Good experience at Auckland War Memorial Museum

Further to my comments here.

I had a good visit, in summary. The main purpose was to head up to the library, at the back of the Armoury and the Scars on the Heart displays (and the extra display area which completely hides the library from view, still ...) Walking from Grafton Train Station to the Museum, by the way, is still a heck of a hike and longer than the walk from Newmarket West Station (grumble, moan, grumble ...Mike Lee was right, after all, we should have kept the temporary station...grumble)

Anyway ...

I came across a friend who worked with me back-in-the-day at Avondale Citizens Advice Bureau years ago, said friend working at info desk on Saturdays now. That was great, and a stroke of luck. Took ages to get my bag checked in at the counter, the bloke there had vanished and no one turned up there to take over. Only when I called across to the info desk "Is anyone actually at this bag check desk?" did he appear. By now, time had passed, and I wanted to get going. I made the mistake, in my rush, of not securely tucking the bag card away. Betwen the ground floor and a seemingly labyrinthine search for access to the second floor, said card got lost. Now, I had my really valuable stuff with me (chequebook to pay at the library, passport, wallet, camera), but I didn't want to lose the bag. Back down I went.

I couldn't quite remember if the bag was black/blue or what. I know, that sounds daft, but to me it look black/blue, and to the museum staff it looks black/grey. They couldn't be sure which one it was. Then, when I said my mobile phone was in it, there was a brainwave from the staff member there (different from when I first entered), and they rang the phone number, tracking my bag by the ringing. I am really glad I have an old dinosaur of a phone that has no silent function, and that I left (hardly anyone calls me, so there's usually no problem).

Now, all through that, which was my fault (I should have tucked the card in my wallet as I usually do), the staff were helpful, patient, sympathetic and gracious. I reckon the cool vibe is coming back there, which is a relief.

That, and there was a darned book sale at the museum shop in the atrium, where I went for a pot of tea afterwards. I'm financially lighter because of that (sigh) but happy.