Well, I'd no idea that changing your ISP could be such an experience. Well it was.

I think part of the problem was that there were four parties in the transaction: myself; the old and the new ISPs and British Telecom (BT). I know little about the subject but it's my understanding that BT is responsible for virtually all the telephone lines in the UK and used by the general public. So, given that the type of Broadband service that I have is provided down BT's telephone lines means that when a final date for the service of the old ISP was sorted out then BT had to transfer the Broadband cabling to the new ISP. Well, something like that anyway. Anyway, the end result, given that as far as I could make out the three parties don't talk to each other properly, was that it took some time to sort out my new internet access. It's online now, with some difficulties that I am still trying to sort out with my new ISP.

Internet access may have been painful for me but it's nothing to the difficulty I am having setting up a new e-mail account. The new ISP sent a password by snail mail that is supposed to give me access to that part of their website so that I could set up a new e-mail account. Wonder of wonders their password didn't work. They are supposed to have sent me a new one, again via snail mail, as yet it hasn't arrived. I am currently contemplating (and experimenting) with an alternative option. I've not enjoyed not having access to an e-mail service. I've felyt quite lost and disorganised.

The bottom line is that I am back, sort of, and I hope to write soon to friends and family with an e-mail address that works.