Gwastraf Amser
Or a waste of time, if you prefer.
Tomorrow we've got to get up at crack of sparrow and drive down to sunny Newport. Joy of joys. Why? I hear you ask. Well the reason is quite simple. Barbara's passport, whilst not yet expired, has only six months left to run.
Now you'd think that with half a year still on it, a British Passport would be joyfully accepted anywhere in the world. I mean, we used to own most of it anyway, back in the day. But no, such is not the case.
Our antipodean adventure involves a two day stay in Singapore on the way home, and Singapore, despite having been invented by an Englishman - Sir Stamford Raffles, won't let you in unless your passport has at least six months left to run. By the time we get there, at the end of October, Barbara's passport will be reaching retirement age. So it has to be replaced before we go. And since we're leaving (on a jet plane) in two week's time, we've got to go to the passport office in Newport and pay an exorbitant sum for them to give her a new one there and then.
On the plus side, at least I found out about this little six month rule now. It would be a pain to have to get a new passport whilst in New Zealand or Australia.
On the minus side, it means a day spent in the car and in the dreary passport offices. A day when I could be entering data and earning money. These things are sent to try us.
At least my passport's still young and spritely. If I could just remember where I last put it...
Tomorrow we've got to get up at crack of sparrow and drive down to sunny Newport. Joy of joys. Why? I hear you ask. Well the reason is quite simple. Barbara's passport, whilst not yet expired, has only six months left to run.
Now you'd think that with half a year still on it, a British Passport would be joyfully accepted anywhere in the world. I mean, we used to own most of it anyway, back in the day. But no, such is not the case.
Our antipodean adventure involves a two day stay in Singapore on the way home, and Singapore, despite having been invented by an Englishman - Sir Stamford Raffles, won't let you in unless your passport has at least six months left to run. By the time we get there, at the end of October, Barbara's passport will be reaching retirement age. So it has to be replaced before we go. And since we're leaving (on a jet plane) in two week's time, we've got to go to the passport office in Newport and pay an exorbitant sum for them to give her a new one there and then.
On the plus side, at least I found out about this little six month rule now. It would be a pain to have to get a new passport whilst in New Zealand or Australia.
On the minus side, it means a day spent in the car and in the dreary passport offices. A day when I could be entering data and earning money. These things are sent to try us.
At least my passport's still young and spritely. If I could just remember where I last put it...
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