I’m pretty happy today.

This morning I got my new drivers licence in the post – back from my former hometown people at the dvla.

I’ve been driving for a few years now, so I’m not excited because I get to drive now. I’m just excited that I finally got to change my license pic, and it doesn’t look horrible… in fact, I look pretty damn good on it!!

For those not in the UK, or for those who just don’t know about UK driving licences – we have a photocard license with our pic on, and our name and address, date of birth, and driving allowances/disallowances details.

Previously, the pic on my license was still the picture I had taken for my provisional (learners permit) license, which I originally got when I was 18. As every so often I’d have to change some details, or upgrade it to my full license, but I just kept the same picture.

I wouldn’t say it was a horrible picture, in fact when I first had it done I thought it was quite good. But I quickly realised it wasn’t. Maybe that morning several years ago after a heavy night on the town wasn’t the best time to go to the photo-booth, but it was the moment I chose nevertheless. Especially when my license came through and what was a pretty bad picture became a REALLY bad picture after scanning and processing, or whatever the dvla did to it… perhaps replaced it with the picture of somebody less attractive??

Well, anyway, after years of a bad license pic, I finally got around to sending them a new one. I had to send my license off to them anyway to get my address changed after my recent move, so I took the opportunity to pay the extra fee and get them to change my picture.

And it was a really good picture. It took me five photo booth attempts, and hours of practicing my smile in the mirror, so I wouldn’t look like a non-smiling misery guts, but at the same time wouldn’t look like I’d swallowed a bottle of happy pills and end up with a picture that is more smile than face. But I got there in the end, my hair was practically perfect, my make-up was just right, and I got the all important shot I was after.

But I still worried. After the dvla got their mits on it, and scanned and processed it – or replaced it with the picture of someone slightly less attractive – what would it turn out like.

I finally found out today, and I can breathe a sigh of relief. It was pretty good. Not quite as good as it looked a few weeks ago, fresh out of the photo booth printing machine, but definitely something I can brandish as ID without hiding my head in shame!

And yes – I know I’m sooo vain!! Lol :-)