SIR, — Approaching my 60th birthday I looked up the St Albans website to find out the procedure for applying for my over-60 bus permit. I read that I would have to apply in person at St Albans or Harpenden with various documents and a colour passport pho

SIR, - Approaching my 60th birthday I looked up the St Albans website to find out the procedure for applying for my over-60 bus permit.

I read that I would have to apply in person at St Albans or Harpenden with various documents and a "colour passport photograph". It also stated that it would take two to three weeks to process the application and send out the new permit.

I duly presented myself at Harpenden to be told that the process might take three to four weeks. Are the council always such pessimists?

I was pleasantly surprised to receive the permit eight days later. Well done.

A minor quibble - in digitally reducing the size of my photo to fit the allotted space on the card, the operator did not retain the proportions. I appear to have been squashed from above! I only hope the local bus drivers give me the benefit of the doubt when comparing the permit photo to reality.

D.A. REYNOLDS

Cumberland Drive, Redbourn.