Thanks to all those who've been praying, It worked! I went to the visa office today when it opened, only to find that they have changed the rules regarding visa applications, they no longer accept postal or third party applications, nor are they accepting applications from people with an English home address. Fortunately none of those apply to me, but I arrived at the office at 9.30 expecting to be maximum of 30 mins only to find I was 24th in the queue!. I was finally taken (to hand over my form and money) at 10.35. The clerk looked at my form - which did not have a straightforward tourist application and started to raise objections, so I very politely told him I had spoken to the consul three months ago and was providing all the documents requested... and held my breath! He waved me on and I handed things over to the lady at the desk who again took things through the back to ask someone else then came back asked for £30 and gave me a receipt saying come back between 4 and 5 today. I ran back to my car whose parking ticket had expired 15 minutes ago to find no parking warden ticket! Praise the Lord!! I rushed back and got to school at 1.00am... no parking place of course so out on the street and £2.00 into the ticket machine. They had only granted me leave till 10.30 and it was after 11.00 by the time I got there, lucky I have a nice boss!
Went back to the consulate at 3.30... hoping to avoid the queue only to find about 30 people in front of me again. The door opened at 4.00pm on the dot and we all filed in, they have three rows of chairs and they fill up from the front and every time any one moves, everyone moves up one place... it's like musical chairs, too slow to sit down and you lose your chair!
I didn't get a seat so prepared for a long wait, he took the first two people but their visas were not ready then teh next time he called out receipt numbers and if your number was called you went to receive your passport + hopefully visa!
Mine was the third number he called, I couldn't believe it, I went forward, handed over my receipt and got my passport in return... complete with 6 month visa stamp. they have even granted me the double entry i requested so that I can come home in an emergency!
I danced up the stairs I can tell you, lots of people had been turned down! Got back to the car, no parking ticket again and even better a £1 coin on the ground, so I picked it up and it is heading for the next charity box I see.
Better start reviewing my packing then I suppose.
Once again thanks for all the prayer support. See you next year!