Categories: uncategorized
Date: 25 July 2004 08:51:34
...about the little debacle of the last 48 hours. Panic plus plus on Friday morning when little M's passport was found not to be in its customary resting place - with mine. After hours of searching and frantic visit to the Post Office, I call the passport office to find that, no, the GPO misinformed me about even the remotest chance of getting a replacement before we set off; the earliest personal appointment they can offer is next Thursday in Newport and even then we're talking a week for the document to arrive. Aaaagh! There follows frantic phone calls to Mr M (who being in the middle of ongoing ordeal of clearing his mum's house is not in the best of moods). He refuses to take 'no' for an answer (says that if it was the PM in the same situation, he'd lay bets that he wouldn't hit the same obstacles), and says he'll call central office himself and see what he can do. Meanwhile, I summon a rightly disgruntled little M and we rush into the photographers. Friday afternoon isn't the best time to find a countersignatory at short notice, but thank goodness someone at church is able to oblige.
I get back in later to find that Mr M's efforts have born fruit; I have an appointment at the Peterborough office tomorrow afternoon. Rush off again to sort out train tickets. It turns out later I was lucky. The way things were going for a while it looked as if the only option was going to be flying over to Belfast on Monday! One sleepless night later, I set off. Surprise surprise, what could have been a disastrous day gets better and better. All the trains connect up as if by clockwork. I do NOT get lost on the tube. I do, however, get slightly confused in Peterborough Queensgate shopping centre! I reach the passport office. No long queues - no hassle. A kind lady looks through my forms and 1001 supporting documents, checks out little M's details, and arranges for a replacement passport to get to us by next Tuesday lunchtime!
I resist the temptation to do a little dance in celebration (we'll reserve that for when the document is actually in my hot little hands) and emerge into the centre of Peterborough. Ring Mr M with the good news. He's pleased but says rather enigmatically that he can't talk now. No prizes for guessing why, poor thing.
Wander off in search of peace , caffeine and a toilet,in no particular order, and discover an oasis of calm off the busy shopping centre - Peterborough cathedral. Have a happy half hour wander around the place - all the more happy because it was unexpected. Another surprise. After a recent labyrinth weekend, someone had e-mailed me and mentioned that one of the cathedrals was doing the Chartres labyrinth periodically over the summer. ?Turns out Peterborough was it! Although sadly, it wasn't on when I visited. Otherwise, it couldn't have been better - light, airy, not clogged up with visitors, and with a choir practice in progress as I was looking round. A perfect way to unwind. Three cheers for our cathedrals, their shops, and their coffee! And not a few more coincidences here also - which I might explain later when I've more time.
So, I'll be signing off for now - as I'll be braving the rail network again in an hour or so - en route for summer school. Travelling light, I am not. This in part due to the late night incident of the diarrhoeitic cat and the ironing board yesterday! I'll fill you in on the gory details later...maybe.