Most of us are quick to criticise politicians, civil servants and other officials whenever they blunder and I am as guilty as anybody, so it’s nice to be able to give praise when it is due.

I recently took a tour party to the USA and on the last evening, prior to an early departure the following morning, I was told by one of my group that he had lost his passport. Both he and his wife had exhausted every possibility in trying to locate the document and I had checked with the previous hotel to see if it had been handed in but all to no avail.

We had a journey of five hours to travel from deepest Alabama to Atlanta and then a window of just two hours to visit the British Consulate and obtain an emergency passport before the group were transferred to the airport for their flight home. I researched the procedure on the Consulate’s website and telephoned them immediately the office was open. I was at once impressed by the clear instructions given by the helpful agent there and his confidence that if we got there quickly enough we should be alright.

So it was that we arrived at the Consulate in downtown Atlanta early afternoon armed with freshly taken passport photos and current id in the form of a driving licence. After completing forms to first cancel the missing passport and second to apply for an emergency one, which would be surrendered on arrival in the UK, and payment of a fee of $157 (£95) we were, as the Americans say, “Good to Go”.

It all took under an hour and during that time we were treated with unfailing courtesy and efficiency. So well done the British Consulate. Clearly, there is still some “Great” left in the old country yet!