Ms Rosaleen Underwood:

I would like to make a final comment about the GRO. I am on a team of genealogists who work in the genealogy advisory service in the National Archives. I am dealing with the public all the time, including tourists. They are not impressed with the GRO. Having given a friend - like I do with everyone - detailed directions of exactly where it was last week, he still could not find it because of the lack of signs. Having been there myself, I would be hesitantly looking down alleyways and so on between rows of trucks and buses parked on the street. Eventually I would see a blue sign stating "HSE" at the bottom of the street. We know what the HSE is, but the first thing someone would think of is a clinic. Eventually I might see the GRO at the end of it. The sign "HSE" means nothing to tourists. Signposts are needed outside pointing in the right direction from all directions and pointing down that alley.

I have also heard complaints about the toilet at the GRO. There is only one toilet in a public building. I am sure there is a separate toilet for staff but I do not know how they got away with putting only one toilet in a public building. Admittedly, it is a very large room. In fact, it is so large that they could have fitted several toilets in it. At the very least, they could have had three very adequate cubicles - one for men, one for women and a reasonably large disabled toilet. That is the minimum requirement but I do not know how they got away with what they have.

I have also got feedback from colleagues about the lack of plugs for laptops and so on. This is just general feedback but I think somebody ought to be aware of it. I have no problem with the staff there. Personally, I find the place to be very gloomy and not particularly welcome at the entrance. It is bright, but gloomy; that is the grey. It is Christmas time, but there is not as much as a Christmas card or bit of tinsel. It would not break the bank, even in these times, to have a couple of Christmas decorations to cheer the place up a bit. There are still a good few tourists around.