IlonaM

She had a good look yesterday Ianr, when she first discovered that it wasn't where she thought it was. Problem is she's had work done over the past few months, so had moved things around. Despite my attempts at persuasion she called the Passport Office this morning. Even it it showed up I doubt that the PO would un-cancel the passport now. Now she has an appointment and the pressure is off I expect she'll keep looking, but she also has to pack. She'll be coming up to London tomorrow evening. Oh well, you live and learn. Some years ago she realised she had left her passport in Sussex the evening before a trip to Paris - frantic taxi ride there and back to NW2!!

Applespider Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If there is a chance of it being in the house, > might be worth getting a few friends over to have > a passport hunting 'party' with fresh eyes? With > particular attention to old handbags and their > zipped compartments, taking out the drawers where > she might have kept it in case it has fallen down > back and any financial paperwork where it might > have been used for ID? I tried to persuade her to take this morning to have a systematic search, but she has given up and made an appointment. I think she is too tired and stressed by it all. If it turns up she'll ring the Passport Office, but it unlikely they'll un-cancel a cancelled passport!!

Yes, I've drummed that home!!!

That sounds hopeful at least!!! My mother has an appointment on Tuesday as she has to get a neighbour to sign photos etc in Sussex before coming up to me. Flight is very early on Thursday morning, so it might not be possible for her to fly, but hopefully can rearrange flight so not too much is missed. Thank you so much for your advice.

hiit Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We had a similar situation back in April. > Realised a week before we were due to travel that > our son's passport had expired, and you're now no > longer able to do the Premium / 24 hour service > with kids' renewals. We got an appointment on > Wednesday morning in Victoria (for the 1 week > renewal) and the passport was with DX on Old Kent > Road on Saturday morning (although the people you > speak to on the phone on the passport advice line > won't necessarily give you this information.) > > So my main bit of advice would be to book that > appt at Victoria asap (you can do it online if > they're not open today). And make sure you turn > up with all the right stuff (we didn't - that was > an interesting few hours...) And if you want more > info about going direct to collect it direct from > DX (it meant we got on the plane), let me know! > Good luck - and I really feel for you. It's a > crummy situation...but all may not be lost if you > can get an appt at Victoria asap... > Thanks hiit, that's really interesting about the possibility of collecting it from DX Old Kent Road. Please could you give me more info about that and I'll pass it on.

I've already been to the .Gov site (see first post)! Also have all necessary contact details, but thanks for providing them again.

Here's a link: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-bridge-crash-central-london-on-lockdown-after-major-incident-a3556346.html Very sad and shocking news to wake up to.

Thanks for your advice. Durham office sounds a possibility. Will look them up. The Premium Service was what she used to renew her passport last year (on her birthday!). However, I'm still concerned that the website states that the Premium Service is not available for lost/stolen passports: https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently/cost: "Passport type 1-day Premium service 1-week Fast Track service ... Replace a lost, stolen or damaged adult passport Not available ?103"

Has anyone had experience of replacing a lost/stolen passport with an imminent departure date (Thursday)? The .Gov website says they don't do same day appointment & issue for lost/stolen passports and only offer an expedited service which takes a week. Is this a hard and fast policy, or do they bend for the right mitigating circumstances? My mother has managed to lose her passport, hopefully at her home with the optimistic chance of finding it before she phones up the Passport advice line. She is due to travel to Italy on Thursday morning. Is there any chance of getting a replacement (if passport not found) before she is due to fly?

I think UNICEF would be very interested to hear about your experience. It was probably a contractor (fundraising firm).

nxjen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Department of Corrections ? The US has a long reach!!

Super photo!

I'm at Horniman end of Underhill and they seemed to be coming from the Woodvale/Horniman direction. They were quite small and short-lived in comparison to some I've heard late at night.

He is a really dangerous and reckless man https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/trump-paris-climate-agreement.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-ab-top-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news At least the American voters will have the final say next election ? before the US is definitely out.

Borky Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It doesn't really speak you know. It is a dumb > animal. Animals are far from dumb, unlike some humans!

Yes, I'm coming round to the inevitability of raising it with the neighbours! I'd like to show I've taken steps to mitigate it as well though. Forking out ?90 on an air purifier is one such step! Thanks everyone for your advice. That's an interesting idea RH - sorry I missed it initially in the cross-posting.

That's an interesting article uncleglen. A lot of the private landlords I have had experience of in the past have had similar bans, but more on grounds of protecting fixtures and fittings rather than public health!

intexasatthe moment Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I wonder what is responsible for the change ( I'm presuming that before your neighbour went away the smell wasn't > in your flat ) I have been fortunate not to have had anyone in the flat above me since I moved in!!!! Unfortunately there are a number of issues that have arisen since they moved back! Ah, the joys of living in flats ...

Thanks for your advice Seabag. I was wondering about sealing the fireplace vents - the one in the bedroom looks as if it has been painted over, but the one in the sitting room is open. I am on the ground floor and the smoke has only become a problem since my upstairs neighbours moved back a couple of weeks ago. Previously there was the smell of smoke in common ways from the top flat, but not inside my flat.

I think it is partly coming through the vents in the closed off fireplaces/chimneys. I have had that problem in another conversion which had a shared chimney with next door house, but in a terrace. This time it is a problem within one converted detached house. When I googled the problem there seem to be lots of people affected and suggestions of smoke coming through gaps in floor boards, wiring/pipe channels etc. Mostly things that cannot be fixed easily. Any practical suggestions gratefully received!

Has anyone found a way of coping/dealing/ameliorating cigarette smoke seaping from neighbouring flat/s through a converted house into their flat? It is not just the smell, over the last few weeks I have developed a cough and noticed symptoms in my chest/breathing. I am the only non-smoker in a house of three flats and three smokers. There are boarded up fireplaces with vents, which presumably aid the movement of smoke, as well as other unknown routes between floors. I have had to buy an air purifier (with good reviews re neighbours' cigarette smoke), but I was wondering whether anyone had found any good solutions.

Some light relief ... http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/liar-liar-song-about-theresa-may-soars-to-number-two-in-itunes-download-chart-a3551926.html

Good Housekeeping has some good advice on stain removal: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/stain-buster/ and https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/institute/household-advice?a=7902

Trump Appears to Push Aside the Leader of Montenegro at NATO family photocall: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/us/politics/trump-push-aside-leader-montenegro-nato-summit.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=2&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F05%2F25%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-push-aside-leader-montenegro-nato-summit.html&eventName=Watching-article-click&_r=0 Says it all really.

Borky Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > oops, already posted Au contraire, Borky. I was clarifying my earlier response!