Since Monday, the Paines have been living in London. We have rented an apartment near to the hospital Mrs P. must visit two days a week, three weeks out of four, for the foreseeable future. She was admitted as an in-patient on Tuesday and we are now waiting for her to be discharged to my tender care. It's good to be a 10 minute walk away from her, if rather odd to be living in the country I left in 1992.

In between hospital visits, I have been trying to make the place comfortable for when she comes home. Amazon guaranteed delivery this morning of a TV I ordered to amuse her while she recuperates. When the deadline passed I checked the online tracking and was surprised to find the courier claimed to have attempted delivery at 0824. I was here and no-one rang. The porters had seen no-one. No contact card was left for me to arrange "redelivery". I received another parcel without problems at 0845. This made no sense.

I called Amazon. The couriers told them they hadn't left a card because they couldn't gain access at all. To a portered building?  How odd. I wasn't happy with the suggested "redelivery" next Tuesday so Amazon agreed to cancel the order. A lady with a nice North American accent said they would refund me once the courier redelivered to them. I said that - given the amazing speed of the courier's vans - that should be quick. She sounded puzzled but called back within ten minutes. Her manager (presumably more familiar with UK geography) had authorised an immediate refund when she showed him the tracking details (pasted below). Well done, Amazon. Shame on you, courier man.

The delivery driver must be quite honest really. Such inept lying suggests little practice. I hope he enjoys the extra leisure he's wangled this Easter weekend. I suspect, if Amazon has anything to do with it, he'll have a lot more leisure soon. Meanwhile, I am off to carry a TV home from Ken High before heading off to the hospital.

Happy Easter all.