> So off I went there, handed in the form and paid the £65 fee. This then got displayed somewhere for a week so people can oppose it if needed (not that anyone

> So off I went there, handed in the form and paid the £65 fee. This then got displayed somewhere for a week so people can oppose it if needed (not that anyone in this country knew me...) This is even more hilarious if you try to change your name in the UK. In most countries there are registrations where your names shows up, not so in the UK. You can change your name just by doing so. However there is a "deed poll" which makes it a bit more official though there is no requirement for the name change. But that's the price you pay for not having a mandatory registry.