Store U-turn on Ulster notes after Nolan raises a rumpus
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
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High Street store WH Smith has been forced to make a U-turn over accepting Northern Irish banknotes at one of its English stores, after local radio DJ Stephen Nolan kicked up a fuss.
The well-known shock jock was so incensed that the stationery giant's store at the BBC Television Centre buildings at Shepherd’s Bush in London would not accept Northern Irish or Scottish notes above £10 that he vented his wrath on a phone-in show on Five Live last week.
The award-winning radio personality was running a debate about what it meant to be part of the UK as he stood in for regular presenter Victoria Derbyshire.
We’re talking about being part of the UK, so why is it some parts of the UK don’t accept Northern Irish or Scottish Sterling?
“I walked downstairs into the WH Smith, in the BBC, and they’ve got a sign up all of a sudden, saying ‘with immediate effect, we are not accepting Northern Irish or Scottish tender above £10’,” he told listeners.
“What’s given WH Smith the right to do that, for goodness sake?
“We’re talking about being part of the UK, so why is it some parts of the UK don’t accept Northern Irish or Scottish Sterling?”
Nolan also read out an email from a Scottish listener who said he regularly had trouble passing Scottish notes in London.
WH Smith have described the matter as “a misunderstanding” and said that the sign had been removed from the BBC store.
“I can confirm that our High Street and Travel stores do accept Northern Irish bank notes,” a spokesperson for the company said.
“There appears to have been a misunderstanding on a local level at our store in the BBC Television Centre and the sign has been removed with immediate effect.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
According to the Bank of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland bank notes are not considered legal tender, although the term legal tender does not in itself govern the acceptability of banknotes in transactions.
A spokesman for HM Treasury said that moves are under way to ensure notes from Northern Ireland and Scotland have the same standing in England as Bank of England notes.
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I live in England, and walked into the Natwest branch in Eastcheap, City of London today to change an Ulster Bank tenner for a more useful Bank of England one, as I've found even my local Post Offices won't accept NI notes. Natwest and Ulster are the same bank group (Royal Bank of Scotland). I was told by the cashier that they would change it for me if I had an account at the bank, but otherwise I could visit the Bank of England. If a bank won't honour its own banknote as currency, why should a shop bother either?
Posted by Justin | 08.08.08, 13:52 GMT
After reading this article I contacted WH Smith as one of their stores in Kingston Upon Thames had told me only the day before that they could only accept £5 and £10 notes from Northern Irish Banks. Their response via email was: 'To clarify, we do accept Northern Ireland Bank notes however, we do not accept notes from Northern Ireland’s Northern bank.'
Posted by Ciara | 04.08.08, 09:36 GMT
Bank of England notes are only 'legal tender' in England and Wales!
Acceptability of notes as payment is a matter of agreement between the parties involved in a transaction. In addition if a note is offered which is of a greater value than the payment due there is no legal requirement to give change.
Posted by Andrtew | 31.07.08, 22:21 GMT
About time. Well done Stephen Nolan. It's a pleasure listening to him on national radio, where he's not so obsessed about talking HIMSELF, and focusses on issues.
Posted by Michael | 31.07.08, 08:19 GMT
Issue is that English/Welsh shop assistants aren't used to the half dozen or so 'flavours' of regional notes and so aren't familiar with what to look for in terms of counter-forgery marks. Just because it has STERLING written on it doesn't make it acceptable currency - I can just as easily write STERLING on a beer mat and wouldn't expect ASDA to accept that!
As a NI to England commuter myself, I suggest you just 'get over it'. Pop the funny-money in the cash machine on your way to the airport and withdraw it once you land, and quit crying over the fact that our quaint regional ways aren't (and don't need to be) acceptable everywhere...
Posted by Podge | 31.07.08, 00:13 GMT
Banks in England will accept Scottish and Northern Ireland notes therefore there is no reason why shops should not accept them and take them to their own bank. Also why should the notes which are sterling not be considered legal tender.
Posted by Alan Wallace | 30.07.08, 21:55 GMT
I have a from NI but now lives in England when had just got of the plane from Belfast and was on his way home, but he had to call into an ASDA for some stuff. All he had was an Ulster Bank tenner so he offered them that. The check-out girl wouldn't take them, so he kicked up a fuss, and when she called the store manager, he called the police.
In the end the store had to take the money because it had STERLING wrote in capitals across the front of it, and in the polices view was legal tender. At the end of the day, its all down to snobbery and nothing to do with legal niceties
Posted by David | 30.07.08, 21:40 GMT
Steve Arma, we dun use euras cuz we is british. ok?
Posted by Tim Knight | 30.07.08, 19:19 GMT
One of the basic principles of money (since the time of the Greeks it seems to me) is that it be "re-cog-nis-able"
Why don't we Ulster folk use an instantly recognisable currency as I do on my trips to the mainland...it's called the Euro! You can get them in any bank, and you can even use them in the shops and pubs here, especially in places like Newry and Londonderry as well as down South...
Posted by Steve Armagh | 30.07.08, 19:13 GMT
Jaz, it is something to worry about when you regularly travel between England and Northern Ireland, which I personally do. It's a right pain to have a pocket full of unspendable cash. It's embarassing in shops, taxis, and restaurants.
Posted by Vicky | 30.07.08, 18:12 GMT
"A spokesman for HM Treasury said that moves are under way to ensure notes from Northern Ireland and Scotland have the same standing in England as Bank of England notes. "
How exactly can they do this ?
NI and Scottish (not to mention Manx/ Channel Island) banknotes are issued by private banks. Bank of England notes are issued by a state backed central bank. They are not the same thing and in fact even a shop based in NI would be within its rights to refuse NI banknotes.
What would make far more sense would be to give the Bank of England the sole right to issue notes and currency in all parts of the UK.
Oh and why do they call it the Bank of ENGLAND anyway when: 1) Its banknotes are used in Wales
2) It sets interest rates for the entire UK ?
Posted by Mike | 30.07.08, 17:58 GMT
The term british and united kingdom is all lie to keep us down and under control from foreign rule
Posted by martin blythe, england | 30.07.08, 16:22 GMT
Nolan hasn't much to be worried about, eejit
Posted by Jaz | 30.07.08, 11:28 GMT
"In Scotland and Northern Ireland, no banknotes are currently legal tender"
"Scottish, Northern Irish, Channel Islands and Manx notes are sometimes rejected by shops when used in England. British shopkeepers can choose to reject any payment, even if it would be legal tender in that jurisdiction, because no debt exists when the offer of payment is made at the same time as the offer of goods or services."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pound_sterling#Legal_tender_and_regional_issues
Posted by wikiManiac | 30.07.08, 11:25 GMT