the number 88 is of some Hitlerian significance

I believe it's nothing too sophisticated - "H" is the 8th letter in the alphabet.
Heil Hitler >> HH >> 88

There is or was another (like-minded) group where the number 18 was involved, for the same reason.

For all you folks outside the UK: don't get the wrong impression, here. Unless I've been living in a box (hmmm, we-ell..) the activities of cosy neo-Nazi groups like those mentioned above are rarely noticeable.

People who share various degrees of belief in common with the groups are sadly more prevalent, although a lot of this is more about ignorance than actual malice.

I hope that my assessment of the situation isn't too hugely out of step with shanks' actual experience. Speaking for myself, I have a number of Indian friends, most of whom are IMHO better Englishmen than many people of genuine Anglo-Saxon extraction.

Suppose I should mention here that I'm not of Anglo-Saxon extraction myself. By birth and nurture I'm as English as they come, but by blood I'm 100% "other"! Maybe not too significant an other though, visually speaking.