The bits of paper that serve as my temporary driving licence have gone missing. It forced me to think about how to get another one – or more importantly – to find out where my application for a French driving licence has got to.
I logged on to one of the many French bureaucratic websites to try and track some information down but failed.
But when I checked the address on record for me I saw it was my old address – at the Old Folks Home.
So after work, I headed round there to see if they still held on to any post for me. But after seven months my hopes were not high.
I was right – it wasn’t there.
So back to the Agence nationale des titres sécurisés website for some answers.

But when I logged in, there was no outstanding application registered there.
There was no other choice but to ring them. They explained that I needed to log in using the same method as when I first logged in. So I got some password reminders and tried that – still nothing.
So another phone call and it transpired that I might have created two accounts. So after some more password reminders for a different email address – bingo! There was a demand for proof of my visa again.
My old visa wasn’t good enough apparently- so I uploaded my new one and it was accepted.
And then I got an email saying I should have my licence within 14 days. I’ll believe that when I see it.
I even managed to print out a new one of these:

Les tribulations d’un Anglais face à la lourdeur de l’administration française! Welcome on board !
Où ( avec accent )= where
Ou ( sans accent )= or
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