Thursday 21 June 2007

Fiver, Fivers, Go and Get your Fivers

I heard that Mervyn King, boss of the Bank of England, said they have millions of crisp new £5 notes awaiting distribution. But that as the banks don't like them and refuse to put them in the cash dispensers there is no way of getting them to the public. But then I heard a patronising, obnoxious and abrupt woman on Radio 4 Today programme this morning. Her name was Angela Knight from the British Bankers Association. She seemed to think that she would be blamed for the state of the nation's teeth. I don't quite know where she gained this impression. But the poor deluded lady did go on to say that the banks customers did not want £5 notes from cash machines. That if they wanted £5 notes they could go into the bank and change notes for £5 ones.
Now I know that shopkeepers have been complaining about the lack of good clean £5 notes. Some of my local small businesses are under the impression that banks don't like to give them out and they have to hoard the few they have in their tills overnight. I am fed up passing over £10 or £20 for one loaf of bread or a newspaper. It seems to me - that if we want nice new crisp clean £5 notes we should all be going into the banks and asking for them. I don't know about you, but I have no intention whatsoever of queuing twice [1] at the cash machine and [2] inside the bank to change it for the notes I want. Angela Knight CBE [I assume this stands for Caneye Be Evenruder] said that the public do not want to walk around with £100 in £5 notes. Well this member of the public does. And I know a few more who would like to be able to do so.
My plan is to go into the bank and write out a cheque for £100 and ask for it in £5 notes every week. If we all did that once a week then our banks would have to request that the Bank of England supply them with some of those unused new £5 notes languishing in its vaults.
As you can see from my reaction I wasn't impressed by Angela Knight CBE.. But some people have been at some point. Maybe I heard her on a bad day - but no when I mentioned her to others they say she has been rude, abrasive, with a patronising tone on TV's Working Lunch as well. She must get up a lot of people's noses.
Update: I apologise for originally calling Mr King Melvyn - a typo error.

4 comments:

Around My Kitchen Table said...

Angela Knight is obviously so bloody IMPORTANT that she never does everyday shopping. I don't suppose she's popped out for a pint of milk in the corner shop since she was a student. If she did, she'd know how bloody annoying it is to have a purse full of coins because there are no £5 notes in the change when you've paid for said pint of milk with a £20 note.

Penny Pincher said...

AM KT - here I was thinking I'd been too hard on the lady due to my pain in the neck. But you're right - she probably is the cause of pain in my neck - carrying around all those bloody £1 and £2 coins.
I've been going into every bank and changing all my large notes for £5 ones. Lets all get on and get the new ones outta prison. I'm collecting £5 notes and storing them - lets have a slogan "Free the FIVERS"

Penny Pincher said...

Manners, Manners - forgot to say - nice to see you again. Tut. x

Mopsa said...

You really don't like her, do you?... and you have been memed - feel free to avoid at all costs if you so choose!
http://mopsa.blogspot.com/2007/06/meme-game.html