Busy Week

Before this week, Jo and I had never really driven in England – and certainly had no need or desire for a car.
In one week Jo and I have managed to get a car, spend a whole day in Westminster Council’s parking-permit shop (just for the privilege of parking it on the street in front of our studio), drive over a thousand miles in it, exchange it for another car (and have to call a colleague to ask how to put the car into Reverse), lose it, find it, get it fined – twice – drive another few hundred miles, submit a ‘Change of Vehicle’ application (another few hours in the council shop) – only to have the new permit issued with the old registration number, spend an evening in the car so it didn’t get towed, get permit corrected, get car towed, report it stolen, pick car up from ‘Park Lane Pound’ for £200.00 (think of us next time you play Monopoly), leave house keys with friend (another evening on the doorstep), successfully park car, rent a third car, pick up a friend’s boxes from self-storage (that closed at 6pm on Friday night…?!?), drive them to Cornwell (five hours south-west of London), find hotel at 2am, sleep till Sunday.

PS Our return trip was pleasantly uneventful, and we were relieved to find our car still here, without tickets.