I don't "need" one either, but after playing with one at SRS it's made itself a little nest in my mind and keeps squawking, "Buy me! Buy me!"

Yes and no. A good teleconverter is by no means cheap, and a cheap teleconverter is never any good - you really do get what you pay for!

If you want a lens that goes to 300mm then buy a 300mm lens. A 150mm lens with a 2x TC will never give as good results and the maximum aperture will drop by two stops (so a 150mm f/4 lens will effectively become a 300mm f/8 lens, etc).

If I were you (bearing in mind you said that weight was an issue) then I'd maybe look at something like the Sigma 18-125 you mention and pair it with and old 500mm mirror lens. The mirror lens won't give as great quality, but it will be light and it should be better than pretty much any zoom with a TC attached to it - ideal for when you spot a herd of rhinos on your safari.

Just change your tax year so it ends in June - problem solved!

The control wheel on mine is very stiff (although that's a good thing as it prevents it being accidently knocked) but I've never had a problem with no response whatsoever - sounds like yours is jinxed.

I've never had any trouble, but then I'm a 6'5" 250lb ex-bouncer - although I don't bite I'm often told I look like I do, so even burly security guards tend to approach with caution...

Good choice! A Lupo does have a certain look from the front so good luck finding one in the right place

Nice shot of the nose, I like the angle and the crop, I hate the background. It clashes too much with the shiny paintwork and the angle of the grating is just plain wrong. I think the reflections in the paint are more pleasing in this one than the Bentley one though as they're suggestive without being confusing - If it were mine I'd be Photoshopping it to get rid of that floor...

A be-winged black label - surely there is no sweeter sight?

You've done a good job of avoiding reflections in the chromework but I think I can spot you just below the badge. When I'm out shooting cars (which is most of my photography if I'm honest) I've found it's impossible to avoid reflections in anything other than a controlled studio environment; as days like that come along once in a blue moon I've accepted and started working with the reflections instead. Cars parked under cloudscapes (either fluffy white Simpsons-style or moody stormy) can look fabulous, as can those under overhanging foliage. If I was in London I'd look for some of your trademark architectural skylines - you have a good eye for those after all! This particular picture doesn't work for me because the reflections are a bit distracting and difficult to fathom - I know you couldn't choose where the car was parked but hey, you do live in London so it's not like there's any shortage of other Bentleys to have a crack at!

No. I enjoy photography as a hobby and would have no wish to develop it into work - it'd sap the fun out of it for me.

I don't have a split prism screen, just the regular matte one. In bright light I find MF to be pretty accurate but when the light dims I tend to switch back to AF (assuming I have an AF lens with me).