54 hours after I handed over my work to the wrong courier I managed, with pretty much zero help from the courier firm Yodel, to get it back.

To cut a long story short they ignored my 2 previous phone-calls about it and then told me, 6 hours later on my 3rd, that I'd rung too late and the parcel had gone off to Manchester.

Then, at some point, no-one seem to know when or how, it came back to London.

But not according to Yodel, who when I rang today said they didn't know where it was and to give it 2-3 days... all the whilst it was sitting 2 miles from my house.

Good job I had the sense to head to the depot myself rather than wait for them to send it back as who knows where it would have ended up?!!?

But, to give them some credit 18 hours after I got it back Yodel tweeted me to say it was lost but if I contacted the sender they could do an investigation...

... I don't think they were pleased when I pointed out for the umpteenth time that I was the sender so how did they suggest I investigate myself... oh and by the way I'd managed to find it and collect it myself 18 hours ago. They had no idea even though their own parcel tracking system said I'd got it.

It's been funny over the past 2 days when I tell people what happened- at first they're optimistic for me... and then I tell them it was Yodel and everyone's face drops and they apologise before telling me their tales of woe with the firm. I had heard such bad reviews (and indeed when I first saw it was a Yodel courier I cursed as I handed the box over) and now I know why.

But in the end I got it back and soon it will head off to the right place and the book can continue and I can sleep easy again.