The bureaucrat lives to study another day...

It's been a trying week or so on Planet Bureaucrat, as I had a notoriously tricky exam nearly two weeks ago, and have been waiting for the result since then. But, on Friday, the waiting was to be over.

The result was to be sent to my work e-mail address, so I caught my usual Suffolk Links bus to Stowmarket, found a seat on the 8.11 train, and sat back with a good book as we trundled through the mid-Suffolk countryside on a sunny morning. All was well, at least until the point where the train stopped in the middle of a field.

Time passed.

Eventually, an announcement. A trespasser at Ipswich station meant that all trains were at a standstill, but it was hoped that we would be on the move shortly.

More time passed. I was, at least, enjoying my book...

10 a.m. came and went. I rang the office to let them know what was happening and, as I ended the call, there was another announcement. It seemed that there was someone on the roof at Ipswich station and that the electrical supply had been switched off in that area. Accordingly, we would be returning to Stowmarket, where buses would be available to take us to Ipswich and/or Manningtree.

That turned out not to be entirely true. Yes, there were buses, but only six of them, and none of them were anywhere near us. Eventually, a bus arrived, but it was women and children only. The sun beat down.

By 11.45, another two buses had arrived, but both required a 45 minute break to remain within legal limits. I had almost, but not quite, forgotten that a career-defining exam result was awaiting me.

A train arrived, and it was announced that it would be travelling to Manningtree and Colchester only, and most of the increasingly impatient crowd headed to the platform, leaving about a busload for Ipswich, who boarded a suddenly available bus, and we were off.

As we pulled into Ipswich, I spotted the man behind the chaos, still on the roof after five hours in the sun. It would be fair to say that he wasn't entirely popular, although I did think that shooting him - the most recommended solution - was a mite harsh.

So, I headed to the office, opened my e-mail, and found the notification.

Deep breath...

I had passed.

Well, that's another three months of study to look forward to...