Musings from the Merse
Monday, August 04, 2008
Bank Holiday. Banks Open Shock
After 11 years in the Borders, Huttonian (aka the-reluctant-Dinger)* still cannot fathom out Scottish Bank Holidays. Take Hutton: the postie came from Ber-Wick (england) and stayed away on English Bank Holidays. He sometimes also stayed away on Scottish ones as well. But Duns is well into Scotland; it glories in being in purely Scottish TD11. Today is a Bank Holiday in Scotland according to the official Bank Holiday website. The postie did not come; she was no doubt having a nice long lie in and so she might. The two nice cafes, frothy coffee and scones, were closed. But both banks were well functioning. Doors wide open: Radio Three discretely backgrounding (Royal Bank of S)and Radio one more apparent (Bank of S) . The website throws some light Its too complicated for Scottish Banking Computers to have separate hols so they cravenly fall in with their southern colleagues; there's English fiscal imperialism for you. And the RBS owns NatWest for goodness sake. So a Bank Holiday is a Bank Holiday except when its a Scottish Bank Holiday and the Scottish Post Offices have more laid back computer systems so they can take the day off.
Actually its not always like that. I came last year to Duns on a Scottish Bank Holiday. The Banks were very closed. Radios switched off. I returned on an English Bank Holiday and they were still/again closed. Best of both worlds then, but no more apparently
(* reluctance not related to being in Duns but to leaving Hutton-is that clear?)
After 11 years in the Borders, Huttonian (aka the-reluctant-Dinger)* still cannot fathom out Scottish Bank Holidays. Take Hutton: the postie came from Ber-Wick (england) and stayed away on English Bank Holidays. He sometimes also stayed away on Scottish ones as well. But Duns is well into Scotland; it glories in being in purely Scottish TD11. Today is a Bank Holiday in Scotland according to the official Bank Holiday website. The postie did not come; she was no doubt having a nice long lie in and so she might. The two nice cafes, frothy coffee and scones, were closed. But both banks were well functioning. Doors wide open: Radio Three discretely backgrounding (Royal Bank of S)and Radio one more apparent (Bank of S) . The website throws some light Its too complicated for Scottish Banking Computers to have separate hols so they cravenly fall in with their southern colleagues; there's English fiscal imperialism for you. And the RBS owns NatWest for goodness sake. So a Bank Holiday is a Bank Holiday except when its a Scottish Bank Holiday and the Scottish Post Offices have more laid back computer systems so they can take the day off.
Actually its not always like that. I came last year to Duns on a Scottish Bank Holiday. The Banks were very closed. Radios switched off. I returned on an English Bank Holiday and they were still/again closed. Best of both worlds then, but no more apparently
(* reluctance not related to being in Duns but to leaving Hutton-is that clear?)
Labels: Bank Holidays, the-reluctant-Dinger
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Berwick: England /Scotland
Berwick Rangers, Northumberland's answer to a number of questions, is the only English football team to play in the Scottish League. Right. Berwick upon Tweed is in England. Right. But where, nationaly, is the B-u-T branch of the Bank of Scotland? Huttonian only asks as today is a Bank Holiday in Scotland. It is full working day in Protestant ethical England. Gloriously open were Lloyd's, Barclay's, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation-and that symbol of Scottish Banking Expansionism : The Royal Bank of Scotland. But we wanted the Bank of Scotland. Closed. In sympathy with its cousins across the Border or making a statement about Berwick being Scottish (or the staff had slept in?)
Berwick is resolutely ambivalent about its national loyalties. Saltires generally outnumber Crosses of St George and Union Flags. Dour stone buildings shout 'Scotland' and the pubs erupt in cheering when the English try line is crossed-by anyone.
Today, banking aside, there are compensations for Berwick's Gallic mistiness. The major shops were open. And empty despite the New Year Sales. So deserted was Homebase that a salesperson, normally as elusive as visible human life in Hutton, actually asked if we needed help. As it happened we didn't but its nice to be asked.
Bank holidays are something of an issue around here so I was not surprised to see a large placard outside a local shop inviting customers to sign a petition demanding an extra national Bank Holiday. I might have done. But as it wasn't a bank holiday, except in Scotland, the shop was
closed.
If you see whatI mean
(The image is of the new Bank of Scotland £10 note. Acceptable everywhere accept the rest of the UK. And obtainable everywhere in Scotland and Berwick upon Tweed. Except today)
Labels: Bank Holidays, Berwick
Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday, Bloody (Bank Holiday) Monday
Where is it an English Bank Holiday in Scotland? Answer: in Hutton (and Paxton, and elsewhere in occupied TD15) Yes we are in Berwickshire, Scotland. Yes it is not a bank holiday in Scotland. But yes it is in TD15 and that includes big chunks of the Scottish heartland, Brave and otherwise. If we are sent a letter addressed: Berwick upon -Tweed TD15 etc it will arrive in a day-put in Berwickshire, and leave out the English Garrison Town it will take a day later despite the Post Code. Weird.
And irritating. I had an urgent missive to post and remembered at 11.50 AM that on Bank Holidays there was a Royal Mail collection from down town Hutton at 12 noon.Putting on the only First Class stamp sold in the Hutton Post Office since 1997 I raced out to the box. En route a villager told me with some satisfaction that the post man had emptied the post box a minute before (11.55 AM) Running five minutes early-blast his zeal. Nothing for it but to go to Free Scotland-the nearest point, so I was told, outside TD15 being Allanton. First, Second and Last Post not collected until 2pm. 10 am on Bank Holidays so I hope that our frenetic English postie did not get there first taking, as it were, the Bank Holiday with him.
At least in Duns we will know where we are -holiday wise.
Where is it an English Bank Holiday in Scotland? Answer: in Hutton (and Paxton, and elsewhere in occupied TD15) Yes we are in Berwickshire, Scotland. Yes it is not a bank holiday in Scotland. But yes it is in TD15 and that includes big chunks of the Scottish heartland, Brave and otherwise. If we are sent a letter addressed: Berwick upon -Tweed TD15 etc it will arrive in a day-put in Berwickshire, and leave out the English Garrison Town it will take a day later despite the Post Code. Weird.
And irritating. I had an urgent missive to post and remembered at 11.50 AM that on Bank Holidays there was a Royal Mail collection from down town Hutton at 12 noon.Putting on the only First Class stamp sold in the Hutton Post Office since 1997 I raced out to the box. En route a villager told me with some satisfaction that the post man had emptied the post box a minute before (11.55 AM) Running five minutes early-blast his zeal. Nothing for it but to go to Free Scotland-the nearest point, so I was told, outside TD15 being Allanton. First, Second and Last Post not collected until 2pm. 10 am on Bank Holidays so I hope that our frenetic English postie did not get there first taking, as it were, the Bank Holiday with him.
At least in Duns we will know where we are -holiday wise.
Labels: Bank Holidays, Low Flying Merse, Royal Mail
