Praise given where due

A common theme in the Rust and elsewhere is the difficulty and frustrations for the elderly  in coping with the demands of the digital age.

Thus, when I noted that my passport would expire at the end of 2024, I was naturally anxious that (1) it might take ages to be processed; and (2) I might not be able to cope with the application online.

It’s at moments like these that a good P/A comes into her own and Polly is certainly one.

She went through the application, highlighting what I would need and also potential pitfalls.

I needed a compliant photo but the first machine I used had a faulty card reader and the second had broken down altogether.

However, the photos come with a code that you use in the digital application which I duly completed this last Monday.

I immediately received an acknowledgment by text with a reference and a request to send in my old passport – which I did. More texts followed assuring me that my application was in order and now being processed.

My new passport duly arrived on Saturday, five days after I had submitted my application. I paid the standard fee of £88.

As I say, the Passport Office – which has taken flak for delays – has really upped its game so I’m delighted here to praise it publicly.