Harper & ODell

To colleagues in the office…
Me: What?! There’s a solicitor’s office that’s unlocked their business tools on Unilocal and posted an announcement!
Colleagues: Really?
Me: Yes! And they’re around the corner! I’m calling them forthwith*!
On the phone…
Me: Hello, I’m calling to see if you offer document certification services?
Solicitor: Yes, we do.
Me: Ah, lovely. And how much does that cost?
Solicitor: How many pages?
Me: Just the one… it’s to certify a copy of my passport.
Solicitor: That’ll be five pounds.
Me: Brilliant! Is there a good time for me to come by?
Solicitor: If it’s just that one page… you could come by around 1100?
Me: That’s fine then, I’ll be there.
1100 rolls around and I find myself in front of a generally nondescript brick building on St. John Street. I can see the sign for the solicitor’s office overhead, but there’s no obvious entrance. Lo and behold, I find a small sign on the doorbell panel for Harper & Odell next to the locked door. I ring. Someone answers. I get buzzed in.
As I’m standing on the first floor landing…
Solicitor: Hello… up another floor.
Me: Oops, did I knock on the wrong door?
Solicitor: You’re here for a certification?
Me: Yes. (muttered: Crap. Second floor means… the second floor –above– the ground floor here.)
I hand over my documentation and the paragraph-​long instructions that came with them…
Solicitor: That’s fine then, let me have a look.
Me: There are some pretty stringent instructions… would you be able to follow those?
Solicitor takes all the paperwork and goes away, then brings it all back a few minutes later.
Solicitor: Have a look at that. I –think– I got it all right, but those were some complex requirements!
Me: I know… (I have a look)
Me: Wow, this is just perfect! Thanks very much! So that’s five pounds, then?
Solicitor: Yes, please.
Me: Here you are (forks over dough)
Solicitor: Thank you, have a nice day.
Me: You, too!
All told, ten minutes and five pounds is an investment I’m wholly willing to make in the hopes that the end result is scoring a damn elusive UK credit card. After jumping through ridiculous hoops, including finding someone to certify my documents, AmEx better well not let me down!
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* Okay, I didn’t really use the word ‘forthwith’, but I like it… and I intend to use it more often. Because it’s that superfun.