[MK Chris]

the lady at the b&b where I was staying almost wouldn't take my cash, because she said I had "foreign currency" with me. I had Scottish pounds notes. D'uh.

It is surprising the number of people who don't realise that Scottish notes are legal tender.

It's ignorance.

I can only agree, it always amazes me.

Oh and most of the people there were VERY unhelpful.

How many people did you ask for help?

At least 15 in the space of half an hour - I told them what shops I had come past on my way in and they all sent me in the wrong direction. I also worked there for 3 months covering a manager and found the majority of the shoppers to be rude.

I didn't see this originally.. I'd suggest that you didn't explain yourself properly and that since Milton Keynes is a 'new town', lots of the people here are people who have moved from other areas. Nearly everyone I know who is actually from Milton Keynes is perfectly nice (and lots who are from other areas too.)

Maybe you weren't doing your job properly....

[Yudster]

I haven't seen a Scottish bank note for years and years. You used to see them around a fair bit, but not any more.

Could someone Scottish enlighten me - what (approximate of course) proportion of the cash that changes hand in Scotland is English tender? Or don't you see it much?

[MK Chris]

I was given one relatively recently, but no, you don't see them often nowadays.

[Yudster]

Apparently - and this has come to me second hand, so I can't absolutely guarantee the truth of it - The Halifax has been known to refuse to accept Scottish banknotes to be paid in to accounts. Which would be astonishing if it IS true, because Halifax and HBOS are the same thing aren't they, so you'd think they'd know what to do with them? I reckon its not true.

[MK Chris]

Yeah, Halifax own the Bank of Scotland but not the Royal Bank of Scotland or something? But I believe both have the right to print bank notes, so maybe they are refusing rival bank notes.. not that that is any less ridiculous, of course.

[MK Chris]

Apologies for the double post, but I've just been doing a bit of research and came across a discussion on Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert forum. According to someone on there:

I've lost count of the number of times my Scottish notes have not been accepted down in England so much so I've try to withdraw money as soon as I get down there so that I have some English Notes. I remember as a kid when I lived in England I used t love getting Scottish notes and I'm sure I never had a problem back then (apart from with £1 notes - which even the Halifax (who at that time had just joined with the RBS) refused to take).

[Sunny So Cal]

This is such a funny discussion. When I was in Fort William on the high street there and had gone into a shop, I gave them some Scottish bank notes which had just come out of the cash machine. The girl at the register stared at them for a moment and remarked on how she doesn't see very many of them. I thought that was really weird.

Then when I took my boy over to Urquhart Castle days later and paid for the tickets with Scottish bank notes, the fella working the registers there said, "Wow, and you're paying with Scottish notes. You don't see too many of these!" I actually asked him why -- for 2 reasons: (1) he was super cute and (2) that's a very touristy spot and one would presume that the people going there are going to cash points throughout the area to remove money. Why wouldn't Scottish bank notes be coming out of most of their machines? He didn't know but said that it's fairly unusual to be paid with them there, that they tend to receive English notes instead.

I did notice, during the following week whilst pottering about the west coast (in places like Arisaig, Mallaig or Oban) that nobody there ever looked twice at these notes. It was completely normal for them to receive Scottish ones. I ended up pocketing quite a few and taking them home. I felt like they were something special after all the fuss!

[Munki Bhoy]

£1 notes are almost the reverse these days. Everyone up here I know hates getting them. They can't get rid of them quick enough. Take them down to England and you get... "Wow, haven't seen one of these in ages! You guys still use them up there?!" and they can't wait to take them off your hands!

[S4B]

I didn't see this originally.. I'd suggest that you didn't explain yourself properly and that since Milton Keynes is a 'new town', lots of the people here are people who have moved from other areas. Nearly everyone I know who is actually from Milton Keynes is perfectly nice (and lots who are from other areas too.)

Maybe you weren't doing your job properly....

I did explain myself properly and the majority of the people I asked were people who actually worked in the centre including 4 security guards!

I ALWAYS do my job properly, it's the only thing I'm good at! They were just mardy!

I am coming to MK on the 16th Sept anyway now so I will see if it's any better then.

[Vivienne]

Apologies for the double post, but I've just been doing a bit of research and came across a discussion on Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert forum. According to someone on there:

I've lost count of the number of times my Scottish notes have not been accepted down in England so much so I've try to withdraw money as soon as I get down there so that I have some English Notes. I remember as a kid when I lived in England I used t love getting Scottish notes and I'm sure I never had a problem back then (apart from with £1 notes - which even the Halifax (who at that time had just joined with the RBS) refused to take).

Interesting. I get weekly e-mails from his site.

[Ezza]

I still can't think of what I'd like to put into Room 101, I think people who do that annoying thing where they bounce their knee up and down should be put in there, along with chavs, and the woman I don't like at the moment.

[Uglybob]

Gypsies obviously
Modern Art
Quizcall
The "Is everything ok" people when you are in a shop
flip flops - the sound they make on floors, the smacking of sweat hitting the back of the sole of the flop
ITV Sport
Wasps
No pockets on shirts
Fruit & Sweets in dinner - eg Having pineapples in Pizzas, Mint sauce, sliced bananas in salads
Women who have large breasts who decide to wear low cut tops to make you notice them even more then complain that men look at their breasts.

[S4B]

Women who have large breasts who decide to wear low cut tops to make you notice them even more then complain that men look at their breasts.

We don't wear them to "make you notice" we wear them because they're comfortable and make you feel less like your boobs have been bound up with bandages.

Following on from that can I also put in...

Men who think women only wear make up and dress in a particular way for their benefit! - has it ever crossed your tiny minds that we dress that way or wear make up because it makes US feel good.

[Boboff]

No.

[Nicola_Red]

Men who think women only wear make up and dress in a particular way for their benefit! - has it ever crossed your tiny minds that we dress that way or wear make up because it makes US feel good.

Oh God yeah. There is a real blurring of the distinction between 'beautiful' and 'desirable' in our culture and sometimes men make the mistake of thinking women are always aiming for the latter - they're not. The attitude towards rape victims that they've somehow "asked for it" in their appearance is an extension of that - sexual assault is about power, not desire and far too many people (not just men!) make that mistake.

[S4B]

Well said Nic.

[Uglybob]

Men who think women only wear make up and dress in a particular way for their benefit! - has it ever crossed your tiny minds that we dress that way or wear make up because it makes US feel good.

Oh God yeah. There is a real blurring of the distinction between 'beautiful' and 'desirable' in our culture and sometimes men make the mistake of thinking women are always aiming for the latter - they're not. The attitude towards rape victims that they've somehow "asked for it" in their appearance is an extension of that - sexual assault is about power, not desire and far too many people (not just men!) make that mistake.

no because they care by what other women think of them. women are more catty when it comes to other peoples fashion style whereas most males couldnt give a crap.

[Uglybob]

i have another one to add after today, its a wonder how i forgot about it last night

MAYONNAISE. I dont like it, but the most annoying aspect is pre packed sandwiches that state that the sandwich is Chicken and Ham yet when you bite into it, there is Mayo on it. Also the fact that there is no selection for sandwiches which are with butter and no mayo. Not everyone like Mayo. It means that I have to go to the counter and ask for one to be specially made up for me.

[S4B]

Men who think women only wear make up and dress in a particular way for their benefit! - has it ever crossed your tiny minds that we dress that way or wear make up because it makes US feel good.

Oh God yeah. There is a real blurring of the distinction between 'beautiful' and 'desirable' in our culture and sometimes men make the mistake of thinking women are always aiming for the latter - they're not. The attitude towards rape victims that they've somehow "asked for it" in their appearance is an extension of that - sexual assault is about power, not desire and far too many people (not just men!) make that mistake.

no because they care by what other women think of them. women are more catty when it comes to other peoples fashion style whereas most males couldnt give a crap.

Nope we dress for ourselves! I don't care at all what anyone else thinks. See men are wrong about this.

[foot-loose]

YOU maybe don't care, but the majority of other woman seem to. They are the same creatures that wear those rediculous shoes that are designed to break ankles.

Aye, you woman lot are completly sane.

*tuts*

[Nicola_Red]

Men who think women only wear make up and dress in a particular way for their benefit! - has it ever crossed your tiny minds that we dress that way or wear make up because it makes US feel good.

Oh God yeah. There is a real blurring of the distinction between 'beautiful' and 'desirable' in our culture and sometimes men make the mistake of thinking women are always aiming for the latter - they're not. The attitude towards rape victims that they've somehow "asked for it" in their appearance is an extension of that - sexual assault is about power, not desire and far too many people (not just men!) make that mistake.

no because they care by what other women think of them. women are more catty when it comes to other peoples fashion style whereas most males couldnt give a crap.

So you're presuming to tell me how I think now? Yeah, thanks for that, but don't bother.

So would you go to a job interview in jeans and a scruffy t shirt? I'm guessing not. Don't give me that "real men don't care about their clothes" crap. They just approach the issue differently.

Women tend to be more interested in fashion than many men and yes, they can be catty about it. That's not relevant to whether they are dressing to please men or not. Nobody's denying that women dress to attract men sometimes - just not all the time. The point S4B was making is that men are often too stupid/arrogant/ignorant to understand the difference.

Oh and foots, I love my high heels - I don't wear them every day, but often enough. and you should know me well enough by now to know that I'm not dressing to please men. The tattoos kind of give that away.

[Uglybob]

i have to admit the last job interview i did go in casual clothes so there. i didnt get the job admittedly, even though i wanted it. put it down to they were looking at 16 year old cos theyd be cheaper than a better older worker like me.

[Uglybob]

i know, i hate tattooes as well, they look common as muck.

and as for the people saying "oh theyre individual". thats a crock of crap. everyone seems to have one.

if you are female aged 20-30 with blonde hair that has been got from a bottle, chances are you have a tattoo right above the arse area, commonly referred to as a tramp stamp

[Uglybob]

by the way, did you miss me. im back now. infuriating isnt it?

[foot-loose]

Oh and foots, I love my high heels - I don't wear them every day, but often enough. and you should know me well enough by now to know that I'm not dressing to please men.

Haha. And you should know me well enough by now to know that I make massive generalisations on a daily basis and only get away with it cos i'm a cheeky lovable chappie.

I stand by my view that high heeled shoes cannot be comfortable? Surely?