: Saudi Arabian airspace
Hat No: 23
Date: 1st Sept 08
Status: Wild

Number 11 on the streets of San Francisco

All aboard, now! The number 11 has come to town.

I don't know. You wait half an hour for a hat and then a whole load turn up at once.

This is my old friend Andy, who was born and raised in London, but now lives in NYC. He seems to be doing some kind of all-American tour, as he's sent me shots from Chicago and Kentucky and goodness knows where else. But it's these ones in Frisco that have particularly taken my fancy. Andy is riding the rails - at great personal risk - to get that perfect P40B shot. He seems to be very well dressed for the occasion and I'm not just referring to his branded headgear received on mail order from England. It looks as if he's actually donned a formal business suit, which shows a level of commitment and seriousness that is lacking in many of the other photos I've been sent. But then Andy does have an MBA from a top US business school and has held a number of high-powered consultancy jobs. This is probably him in dress down mode.

Great work. And we're promised further news from number 11 as it travels back to the north-east of the States.

Any more fares now please? Andy travels in style with his official P40B hat.

Location: San Francisco, USA
Hat No: 11
Date: 1st Sept 08
Status: Controlled Release

Canada High

There's a story behind every titfer, but this one's a particularly tricky customer. It might be hat number 16. But then again, it might not.

The reason for the doubt is all to do with its days under controlled release in London. Without going into all the sordid details, I sent a hat to my friend Louise who hangs out on the Purley Way in Croydon. The great British postal service being what it is, the branded headgear never arrived. So I sent a replacement. And then, guess what? Yup, that's right. The original one turned up. So Louise had TWO titfers. She sent one travelling towards Australia via the Sound of Music stage show in London. And the other one was sent to Toronto with her friend Jackie. She poses here in front of the mighty tall CN Tower and then takes her hat for a ride in the elevator (see below).

Let's not get too hung up over numbers. The important thing is that we've conquered Canada. The rest of the world must surely follow.

Jackie and the Great Glass Elevator: a P40B titfer soars to the top of Toronto's CN Tower.

Location: Toronto, Canada
Hat No: 16*
Date: As stamped
Status: Semi Wild