so it now longer you go itnt summer period tougher its gets cant you still go to Newport passport office to pick up, not sure if this exist still
https://www.britishpassportservices....rt-office.html
"""With the Premium service you turn up in person at a Passport Office in London, Liverpool, Peterborough, Durham, Newport, Glasgow or Belfast. ... You can pick up a form at the Passport Office, but to save time on the day get one from a branch of the Post Office and fill it in beforehand""