I’M currently staying the week in the Forest of Dean, in south-west England, visiting family and friends. It’s the first time I’ve gone south of the Border since January when I made the – long overdue – permanent move northwards to my country of birth. The catalyst for my decision to move was definitely the 58.6% vote in the Forest of Dean area to leave the EU; that and the excruciating futility of any attempt to unseat the Tory MP who had a lead of almost 20% in 2017.

When visiting a friend in Bristol, I had the pleasure of briefly passing through Wales and across the Severn bridge. On my return, I faced an inconvenience that most of your readers will be aware wouldn’t occur in Scotland – the Severn Bridge (Pont Hafren) toll. I had to pay £5.60 for the privilege of returning, this down from £6.70 last year. The toll is due to be scrapped from December 17 2018, which is hailed as the lifting of the “tax on Wales”, and could boost the South Wales economy by around £100m a year. However campaigners to keep the “Welsh tax” claim it will lead to the gridlock of Bristol – a very NIMBY, and some might say quite selfish, response indeed.

Disgruntled by the charge, I thought I’d try my luck and pay for the toll in RBS £1 notes. It shouldn’t, but it probably will, come as a shock to many of your readers that RBS £1 notes are still legal currency and around £16,000 are issued to customers by RBS each month. Your readers will, however, be aware that they are not “legal tender” but that this has very little, if anything, to do with everyday transactions.

After waiting at the toll-booth for several minutes for the cashier to check with whom I presume was her supervisor, I was informed that they didn’t accept them because they weren’t legal tender and they couldn’t “bank them”. So, as I was in no rush to cross the bridge, I asked him whether they accepted other Scottish notes, which were also not legal tender. He replied that they accept £5, £10 and so on, but not the £1. I then asked who they banked with, and he said that he didn’t know, as it wasn’t his department.

Having worked in a bank in England before I moved to Scotland, I knew that they could bank Scottish currency, as well as redundant currency (10 shilling notes can be banked for 50p in today’s money). I realised we weren’t getting anywhere, so I took the money back and scraped together some coins from the cup-holder in my car to pay for my passage.

I didn’t get angry or aggressive with my tone, but this was my fourth time using Scottish banknotes this week, in England, and every time I have had to wait for the cashier to check with a supervisor as to whether they could accept it – and this wasn’t in smaller independent shops but in large, chain supermarkets, restaurants and a bowling company. Until now, they had begrudgingly accepted it, but it made me question myself. Why is there such a fuss about whether we should have our own currency, when the currency we already have is questioned and often refused with nonsense excuses?

I am aware that the acceptance of any currency – be it English, Scottish, euro or otherwise – is entirely at retailers’ discretion, and that they are under no obligation to serve you if they do not wish. But from a UK Government-owned business, surely we should expect better – shouldn’t we? (Silly question!)

Jim Love
Isle of Islay

I AM trying to contact anyone who attended St Patrick’s High School, Coatbridge, from 1963 through to 1969. Several of us are planning a reunion in 2019, and would like to include as many people as possible. If you are interested in the reunion, or just want to meet up with old friends, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email.

Terry Markwick
stpatshs63@aol.co.uk