Blog

Welcome to my blog, which I started way back in December 2002 - long before social media was a thing! With the advent of Facebook, Twitter etc. I don't write that often here now, but you never know when I might feel the urge to do so.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Some very sad news I'm afraid. I heard on Friday that one of my close friends - Carol-Nerise Booth - passed away from a heart attack on Thursday. Apparently it was very sudden and there was no warning, so I hope she didn't suffer.
Carol was a good friend who'd helped me out in the past, and I know she'll be sorely missed. I lit a candle for her in Church this morning, but it just doesn't seem enough, somehow.
What more can I say other than "rest in peace, honey"?
Anna-Jayne Metcalfe, girl, born September 1966 at Clairmont, Bishop Auckland...
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
I'm happy to say that the last stage in my application for legal recognition has now been completed - my corrected birth certificate arrived today.
I've actually received two - a short-form birth certificate the cost of which was included in my application, and a long form certificate in a similar format to my original certificate which cost £7. Of course, it's dated June 2006 so it's obviously a re-issued certificate, but that's a minor matter for me...I'm far from stealth, after all.
Looking back, the whole process has been relatively straightforward - the only real pain was getting the paperwork together, with the corresponding uncertainty over whether it was correct. Of course, once my GRC arrived (see Brain bending recognition) that uncertainty was over. Incidentally, the long delay between my GRC arriving and my corrected birth certificate arriving was due largely to me not getting around to working out what form of certificate I wanted (pre-1968 or post-1968).
The obvious question is what to do with the old one now. A couple of years back I was minded to burn the thing, but with hindsight I'm glad I didn't...it's part of my history I guess. Looked at another way, it's also an odd historical curiousity from another age, and I always did have an interest in history...