I hadn't travelled by train for several years so this was an adventure in itself.

First I had to cope with the ticket machine.I made a mess of putting in my password. I was either pressing the letters and numbers too hard or too soft.  Eventually I mastered it and walked away with my tickets, only to find a young lady chasing after me because I had left some tickets behind. Having survived this I crossed over the bridge and waited for my train.  I am always excessively early for things like this.  I boarded the train and had an uneventful ride to Plymouth.  I soon found my way by foot to the place I knew I would find the Mayflower building. I had looked it up on the internet.  The building I had thought was the right one was clad in scaffolding and there seemed no way in.  Next door was The Salvation Army building so I decided to ask them for directions.  The building I wanted was on the other side of the S.A. building. I went in and asked the security man where I would find the passport office.  He directed me upstairs.  I took a look at the right door and then came away again as I was far too early to go in. After eating a pasty out of doors I returned to the passport office. I had imagined being questioned by two burly and aggressive men, but instead, happily I was spoken too by a pleasant woman of forty or fifty. We chatted about me.  She asked about my family, my children and my brother and sister.  After a while when she asked a question I was thinking, "Ah, so you know that information about me?" Soon the interview was over and she said I would get my  passport in 5 working days.  I went on a Wednesday and received my passport that Friday, two days later. It was all worthwhile the effort.