The Boy came back from his grandparents on Sunday with tales of going to the Isle of Sheppey, betting at the dog track, more than a hint of Estuary in his accent (somehow it sounds worse than his usual West London, no T's included speech) and a top which is only missing a nickelson script to look at home on a charver. Don't shoot me, I know I am a snob at times. Him Indoors was a calming influence as usual (breathe deeply, smile and remember it's only once a year dear...). The plan was for my mum to come Monday afternoon with my niece and take him away to cross the channel today. That left more or less a day to spend with him. So far so good, except our passports have ran out which means travelling using his identity card instead, which means he needs an "authorisation de sortie du territoire" for leaving France again. Well South Kensington is only a tube ride away, nothing too drastic and while I am at the Consulate I can do the application for passport renewals, 2 birds, 1 stone. The idea was: go to the tube station for 9.30, get a family travelcard, alight at South Ken, get passport photos in the little shop outside the tube station, walk to the Consulate, going on past experience - wait for 2 to 3 hours, get all the documentation sorted, if there was time a quick look round a bit of the Natural History Museum (The Boy has been so often we can locate the favourite bits fairly quickly) then grab a sandwich and back on the tube in time to welcome my mum around 3.30. It sounded like a good plan. Instead it went like this: tube for 9.30, family travel card, South Kensington, passport photos, Consulate... well queue outside the Consulate to get to Reception, being handed tickets at reception and being told: "there is a 2 hour wait at the moment, just go for a walk and come back later, you have your tickets so you'll be able to go come back in". Change of plan then... we crossed the road and headed for a look at the workings of the human body and a peek at stuffed mammals, decided against going the the house infested with vermin exhibit (is my son the only little boy who loves that room of the Natural History Museum ?) in favour of getting an early lunch. Undetered by the experience of choose your own toppings I let The Boy decide where we should eat. He decided he fancied Japanese - salmon bento for him, noodle soup for me. Back at the Consulate after 2 1/2 hours we settled in the waiting room with our books, ready for a longer wait than usual. On the "now serving sign" number 52 is glowing (our tickets are 87 and 88), a staggering 50 minutes later the "now serving sign" is showing 54 and I feel like screaming. The staff all appear to have gone for lunch. I have visions of my mum stuck outside the house in the heat with my sister's toddler. Of course I have not taken my phone with me and I do not know Him Indoor's number. Fellow sufferers comment on the wait and the rudeness of one of the receptionists. 3.00 I decide I have waited too long to give up now and enquire as to the availabillity of a phone book to find my neighbour's number only to be told by above mentioned rude receptionist that : " we are not the post office" cue sweet smile and "a simple no would have sufficed from the lady behind me". Rush outside to the phone box, directory enquiries, call, wrong number, not enough change to call again, cash point, trip to a phone shop to not have to run around buying things I don't need for change, directory enquiries again, speak to neighbour who promises to let my mum in and explain I am stuck in administrative hell. Return to consulat to find things have moved on and I am only another 5 numbers away: victory. End result we left the Consulate at 4.30, passport requests have been put through and we have both finished our books. Not bad for a day's wait. The moral of the story. Maybe I should start taking my phone with me.
How to waste 6 hours in a day
3.8.04 10:10
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(4.8.04 19:10) Natural History Museum is wonderful, I would like to have a season ticket to it (I'm horrid though and avoid it during the holidays). I marvel at your's and 'the boys' patience, I would have been demented having to wait that long. |
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(4.8.04 22:28) Natural History Museum is free these days so great for popping without feeling you have to see everything to get your maney's worth, but still best avoided during school holidays. A friend was commenting that she does not know many 7 year olds who would just have sat there reading their book for 4 hours. Nice to have an easily entertained child with a very high boredom threshold. |
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Jiiiiim!!! / Website (6.8.04 14:53) Somehow it's strangely reassuring to find the French Consulate is as inefficient as the British Passport office.... |
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(6.8.04 21:08) your son is a star, and a credit to you, Boy wonder may have struggled a bit at that long wait, |
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Tony / Website (8.8.04 11:43) Hello! Warm init? Hey Im not an Everton Fan ! (The use of the word is ironic...cant stand those toffees!)Im actually a West Ham fan.I lived in London once.Down The East End. Looks like its going to be "scorchio" again today Stay Cool! Tony |
