In article , hounslow3
@yahoo.co.uk says...

On 28/12/2011 19:07, Phil Kane wrote:
On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:03:35 +0000, "
wrote:

They haven't used pre-decimal coins here since the early '70s.

In the 10 days that I spent in London in 1967 I had almost figured out
the British monetary system including the localisms, now mostly
forgotten. Do the kids growing up there recognize that at all?
--

A system that hasn't been in use in over 40 years? No.

Scottish banknotes have been at par for well over 40 years [originally
they were discounted at sixpence in the pound] but even now many smaller
shops don't accept them, probably because of unfamiliarity.

In the past I have offered to exchange them when Green Line drivers on
Heathrow were refusing them from passengers.

On a trip earlier this year on the East Coast Main Line I was asked by a
trolley attendant if I would accept some change in Scottish notes.

On 28/12/2011 23:39, Jim wrote:
In , hounslow3
@yahoo.co.uk says...

On 28/12/2011 19:07, Phil Kane wrote:
On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:03:35 +0000, "
wrote:

They haven't used pre-decimal coins here since the early '70s.

In the 10 days that I spent in London in 1967 I had almost figured out
the British monetary system including the localisms, now mostly
forgotten. Do the kids growing up there recognize that at all?
--

A system that hasn't been in use in over 40 years? No.

Scottish banknotes have been at par for well over 40 years [originally
they were discounted at sixpence in the pound] but even now many smaller
shops don't accept them, probably because of unfamiliarity.

That comes as no surprise where certain establishments are involved.

In the past I have offered to exchange them when Green Line drivers on
Heathrow were refusing them from passengers.

On a trip earlier this year on the East Coast Main Line I was asked by a
trolley attendant if I would accept some change in Scottish notes.

I have received change in Northern Irish notes and in Scottish notes
here in London, though it is very rare for that to happen on a regular
basis. If I sometimes see a Scottish note in a till, then I will ask for
it as part of my change.

On Dec 28, 7:03*pm, "
wrote:
On 28/12/2011 23:39, Jim wrote:





In , hounslow3
@yahoo.co.uk says...

On 28/12/2011 19:07, Phil Kane wrote:
On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:03:35 +0000, "
* wrote:

They haven't used pre-decimal coins here since the early '70s.

In the 10 days that I spent in London in 1967 I had almost figured out
the British monetary system including the localisms, now mostly
forgotten. *Do the kids growing up there recognize that at all?
--

A system that hasn't been in use in over 40 years? No.

Scottish banknotes have been at par for well over 40 years [originally
they were discounted at sixpence in the pound] but even now many smaller
shops don't accept them, probably because of unfamiliarity.

That comes as no surprise where certain establishments are involved.

In the past I have offered to exchange them when Green Line drivers on
Heathrow were refusing them from passengers.

On a trip earlier this year on the East Coast Main Line I was asked by a
trolley attendant if I would accept some change in Scottish notes.

I have received change in Northern Irish notes and in Scottish notes
here in London, though it is very rare for that to happen on a regular
basis. If I sometimes see a Scottish note in a till, then I will ask for
it as part of my change.-

In 1992 I bought some pound notes in Northern Ireland, because I would
be staying a few days in London after my speaking engagement in
Dublin. I was surprised to read on them that they were specifically
Northern Ireland currency, even though the were issued by the Bank of
England and legal tender throughout the United Kingdom (they said.)
The clerk ("shop assistant") in the British Museum bookstore had to
call the manager before she would believe it was real money. I managed
to find a bank branch and exchange them for "real money" later that
day, so that I could spend far too much at Blackwell's in Oxford on
Saturday. (I went up to Cambridge on Sunday; I think the stores
("shops") were closed, except for a touristy establishment where the
clerk thought it odd that I wanted to buy a postcard with the arms of
all the colleges, like the one I had gotten in ("at"?) Oxford. Perhaps
the Cambridge colleges don't get along as well as the Oxford colleges?

(I also liked the fusty old Ashmolean better than the newly modernized
Fitzwilliam, but the Ashmolean has now been renovated as well so it
probably resembles every other museum in the world.)

Organ scholars practicing ("practising") in every Oxford college
chapel, vs. Evensong at King's College ... hmm ... (I missed the
"opening hours" of the Bodleian on Saturday, because I took a bus that
got caught in traffic, so on Sunday I took the train to Cambridge --
but that meant I had to sit in the narthex of St. John's College
Chapel for _their_ evensong because I'd have to leave in the middle to
catch the last(?) train down(?) to London.

Took the Underground from and to Heathrow, and also for a short trip
once within London. Not much memorable about it.

In article
,
(Peter T. Daniels) wrote:

In 1992 I bought some pound notes in Northern Ireland, because I would
be staying a few days in London after my speaking engagement in
Dublin. I was surprised to read on them that they were specifically
Northern Ireland currency, even though the were issued by the Bank of
England and legal tender throughout the United Kingdom (they said.)
The clerk ("shop assistant") in the British Museum bookstore had to
call the manager before she would believe it was real money. I managed
to find a bank branch and exchange them for "real money" later that
day, so that I could spend far too much at Blackwell's in Oxford on
Saturday. (I went up to Cambridge on Sunday; I think the stores
("shops") were closed, except for a touristy establishment where the
clerk thought it odd that I wanted to buy a postcard with the arms of
all the colleges, like the one I had gotten in ("at"?) Oxford. Perhaps
the Cambridge colleges don't get along as well as the Oxford colleges?

Northern Ireland notes, like Scottish ones, are issued by local banks, not
by the Bank of England so they are not legal tender. Only Bank of England
notes have that status anywhere in the UK. You'd find Sunday very different
here these days. it's the second busiest shopping day of the week now,
despite the shorter opening hours, mainly 11-5 here.

(I also liked the fusty old Ashmolean better than the newly modernized
Fitzwilliam, but the Ashmolean has now been renovated as well so it
probably resembles every other museum in the world.)

There is still plenty of traditional museum at the Fitzwilliam!

Organ scholars practicing ("practising") in every Oxford college
chapel, vs. Evensong at King's College ... hmm ... (I missed the
"opening hours" of the Bodleian on Saturday, because I took a bus that
got caught in traffic, so on Sunday I took the train to Cambridge --
but that meant I had to sit in the narthex of St. John's College
Chapel for _their_ evensong because I'd have to leave in the middle to
catch the last(?) train down(?) to London.

The last train would have been _up_ to London. Trains normally run up to
London and down from London in this country, though there are exceptions.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 04:05:21 on Thu, 29 Dec
2011, remarked:
so on Sunday I took the train to Cambridge --
but that meant I had to sit in the narthex of St. John's College
Chapel for _their_ evensong because I'd have to leave in the middle to
catch the last(?) train down(?) to London.

The last train would have been _up_ to London. Trains normally run up to
London and down from London in this country, though there are exceptions.

Yerse... but students "go up" to Cambridge, and are "sent down" to London (etc).

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dict...ritish/go-up_5

As a Cambridge resident, I think I might talk about "going down to London", simply
because it's to the south.
--
Roland Perry

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at 04:05:21 on
Thu, 29 Dec 2011, remarked:
so on Sunday I took the train to Cambridge --
but that meant I had to sit in the narthex of St. John's College
Chapel for _their_ evensong because I'd have to leave in the middle to
catch the last(?) train down(?) to London.

The last train would have been _up_ to London. Trains normally run up to
London and down from London in this country, though there are exceptions.

Yerse... but students "go up" to Cambridge, and are "sent down" to
London (etc).

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dict...ritish/go-up_5

As a Cambridge resident, I think I might talk about "going down to
London", simply because it's to the south.

It's just you being contrary as usual, though. Happy New Year!

--
Colin Rosenstiel

wrote in
:

In article
,
(Peter T. Daniels) wrote:

In 1992 I bought some pound notes in Northern Ireland, because I
would be staying a few days in London after my speaking engagement in
Dublin. I was surprised to read on them that they were specifically
Northern Ireland currency, even though the were issued by the Bank of
England and legal tender throughout the United Kingdom (they said.)
The clerk ("shop assistant") in the British Museum bookstore had to
call the manager before she would believe it was real money. I
managed to find a bank branch and exchange them for "real money"
later that day, so that I could spend far too much at Blackwell's in
Oxford on Saturday. (I went up to Cambridge on Sunday; I think the
stores ("shops") were closed, except for a touristy establishment
where the clerk thought it odd that I wanted to buy a postcard with
the arms of all the colleges, like the one I had gotten in ("at"?)
Oxford. Perhaps the Cambridge colleges don't get along as well as the
Oxford colleges?

Northern Ireland notes, like Scottish ones, are issued by local banks,
not by the Bank of England so they are not legal tender. Only Bank of
England notes have that status anywhere in the UK. You'd find Sunday
very different here these days. it's the second busiest shopping day
of the week now, despite the shorter opening hours, mainly 11-5 here.

(I also liked the fusty old Ashmolean better than the newly
modernized Fitzwilliam, but the Ashmolean has now been renovated as
well so it probably resembles every other museum in the world.)

There is still plenty of traditional museum at the Fitzwilliam!

Organ scholars practicing ("practising") in every Oxford college
chapel, vs. Evensong at King's College ... hmm ... (I missed the
"opening hours" of the Bodleian on Saturday, because I took a bus
that got caught in traffic, so on Sunday I took the train to
Cambridge -- but that meant I had to sit in the narthex of St. John's
College Chapel for _their_ evensong because I'd have to leave in the
middle to catch the last(?) train down(?) to London.

The last train would have been _up_ to London. Trains normally run up
to London and down from London in this country, though there are
exceptions.


Which brings to mind Dr Spooner's famous saying about the Town Drain

Peter T. Daniels wrote:

In 1992 I bought some pound notes in Northern Ireland, because I would
be staying a few days in London after my speaking engagement in
Dublin. I was surprised to read on them that they were specifically
Northern Ireland currency, even though the were issued by the Bank of
England and legal tender throughout the United Kingdom (they said.)

"Legal tender" is one of the most misunderstood concepts going. It does
*not* specify which coins & notes must and must not be accepted by
retailers. It merely applies to the repayment of debts - if a debtor offers
payment in legal tender the creditor cannot *refuse* it without
relinquishing the debt. (A semi-practical example is of tax & fee protestors
eventually repaying with wheelbarrow loads of pound coins as a final gesture
of defiance.)

Retailers are free to accept and reject whatever notes and coins they like.
Examples include:

* A lot of shops don't accept the £50 note whilst some others will only
accept it above a minimum purchase
* A number in tourist areas and airports will accept major international
currencies but with varying policies on precisely which ones and how high a
denomination
* A lot of shops in Northern Ireland accept the Euro to attract crossborder
traffic from the Republic

....and when particular note & coins have been phased out some shops have
been more willing to accept them past the official withdrawal date than
others.

On 01/01/2012 15:16, Tim Roll-Pickering wrote:

...and when particular note& coins have been phased out some shops have
been more willing to accept them past the official withdrawal date than
others.

At some sort of discount for the retailers, I presume.

wrote:

...and when particular note& coins have been phased out some shops have
been more willing to accept them past the official withdrawal date than
others.

At some sort of discount for the retailers, I presume.

More that they believe the benefits of accepting the cash customers offer
(particularly goodwill) are sufficient to do it. Of course it's easier for
larger stores with multiple tils to do this than a small corner shop or
market stand - and it can create a mess for people not following the
intricacies of the changeover who find their coins suddenly aren't accepted.
I remember nearly coming accropper at a market stand in London Bridge
station when the 5p was downsized.