killamarsh

We went on a very short break to London in order to visit Australia House and between 7.25am Sunday and 5pm Sunday the following happened:

missed bus to Sheffield for the train (either didn't turn up or it turned up early) and had to walk in the freezing cold to the tram.

hotel wouldn't check us in along with about 40 other check in's. So it we didn't get checked in for 1.3 hours.

Get back to hotel to find there is no water supply so have to pack up and move to another hotel.

Wander around Kings Cross for something to eat with my 9yr old.

Wake up during the night with some sort of virus - sore throat, blocked nose, temperature and aching.

Wake up early and feel like death.

Go to iron the clothes for the day and realise that the jeans I have packed are the wrong ones and they don't fit me and were the ones to pack away as they are too small. Thank goodness my trousers from the day before are clean.

check forms for Australia House and realise I haven't got someone to witness my signature of child passport application so have to ask a stranger to witness it in the hotel restaurant ahhh

Then realise I got him to do it wrong - only has signature and phone number and not name and that fathers application only has signature of witness and name not phone number

Head off for kings x and find that my oyster card has no money on it as the day before we went through barriers and no one pointed out that I had to swipe it at this hidden swiper so intead of 4.10 it cost me 10 pounds for the travel on Sunday. (with a child we had to go through the barriers as they go free but we kept getting caught so started using the barriers) I know now

Queue again for 10 minutes to put another 10 pounds on the ruddy oyster card

Got swiped by a a woman with a bass in a case who was arguing with her O/H and ended up with a huge painful bruise on my hip.

get there at 9.45 m

Young one is desperate for the loo and we have to go out again to a loo across the road - I walk down and realise it's a male loo only after spotting the guys at the troff's and make a hasty exit.

Finally get to the counter at 11.42am

my photo isn't accepted (after many many goes at the photo place). I had people at the photo shop and work look at the photo and none of us notice a tiny reflection in the left glasses lens (it took me a minute looking at the pic to see it)

panic sets in as our train back to Sheffield is at 1.25

In a panic the shop on the map I head for is no longer there and I should have gone to the other shop on the map.

Iv'e missed bits on the application and have to fill them in ( I panic with passport forms and this always happens - my fault)

Guy takes 10 minutes just to photocopy my docs

Finishes but is is now 1.08pm and we run to the bank to get some money for a taxi to the station.

Atm is out and the other one has a massive queue

Jump in the taxi but find I have just 7 squid and hope that's enough

We get there for £7 on the dot and run to the platform only to realise I'm at Kings x and not St Pancreas. ahhhhhhhhh

I'm now close to tears and nipper has to wee AGAIN - forgot he told me just before the taxi that he needed the loo again...

We run to St Pancreas and get up there to find the train is sitting on the platform but the gates have closed they won't let us in.

I now start weeping - the thought of the price of 2 one way tickets home kicks in - not cheap. Everything from the day has now got the better of me.

Platform worker tells us the next one is at 1.55 so we head for the loos as Nipper is desperate - F%%%EN closed and they expect us to walk back to bloody kings x for the loo. I had nearly enough of this so marched my son around the corner and in front of the taxi drivers said go there and used my coat as a cover so he wouldn't be embarrassed. I was at the point that if someone came up they would have got it. Poor boy, Niagara falls plus

We go down and finally some good news after asking how much it will cost and apologising that I am about to burst in to tears as I thought once I start I won't be able to talk the woman delivers some good news.

After explaining the reason for the delay she stamps our tickets for the next train. Never knew they could or would ever do that so I was so relieved I nearly started crying.

It's now 1.51pm and the next 'train' is in 4 minutes and Nipper wants some snacks. After the running around I couldn't deny him that so we ran into the shop and I said get whatever you want. However, with no cash we had to spend 5 pounds worth to use my switch. God we got ripped off, but Nipper was happy.

We run up to find the train is actually at 2.25 ahhhhhhhhhhh

Since the Sunday night I kept saying I think we had left something at the last hotel but couldn't work out what it was. Even through the journey I couldn't put my finger on it.

I am now so tired and feeling really ill that I am trying to stay awake and ask Nipper to keep talking to me as I was struggling to keep my eyes open and I can't fall asleep as I have my camera and all our id documents in the bag with me and most importantly I have to watch Nipper. You know when you just rest your eyes for a second and your head starts dropping.

We get to Sheffield thankfully awake (just) and as we walk out of the exit it hits me - I think we have left the house keys in the hotel. mmmmmm

We hatch a plan to break into the house and do it when we get home. I think that I better call the hotel about the keys but thought I will check our bag one more time. The keys are in the bag, albeit hidden in a fold in the bottom of the bag. oooooooohhhhhhhh.

Having said all that we enjoyed the trip - no really we did. Nipper got to go to Hamleys and got to walk a bit of the monopoly board. In retrospect it was a bit of a nightmare but at the time it went over head. I simply don't take it to heart and think what is next - just get on with it and make the most of it. In retrospect - it was a trying time. - but hey the applications are in and Nipper had a great time - however I've been in bed all day ill...

Has anything happened to anyone else to try their patience which is linked to their move??

Clara W

Oh you just brought tears to my eyes... I am so sorry you had a such an awful experience but I am so glad you can vent it here and actually see some good about it!!!

It does sound like one of my bad days that pop up now and again! On a plus side my daughter is now 12 and has a much bigger bladder?!?!?!

I hope your trip to OZ is an uneventful as it can be you deserve it after this trip!

I am sending you some karma!

TJUK

So sorry...welcome to the world of migration please accept some Karma!!

killamarsh

thanks for your words. No need to be sorry as these happen I guess. To be honest, everytime I go to work I have a story and something always happens to me wherever I go, even if I'm going to Sainsburys to pick up some lunch, I always have a story to tell, but always laugh about it as I almost expect something to happen now. It was only when I got home that I took stock of what happened in our short break that I had to put it into words.

I simply couldn't believe that so many things could happen in such a short space of time and then the ruddy embassy issues pushed me pretty close to the edge.

I made a comment about the glass partition and said 'is that to protection you form me or you from me?

scrum

You poor thing, I smiled and cringed at the same time when I read your post. Smiled because it sounds like something that would happen to me and cringed because I can just imagine how you felt at the end of it all.

Can't believe that after all that your looking on the positive and not ranting and raving.

Sending you some karma cause lady you deserve it.

Trish

samnsam

Has anything happened to anyone else to try their patience which is linked to their move??[/QUOTE]


Can I just say that your post has had me laughing so much that I actually didnt want it to end, and was hopeing you had more bad luck to carry on the tale. How mean does that make me sound, but it was just so funny.
Any difficulties I had going through the process dont seem to matter anymore after reading yours.
I hope that everything goes through without any hastle's as youve certainly suffered more than your fair share.
Karma's on its way.
Love Sam

chris and farideh

I thought my god there is someone else here unluckier than me, but all went ok at the end, & that's the most important thing, hope you are feeling better with your sore throat.
Karma sent.
P.S. I suggest you sell your story for a carry on movie, , you'll never know, it could be blockbuster.

snappy

After reading all of that I think it is better to stay in the UK as if that happened just getting your passports sorted out, actually getting on the plane and flying to the other side of the world could be disastrous So glad it worked out but OMG what a nightmare to get there

smoggieswilltravel

I think there's the start of a book in there some where. Definitely a writer inside of you. You sound resilient and I'm sure you will love Oz. Having been here 2mths or so, I can say, WE REALLLLYYYY LIKE IT!!!

Good luck

RedT

yep, welcome to trying to get anything done in London! Missed trains, trains not going when they say they are, closed loos, massive queues for everything, rubbish and overpriced transport system..all the reasons why OH and I are dying to get the hell out of here!

Have sent you karma. hopefully it's all plain sailing from now on!!

Tx

moneypenny20

I'm sort of sorry to say I felt the same

TeresaG

You poor thing. That sounds like a hideous day.

killamarsh

That's ok as I've been laughing about it today - you couldn't make it up.

Forgot to add to the list - 15 minutes before we were meant to leave the house Nipper (9yrs) decided to use my waterproof mascara and become an Indian (as in american indian). I went ballistic. We were trying everything to get it off and then I tell nipper to wet the towel and rub it. Well he rubs it so hard on both sides of his face that he ends us with these red patches on each side of his face. By Monday morning he looked like he had been in a fight - oh well makes him look more handsome. Makes you wonder what possesses kids to do things like this. Can't do it when we have plenty of time and we aren't going anywhere - no it has to be just before we are about to travel somewhere.

on a mission

how fantastic that story is, I read in awe.

Now when you are telling that in the pub, after a few beers, you can humour it up a bit, be a great story to tell, total classic one, be a belly roarer to say the least.

good luck to you all,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

TJUK

Murphy's Law