Ahhh but Hastings isn't a busy office and as far more staff than many other offices I know. Three receptionists I believe. As for collecting certs many local offices now say even for personal collections you could wait up to 2 weeks depending on how busy they are.
As for the GRO they are quoted as saying in this months ancestor magazine that they are now back to normal after the huge increase they saw after the who do they think they are program an increase of 33,000 requests for certs up from 115,000 in October and an extra 19,000 in November. The SOG also say that after this program their phone lines and library was the busiest they have ever been so I don't think the GRO have done as bad as we were thinking of late
Rob