Well we've been and we actually had a lovely day. We set off on the train because I didn't fancy travelling in peak hour traffic and not knowing my way around. It was a lovely fresh morning and it actually felt like we were on holiday!!
We arrived in Derby an hour early and went for coffee. Alan was quite chirpy. When we arrived at the Passport place they couldn't have treated him any better. The receptionist had to ask him some basic details but she was already aware that Alan had an illness and was very kind, patient and more importantly adaptive. It took Alan ages to be able to say his name and she let me prompt him because he somehow responds to me. I said he could write it better than he could say it and so she let him sign his name instead - then he remembered. Regarding his address she let him read THAT BRASS TAG I had done on Saturday!! Even then he struggled for ages because as soon as he looked at the tag it had gone before he got pen to paper but eventually he did it.
Then he was called into an office for an interview. The guy was very accommodating although he talked far too fast for Alan (or anyone else) to understand what he was saying. I asked him if I could interpret what he was saying to Alan and he said I could. When it came to Alan answering questions, I asked if it would be alright if I put his questions to Alan in another way and he said I could. For example the man asked where Alan was born. Alan didn't know. So I asked Alan whether he was born in Derby. He said "no". I said "were you born in Leicester?" he said "no". I said "were you born in Nottingham?" and he said "yes that's it". And I did this with every question and it worked. There were just a couple of questions I didn't know how to ask him in another way but the man said it was o.k. for him not to be able to answer them.
In the end I said will he get a passport and he said "I don't know we just do the interview, you will hear within 4 to 10 days"!!! I feel sure it will be o.k.
We then did a little holiday shopping and came home. Alan kept saying that the man was nice. He's now on the patio, in the shade, having a nice sleep
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Love Helen
We arrived in Derby an hour early and went for coffee. Alan was quite chirpy. When we arrived at the Passport place they couldn't have treated him any better. The receptionist had to ask him some basic details but she was already aware that Alan had an illness and was very kind, patient and more importantly adaptive. It took Alan ages to be able to say his name and she let me prompt him because he somehow responds to me. I said he could write it better than he could say it and so she let him sign his name instead - then he remembered. Regarding his address she let him read THAT BRASS TAG I had done on Saturday!! Even then he struggled for ages because as soon as he looked at the tag it had gone before he got pen to paper but eventually he did it.
Then he was called into an office for an interview. The guy was very accommodating although he talked far too fast for Alan (or anyone else) to understand what he was saying. I asked him if I could interpret what he was saying to Alan and he said I could. When it came to Alan answering questions, I asked if it would be alright if I put his questions to Alan in another way and he said I could. For example the man asked where Alan was born. Alan didn't know. So I asked Alan whether he was born in Derby. He said "no". I said "were you born in Leicester?" he said "no". I said "were you born in Nottingham?" and he said "yes that's it". And I did this with every question and it worked. There were just a couple of questions I didn't know how to ask him in another way but the man said it was o.k. for him not to be able to answer them.
In the end I said will he get a passport and he said "I don't know we just do the interview, you will hear within 4 to 10 days"!!! I feel sure it will be o.k.
We then did a little holiday shopping and came home. Alan kept saying that the man was nice. He's now on the patio, in the shade, having a nice sleep
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Love Helen