Old money

My stepmum found some UK banknotes in my dad’s stuff, and he is highly unlikely to travel to the UK again, so she sent them to me. He must have had them for a while! For they were the old papery versions, and the new polymer ones came in in early 2020. 

Would I manage to sort this? 

I hadn’t noticed, so I tried to pay with them. The lady in the shop wasn’t having that, but said you can still exchange them in a bank. A bank! They still exist. There are some in Bangor. So one day I biked there and had a try. The first bank said this branch didn’t have a counter service, but in Llangefni they did, and they would be able to help. 

The next bank I tried (might as well) said they could only help if I was one of their customers. I’m not; the nearest branch of my bank is in Liverpool. But they said I should try the Post Office. That was just up the street. 

I tried it. And it worked! Effortlessly. Which means I could have just gone to the post office in Bethesda or Menai Bridge. Oh well. It’s sorted now! And that money hasn’t fully expired somewhere in a drawer. That would have been a waste!