Notary London firm, MD Pryke Notary Public LLP would like to pass on details of the Christmas and New Year opening hours for the Legalisation offices in Milton Keynes and Central London.

The Foreign and Commonwealth office advise that both Legalisation offices will operate as usual, up to and including Thursday 23 December 2010.

Milton Keynes – Norfolk House:

24 December: 09.30 to 14.00

27 December: Closed

28 December: Closed

29 December: Closed

30 December: 09.30 to 15.30

31 December: 09.30 to 14.00

03 December: Closed

04 December: 09.30 to 15.30

We are further advised that every Notary in London with documents to legalise on behalf of their clients must submit these documents by 15.00 on Thursday 23 December, in order that they can be legalised by Christmas.

Any Notary in London that wishes to have documents legalised before New Year must submit them prior to 15.00 on 30 December.

A Notary in London who wishes to legalise business documents on behalf of their clients must, as ever, submit them to the Centre Point offices in London.

The opening hours for the Centre point offices are as follows:

24 December: 09.00 to 14.00

27 December: Closed

28 December: Closed

29 December: Closed

30 December: 09.00 to 15.30

31 December: 09.00 to 14.00

03 December: Closed

04 December: 09.00 to 15.30

Notaries in London wishing to work around the FCO’s holiday hours are advised that on Christmas Eve they will accept documents received in the morning postal delivery and collect and return those taken in on 23 December.

For further information on the Notary information displayed here, please contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office directly, or MD Pryke Notary Public LLP on 0207 636 4422.

As part of our Notary Public London campaign to explain all aspects of the Notary Public business in clear, jargon free terms, today we’re going to examine the historic roots of the ‘scrivener notary’.

The term scrivener originally referred to a writer or scribe.  Unlike a Notary Public in London today, their job was simply to transcribe the spoken word accurately, most often in the service of kings or noblemen.  Indeed, Notaries first appear as members of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners in 1382, to mark the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the appointment as a Legate of the Pope.

Notary Public London is a term with which many are familiar today, and in this medieval incarnation of a Notaries Public, London was indeed the only city in which they were licensed to practice, and their remit extended mainly to the overseeing of property transactions.

The word Notary was later introduced to the suffix of scrivener to underline the fact that the role of a Notary Public in London was no longer merely to record various transactions in an age of widespread illiteracy, but also to verify the authenticity of the transaction.  Even today, a Notary Public in London (or elsewhere for that matter) has a duty of care to the transaction itself, rather than to their client as is the case in other areas of the law.

For further information on either the historic role of a Notary Public in London, or for details of the services provided by MD Pryke Notary Public LLP, please contact us via the usual channels.

A Notary Public London to Cambridge Bike Ride took place on Sunday 12^th September, in aid of the children’s charity Honeypot.  Matthew Pryke, a Notary Public in London took part in the ride, personally raising over £1500 for Honeypot.  The course was 65 miles long and started at Finsbury Circus.

Matthew says, ‘The Notary Public London to Cambridge bike ride was a great success.  We were blessed with good weather and raised a substantial amount for Honeypot which is the official charity partner of MD Pryke Notary Public LLP.

‘Honeypot do amazing work, helping children who act as carers to parents and other family members.  As a Notary Public, London to Cambridge represents a fair distance to cycle but the efforts displayed by the Honeypot team every day truly put this in perspective.

‘The official total for the Notary Public London to Cambridge bike ride is not yet known.  The event raised £30,000 in total last year so I am optimistic we can beat that in 2010.’

Matthew is well known as a Notary Public London who undertakes charity expeditions, and last year led an expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Honeypot, so does he plan any further events?  A Notary Public London to John O’Groats bike ride, perhaps?  Or a Notary Public London to Land’s End expedition?

‘We don’t have any plans as yet,’ says Matthew.  ‘But we’re always interested in any fundraising events for Honeypot.  If anyone has any strong ideas I hope that they will contact me via my website or on 0207 636 4422 with any interesting projects.’

London Notaries Public Practice, MD Pryke Notary Public would like to inform all of its Notaries clients that during the week beginning 23 November 2009 various Arab League Embassies including the United Arab Emirates Embassy will be closed due to the Eid El-Hadha holiday.  In particular the legalisation offices of various Embassies will be closed as follows:

Notary Public Legalisation Office Closure Details

Algeria Embassy: Closed 26 November to 1 December 2009

Iraq Embassy: Closed 27 November 2009 only

Kuwait Embassy: Closed 26 and 27 November 2009

Qatar: Closed 26 and 27 November 2009

Saudi Arabia Legalisation Office: Closed 26 November to 30 November 2009

Tunisia Legalisation Office: Closed 27 November 2009 only

UAE Legalisation Office: Closed: 26 November to 30 November 2009 and 2 December to 6 December 2009

Consequently London Notaries Public Practice MD Pryke Notary Public will continue to provide the usual same day notary public legalisation service once the various legalisation offices of the embassies are reopened for business as usual.

London Notaries Public practice owner Matthew Pryke explains “With various Arab state embassies and legalisation offices closed during the end of November and beginning of December we will not be able to process any legalisation matters and requirements for these countries during this period.  However from the second week in December and onwards my London Notaries Public Practice will continue to provide a same day service for all legalisation requirements.”

For further about the Notary Public legalisation requirements for Arab states and the need to obtain additional legalisation stamps or legalisation certificates from any embassy please do not hesitate to contact London Notaries Public Practice MD Pryke Notary Public at his London Notaries website www.mdpryke-notary.com or via email at matthew@mdpryke-notary.com.