you must learn patience, grasshopper
A day of frustrating, with everything working at the Speed of British Bureacrasy.
I purchased a SIM card and a monthly plan for mobile provider O2. But before I give out the number... I have to wait for it to start working. Like-- I get data connectivity, but the 3G hasn't kicked in yet. (Did they even give me a 3G SIM?) And I can't yet access the supposedly-unlimited Wifi access I have at local hotspots... which are the two very reasons I chose O2!
And my UK bank account is open... but I have to wait another 7 days for my account to be unlocked for internet registration. And then another 5 days on top of that for them to send me my login information in the post... so a good 2 weeks before I can actually start using things like Bill Pay. In the meantime, the branch staff are getting to know me well as I set up direct payments for rent, utilities, etc. I feel like I'm banking in Ye Olde Dayse. Next they'll have me carrying paper cheques from point to point.