Doing things the right way!

A decision has been taken. I read about it in the newspaper. The queen will not attend the main VE Day services in May (on the day following the general election) as she usually does. This is in case anyone thinks she might appear to be favouring one party leader or another in the event of a hung parliament and negotiations for coalition having to take place. She might smile at one leader and not at another. She could speak for a longer time to one than to another. Well, excuse me for being a little naïve, but even if she did, would it really make a difference. Protocol? Humbug! 

Some other "senior royal", perhaps Prince Charles, will represent the royal family instead. If it turns out to be Prince Charles, is there not more possibility of his indicating a preference? This is, after all, a man of strong opinions and one who likes to air those opinions. So it goes. I suppose it gives someone something to worry about. After all, the people employed to make sure the royal household runs smoothly must have something to do to justify their existence. 

Last Thursday was World Book Day. (Come to that, there seem to be an awful lot of special "days" at the moment!) In schools all over the place children were encouraged to dress up as characters from their favourite books. A whole host of Harry Potters, Charlies (of Chocolate Factory fame), Annes (of Green Gables), Pippi Longstockings and Cinderellas turned up at school. One little boy dressed up as Christian Grey from Fifty Shades of Grey and was told it was not on, inappropriate and altogether the wrong sort of thing. I do believe he was sent home. 

But is that really one of his favourite characters from one of his favourite books? His mother maintained he had not read it (well, one would rather hope not!) but that he had chosen the character as there is so much publicity about the film at the moment. His mother is apparently a school teacher. Hmmm! It raises all sorts of questions! 

While we were in Vigo on our recent visit, Phil ordered a chess book from a company in Barcelona. They promised delivery within 3 to 4 days. There seemed to be plenty of time. By the time I left on Thursday 26th it hadn't arrived. Nor did it come on the Friday or the Saturday. So Phil set off for England on the Monday without delivery having taken place. Of course, the inevitable happened: they tried, unsuccessfully to deliver on the Monday. He received an email saying that they had been unable to deliver. Then another email came telling him which post office in Vigo would have the parcel, if he cared to go along and collect it. So we forwarded the details to a friend and asked him to pop along and pick it up. So far so good! 

On Friday, the friend emailed to say he had been to the post office but that they had refused to hand over the parcel to him, despite his having details of the order number and such like stuff. So I tried to phone the relevant post office. They must close early on a Friday. I tried again on Saturday morning. Still no answer. Obviously they don't open - or at any rate don't man the phones - on Saturday morning. So this morning bright and early I tried again. At first I got the engaged tone. Progress - of sorts! At least it suggested that someone was there. Ten minutes later I tried again. Success! 

I explained the situation to the chap at the post office. A bit of indignation ensued! Well, of course they wouldn't hand over a parcel to just anyone who turned up asking for one - even if they knew exactly who it was addressed to, the name of the sender, the post office parcel delivery number, and even exactly what was in the parcel! No, it required a signed authorisation document, saying that the person picking up the parcel had been granted the right to do so. And that person would need a copy of the identity document of the parcel destinatee (is that a word or have I invented it?) so that they could check that the signature was the same. Then, with a bit of luck and a following wind, the parcel should be handed over! OK, he didn't say anything about luck and following winds. I exaggerate ... a little. The parcel would be there until Monday 17th March. 

Don't you love bureaucracy? And protocol? And rules and regulations? 

So I invented a Documento de Autorización, which Phil duly printed and signed. We took a photo of it and one of his passport and sent them off to our friend in Vigo. Now we wait with bated breath to see whether the parcel will finally be handed over!