NationStates Jolt Archive

So, Britain is going to have (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/architecture_and_design/article3671083.ece) new coins (picture with the article):
Matthew Dent was 8 when he fell in love with coins. It was 1990 and his friend brought a recently introduced 5p into school. “It was shiny and I wanted one,” said Mr Dent. “It just looked amazing.” Now, the 26-year-old graphic designer has been announced as the creative force behind the first new British coin series since decimalisation in 1971.

His vision for the coins beat more than 4,000 entries in a 2005 Royal Mint competition to find fresh designs for seven of Britain’s eight circulating coins, from the 1p piece to the £1 coin. The £2 will remain unchanged.

After three years of “deliberation, tweaking and fiddling”, the series, which comes into circulation this summer, was finally unveiled yesterday. It features parts of the royal coat of arms on the reverse and the Queen’s head on the other. “I feel so honoured and privileged,” Mr Dent, from Bangor, North Wales, said. “But it’s going to be the icing on the cake when I see people using the coins I designed for buying milk and bread.”

That moment will have been a long time coming for Mr Dent, who continued his job at a design company throughout the process. “The committee would meet and set deadlines and I would work frantically. Then we would have long breaks,” he said.

“I was working weekends and evenings. I was going to bed at three in the morning. I spent a lot of time apologising to my girlfriend,” he said.

But, despite 16 stages of revision and a committee veto on a “voluptuous female torso” intended for the 50p, Mr Dent said the final designs were true to the original. The images on the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p can be pieced together to form a whole royal shield of arms. The £1 coin, or “jigsaw box lid”, features the complete picture.

“I want my new designs to intrigue, to entertain and to raise a smile,” Mr Dent said.

Sir Christopher Frayling, chairman of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, said yesterday: “Every designer’s dream is to make an impact on people’s lives and Matthew Dent has achieved this at a very early stage of his career.”

Andrew Stafford, chief executive of the Royal Mint, said that the designs were contemporary but retained “the gravitas and reference to history required for the UK’s coins”.

Phillip Mussell, director of the magazine Coin News, was generally complimentary about the design, but expressed concern that the lack of numerals would pose difficulties for visitors from foreign countries. He added: “Some people may also be unhappy about copper being included, which means [the smaller denominations] will be around for a few years more.” Mr Dent, who lives in London, received £35,000 for his designs and will not be paid any further royalties. “Considering I never expected to get anything when I entered the competition, it’s a brilliant windfall,” he said.

Keen to make amends with his long-suffering girlfriend, he has put a deposit on a flat and “blown it all already”.
Personally, I think they look very nice and I like the way they all 'fit together' to form the overall design. Modern, simple, sleek and rather elegant.

Great, they look like they're using the royal standard on it. The one that doesn't have any symbol representing Wales on it (despite the fact the designer is apparently Welsh). Brilliant idea when they're trying to encourage a sense of union. :rolleyes:

The lack of numerals might be a mistake - but they're a great piece of contemporary design.

Is it too late for Dent to do the London 2012 logo? ;)

lets just get the Euro and be done with it

design is pretty cool though!

Great, they look like they're using the royal standard on it. The one that doesn't have any symbol representing Wales on it (despite the fact the designer is apparently Welsh). Brilliant idea when they're trying to encourage a sense of union. :rolleyes:
The bottom right is dragons is it not?

Edit: My mistake, it is lions again. At least it's consistent with the Union Flag.

The bottom right is dragons is it not?

No, it's three lions/leopards representing England (although if you're interested, originally came from Anjou when we also had lands in France, the only actually English symbol is the rose).

They fit together as the royal standard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Standard_%28United_Kingdom%29) which doesn't represent Wales (like the Union flag doesn't) since at the time it was created Wales was legally a part of the kingdom of England.

Don't some of the current pound coins have a Welsh Dragon on the back?

I quite liked some of current designs. It was also quite weird to get some coins from places like Jersey. I got one the other day and gawped at it before being poked in the back by a mate because I was holding up the queue to get on the bus.

So, Britain is going to have (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/architecture_and_design/article3671083.ece) new coins (picture with the article):

Personally, I think they look very nice and I like the way they all 'fit together' to form the overall design. Modern, simple, sleek and rather elegant.

They look pretty cool, not that it has any particular effect on me...

Very sharp! However I would like any new British coins as long as the words Euro don't appear on them. :p

lets just get the Euro and be done with it

I'm not very cool though!

Heresy!

I will be honest and say that I don't like the design

it just going to piss me off having little snippets of a Jigsaw in my pocket (which won't fit together to make a full image no less!)

Great, they look like they're using the royal standard on it. The one that doesn't have any symbol representing Wales on it

of course Wales will be left out. its tradition :)

lets just get the Euro and be done with it

design is pretty cool though!

I feel ill having read that, on two grounds.

Firstly, both in an economic and ideological sense, entering into the Euro is simply a silly idea.

Secondly, I fail to see the necessity for an expensive redesign of the aesthetics of the our coinage when the old coins work perfectly bloody well, and the average taxpayer must contend with rising, and more extensive, fiscal impositions every budget.

I may be spitting into the wind here, but I don't see the appeal of the new aesthetics. It simply resembles the logos sported by tediously "modern" corporations and establishments whose literature is steeped in management diction.

I may be spitting into the wind here, but I don't see the appeal of the new aesthetics. It simply resembles the logos sported by tediously "modern" corporations and establishments whose literature is steeped in management diction.

It's a jigsaw of the royal standard. How does that even get near 'modern'?

I feel ill having read that, on two grounds.

Firstly, both in an economic and ideological sense, entering into the Euro is simply a silly idea.

Secondly, I fail to see the necessity for an expensive redesign of the aesthetics of the our coinage when the old coins work perfectly bloody well, and the average taxpayer must contend with rising, and more extensive, fiscal impositions every budget.

I may be spitting into the wind here, but I don't see the appeal of the new aesthetics. It simply resembles the logos sported by tediously "modern" corporations and establishments whose literature is steeped in management diction.

But....but....THEY LOOK SPIFFY!!!! :p


Regardless, kuddos to the kid gettin 35k for the design.

It's a jigsaw of the royal standard. How does that even get near 'modern'?

Because god forbid one should simply put the royal standard on a coin and leave it...oh no! To appease the uninformed clamours for aesthetic innovation and modernity we must place it across all the coins in a cunning and terribly clever jigsaw.

But....but....THEY LOOK SPIFFY!!!! :p


Regardless, kuddos to the kid gettin 35k for the design.

Very true. I can't see what he's actually done to merit a sum of money close to average wage for a few drawings of bits of metal, but all the same, well played to him.

Secondly, I fail to see the necessity for an expensive redesign of the aesthetics of the our coinage when the old coins work perfectly bloody well, and the average taxpayer must contend with rising, and more extensive, fiscal impositions every budget.

I suppose it just for the sale to collectors when it falls out of legal tender (with the less common coins suddenly becoming extremely valuable as every collector wants to complete the picture) or just so the government looks like its doing something

kuddos to the kid gettin 35k for the design.

I wish I was told of this :(

What a clever design.

Firstly, both in an economic and ideological sense, entering into the Euro is simply a silly idea.


While i agree that in an ideological sense the euro make little to no sense, i thought in a economic sense bit was a good long term plan, giving clarity of pricing within the E.U and closing the gap in prices between (E.U) states?
Though it would bring short term economic repercussions in the long term wouldn't it be better to belong?

So, Britain is going to have (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/architecture_and_design/article3671083.ece) new coins (picture with the article):

Personally, I think they look very nice and I like the way they all 'fit together' to form the overall design. Modern, simple, sleek and rather elegant.What a waste. The time would have been better spent designing the UK's Euro coins.

Firstly, both in an economic and ideological sense, entering into the Euro is simply a silly idea.Economically silly? I'm sure you have actual evidence in favor of this statement that doesn't involve "But I loves my Poundses! :( "

Arse arse arse.

I have several 'old' British coins sitting in my desk. Will they be rendered invalid by the new coins?

I'm not going to fly 4,000 miles around the world just to update a few poxy pounds that I've got sitting in my top drawer.

That said, I'm adverse to arbitrarily losing money!


They are nice designs tho. Kudos to the winning designer - it's a great achievement.

Nah, they'll still be legal tender until they're slowly collected in by the banks, if they even do that. I still regularly handle coins from just after decimialisation, although they tend to be a bit natty.

Anyways, defunct coins can be worth a lot of money to the right collector. I've got Francs, Deutchsmark and a few others knocking about from trips abroad.

I think there's nothing wrong with our current coins.

Nice designs. I like the jigsaw idea.


lets just get the Euro and be done with it

design is pretty cool though!

No! Resist the assimilation as long as possible!

Arse arse arse.

I have several 'old' British coins sitting in my desk. Will they be rendered invalid by the new coins?

I'm not going to fly 4,000 miles around the world just to update a few poxy pounds that I've got sitting in my top drawer.

That said, I'm adverse to arbitrarily losing money!


They are nice designs tho. Kudos to the winning designer - it's a great achievement.Shouldn't. My Euros aren't invalid after they changed the design either, and there's plenty of different coins out in the UK today.

Shouldn't. My Euros aren't invalid after they changed the design either, and there's plenty of different coins out in the UK today.
Actually a few months back they introduced new £20 notes and you can't use the old ones anymore.

Actually a few months back they introduced new £20 notes and you can't use the old ones anymore.Bullshit. I got along fine using the old 20 pound notes a week ago.

Actually a few months back they introduced new £20 notes and you can't use the old ones anymore.
So long as the actual size and shape stays the same, new and old coins can both stay in circulation. Hence the variations that exist in British coins of the same value. I assume that when the banknotes were redesigned the security features were updated and, to help prevent fraud, the old notes were driven out of circulation.

Bullshit. I got along fine using the old 20 pound notes a week ago.
You technically shouldn't be able to, but everybody does anyway. Hope you enjoyed your trip anyway.

You technically shouldn't be able to, but everybody does anyway. Hope you enjoyed your trip anyway.Not sure where you heard this, but the woman at the exchange where I changed my money informed me it wasn't a problem, and considering that it wasn't, I believe her. I'd imagine banks take back all obsolete notes and avoid returning them to circulation. It'll be the same with the new US paper money.

What a waste. The time would have been better spent designing the UK's Euro coins.
It would have made my trip to Amsterdam about half the price if I didn't have to play with poxy exchange rates. Still, Britain knows best...:rolleyes:

Not sure where you heard this, but the woman at the exchange where I changed my money informed me it wasn't a problem, and considering that it wasn't, I believe her. I'd imagine banks take back all obsolete notes and avoid returning them to circulation. It'll be the same with the new US paper money.
I think you're right. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6384583.stm) I thought that all the old £20 notes had been taken out of circulation and replaced by the new ones by now, and that the old ones were no longer legal tender. I can't say it was something I ever paid much attention to though, considering I hardly have £20 in my pocket to spend in the first place.

Economically silly? I'm sure you have actual evidence in favor of this statement that doesn't involve "But I loves my Poundses! :( "

I'm not even going to answer this until you have the civility, unlike the rest of your like on NSG, to ask a question without the typical condascending, patronising lolcat imitation. Neither amusing nor particularly commendable.

It would have made my trip to Amsterdam about half the price if I didn't have to play with poxy exchange rates. Still, Britain knows best...:rolleyes:A heck, I passed through the Netherlands, Belgium, and France on my way to London from Berlin. And I only needed two currencies. Would have been much better if I'd only needed one, and a hell of a lot worse if I'd needed five. Makes you wonder how much travelling Euro-bashers do.
I think you're right. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6384583.stm) I thought that all the old £20 notes had been taken out of circulation and replaced by the new ones by now, and that the old ones were no longer legal tender. I can't say it was something I ever paid much attention to though, considering I hardly have £20 in my pocket to spend in the first place.Yeah, it's simply not logistically possible to ban on type of note like that over night and not expect the economy to tank.

A heck, I passed through the Netherlands, Belgium, and France on my way to London from Berlin. And I only needed two currencies. Would have been much better if I'd only needed one, and a hell of a lot worse if I'd needed five. Makes you wonder how much travelling Euro-bashers do.
Ah well, at least you probably got a good deal getting one currency then. ;)

Yeah, it's simply not logistically possible to ban on type of note like that over night and not expect the economy to tank.
A bit of common sense does help sometimes.

Utter, utter crap.

Actually a few months back they introduced new £20 notes and you can't use the old ones anymore.
Err, yes you can, because I did last night. So there. Also, the new 20s are just such pish. *sighs*
Economically silly? I'm sure you have actual evidence in favor of this statement that doesn't involve "But I loves my Poundses! :( "
Well for one thing, having an extremely strong and stable currency makes for excellent times for us when it comes to large-scale money exchanges.

The 'old' (Elgar) £20 notes have not been withdrawn yet (http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/withdrawn_notes.htm). I'd not expect them to stop being legal tender for a while to come yet.

The transition phase between the introduction of the Elgar £20s and the end of legal tender status for the previous design was over a year and a half (http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2001/010.htm). The Adam Smith £20s were introduced in March 2007, so I would expect the Elgar £20s to stop being legal tender probably this winter.

Well for one thing, having an extremely strong and stable currency makes for excellent times for us when it comes to large-scale money exchanges.And this is untrue of the Euro how exactly? :p

The 'old' (Elgar) £20 notes have not been withdrawn yet (http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/withdrawn_notes.htm). I'd not expect them to stop being legal tender for a while to come yet.

The transition phase between the introduction of the Elgar £20s and the end of legal tender status for the previous design was over a year and a half (http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2001/010.htm). The Adam Smith £20s were introduced in March 2007, so I would expect the Elgar £20s to stop being legal tender probably this winter.
Ah, I see.

Bullshit. I got along fine using the old 20 pound notes a week ago.

Yeah same here. Normaly they remain leagl for a good long time, until the Bank of England are more or less sure that they have recovered them all.

And this is untrue of the Euro how exactly? :p
*sighs*

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/4388/exchangeratesqq4.png

-pic snip-
Considering my exeriences with the current exchange rate, I would put it the other way round.

It would have made my trip to Amsterdam about half the price if I didn't have to play with poxy exchange rates. Still, Britain knows best...:rolleyes:

Hah yes, seeing as the British £ is sooooo strong against other currency it seems that we do. :D

I see that they left out the £2 coin for the redesign. on a side note i still have a £5 coin produce for the Queen mother's 90th birthday back in 1990. do you think it is still legal tender?

Considering my exeriences with the current exchange rate, I would put it the other way round.
Nope, the Euro is still less than 80% of the value of the pound. And it's the second strongest currency there is, after the Sterling.

I see that they left out the £2 coin for the redesign. on a side note i still have a £5 coin produce for the Queen mother's 90th birthday back in 1990. do you think it is still legal tender?
Aye, but they look really nice, so don't bother. Also, you'd probably be safer getting it swapped for a five note (which is a free service).

I see that they left out the £2 coin for the redesign. on a side note i still have a £5 coin produce for the Queen mother's 90th birthday back in 1990. do you think it is still legal tender?

You might not be able to use it in any old shop, but take any post-decimalisation coinage to a bank and it'll be exchanged for the equivilent value.

lets just get the Euro and be done with it


why would the kingdom want to share its monetary dominance with a bunch of countries who had to band together to make their currencies worth something?

...besides to make it worth more...damn i hate globalization...

Nope, the Euro is still less than 80% of the value of the pound. And it's the second strongest currency there is, after the Sterling.
Doesn't mean the exchange rate isn't poxy at the minute. I'd be much happier if I didn't book a holiday and then have to watch everything abroad effectively reach London prices before I left.

Doesn't mean the exchange rate isn't poxy at the minute. I'd be much happier if I didn't book a holiday and then have to watch everything abroad effectively reach London prices before I left.
Post Office rates are quite good, as are those in Thomas Cook. Tesco are alright also. Take cash with when you're there and you won't be utterly plagued by extra credit card payments for overseas use.

why would the kingdom want to share its monetary dominance with a bunch of countries who had to band together to make their currencies worth something?

...besides to make it worth more...damn i hate globalization...

Makes it easier for people to travel (tourism is a major industry after all) and makes it easier for businesses to import and export within the EU.

Makes it easier for people to travel (tourism is a major industry after all) and makes it easier for businesses to import and export within the EU.
It doesn't make it any easier or more difficult to do business overseas, really. We're in a customs union ffs. As to travelling, currency exchange is a massive source of revenue for our fairly weak banks and post offices. Take that away, and the Post Office will genuinly die a death, and the banks will be in an even worse state than they are at the moment.

Post Office rates are quite good, as are those in Thomas Cook. Tesco are alright also. Take cash with when you're there and you won't be utterly plagued by extra credit card payments for overseas use.
I went to the Post Office anyway, which was fine. Thomas Cook and First Choice were a bit pricey, if I remember rightly. But that's not the problem. What was the problem was booking a cheap holiday and then watching it become quite a more expensive holiday while the Pound collapses and the Euro strengthens, which is slightly irritating.

I went to the Post Office anyway, which was fine. Thomas Cook and First Choice were a bit pricey, if I remember rightly. But that's not the problem. What was the problem was booking a cheap holiday and then watching it become quite a more expensive holiday while the Pound collapses and the Euro strengthens, which is slightly irritating.

You know I have never had any problems with dealing in British money in some parts of Europe.

It doesn't make it any easier or more difficult to do business overseas, really. We're in a customs union ffs. As to travelling, currency exchange is a massive source of revenue for our fairly weak banks and post offices. Take that away, and the Post Office will genuinly die a death, and the banks will be in an even worse state than they are at the moment.

It does. Gives businesses greater certainty regarding payments and so on, aside from the ease of not having to change currency.

The Post Office can't survive as it is, too much has been given away. Currency exchange can't save it. Now would obviously be a bad time to do it. But I think the benefit across the whole economy is greater than the loss to the banks.

I went to the Post Office anyway, which was fine. Thomas Cook and First Choice were a bit pricey, if I remember rightly. But that's not the problem. What was the problem was booking a cheap holiday and then watching it become quite a more expensive holiday while the Pound collapses and the Euro strengthens, which is slightly irritating.
The pound is not particularly collapsing, and the Euro isn't particularly strengthening. Exchange rates rising from 72-ishp for a Euro to 77ish in the short term is not that bad, and in the long term, the Sterling is a far more stable currency than the Euro, due it being used by one country with a decent economy, instead of being used by thirteen countries ranging from economic superpowers (Germany) to... well... Italy and Slovenia.
It does. Gives businesses greater certainty regarding payments and so on, aside from the ease of not having to change currency.

The Post Office can't survive as it is, too much has been given away. Currency exchange can't save it. Now would obviously be a bad time to do it. But I think the benefit across the whole economy is greater than the loss to the banks.
Meh. I'd agree to some extent that changing currency is a pain in the arse, but it generates literally billions for the UK economy, so it'll not be gone soon.

Aye, but they look really nice, so don't bother. Also, you'd probably be safer getting it swapped for a five note (which is a free service).

I was just interested if they were still legal, i would never use it, it is a nice little oddity to keep. plus it is most likely to be already worth more £5 to a collecter.

I don't like them. Perhaps it's because I'm a traditionalist, or perhaps it's because they just don't look 'right' to me. I mean, look at how they seem to have almost forgotten the 20p! And most of them look so... bland. It looks like a great concept when they're all together like that, but when they're separate and isolated... not so good.

It all spends the same.

The pound is not particularly collapsing, and the Euro isn't particularly strengthening. Exchange rates rising from 72-ishp for a Euro to 77ish in the short term is not that bad, and in the long term, the Sterling is a far more stable currency than the Euro, due it being used by one country with a decent economy, instead of being used by thirteen countries ranging from economic superpowers (Germany) to... well... Italy and Slovenia.
It may be normal and not that bad for the economy, but it's annoying for me. I've lost money as everything in Amsterdam became relatively more expensive, lost money buying Euros and lost money selling them again. Whether the Euro or the Pound is the most stable (and iirc the Euro is the currency of choice for countries to keep their foreign exchange in, not the Pound) it's far more convenient. If it can work there, I see no reason why it can't work here.

ok...I am visiting ol' blighty for a few weeks.

Can I get by with credit cards or do I have to convert dollars into pounds...how much would I need ?

ok...I am visiting ol' blighty for a few weeks.

Can I get by with credit cards or do I have to convert dollars into pounds...how much would I need ?

you'll be fine with credit cards, and we have plenty of ATMs around for when you need cash (for taxis etc)

http://www.xe.com/ <-- best place for currency conversion


though do you use chip & pin on your cards? because i don't know what shops would do if you're not...

ok...I am visiting ol' blighty for a few weeks.

Can I get by with credit cards or do I have to convert dollars into pounds...how much would I need ?
Credit card should be fine, check with your credit card company to make sure they won't charge you, and as to how much you'll need, that depends where you're going in Our Sceptered Isle.

Darn Sarf is quite expensive compared to most of the north. Some real exceptions to that (some of Kent is pretty cheap, as are parts of the West Country around Bristol), but that's basically true.

you'll be fine with credit cards, and we have plenty of ATMs around for when you need cash (for taxis etc)

I will be having a rental car. So I can skip the taxi part. How is the parking system there. Do I have to put coins on the meters? what's the usual rate...like how much for..say 30 mins?


though do you use chip & pin on your cards? because i don't know what shops would do if you're not...

I don't know what's a chip&pin. The Debit card has a pin that I use in ATMs. The credit cards may have them...but I don't remember them. Will that be asked :confused:

Credit card should be fine, check with your credit card company to make sure they won't charge you, and as to how much you'll need, that depends where you're going in Our Sceptered Isle.

Darn Sarf is quite expensive compared to most of the north. Some real exceptions to that (some of Kent is pretty cheap, as are parts of the West Country around Bristol), but that's basically true.

I will be in Kent actually. Anything to do there?

I have a friend in Scotland. I was told it is really far from Kent...but that does not stop me from thinking of driving there in the weekend..or am I am too foolish. :p

Thanks for all the help...both of you.:)

I will be having a rental car. So I can skip the taxi part. How is the parking system there. Do I have to put coins on the meters? what's the usual rate...like how much for..say 30 mins?

Parking in big cities is often problematic, since the closer to the centre the more the emphasis is on pedestrians and public transport. Best bet is to find a multi-story and park in their. Usually charge about £1 per hour, though this goes up in more central areas.


I don't know what's a chip&pin. The Debit card has a pin that I use in ATMs. The credit cards may have them...but I don't remember them. Will that be asked :confused:
It's where debit and credit cards have a chip that means you can use them to pay direct for good in shops/restaurants/etc by putting them into a small card reader and typing in your machine.



I will be in Kent actually. Anything to do there?
Definitely Canterbury Cathedral.


I have a friend in Scotland. I was told it is really far from Kent...but that does not stop me from thinking of driving there in the weekend..or am I am too foolish. :p

It's about 4-500 miles. Motorway all the way (to the major cities at least) but take a good 8 hours in a car. Might be worth looking at booking a cheap flight early.

Thanks for all the help...both of you.:)[/QUOTE]

I will be having a rental car. So I can skip the taxi part. How is the parking system there. Do I have to put coins on the meters? what's the usual rate...like how much for..say 30 mins?


round here its quite expensive, but you'll find it varies. there's a town half an hour away from here that costs £3 to park all day. in my town that'll get you 2 hours at best. i went somewhere (a smallish town in Oxfordshire) recently that was 20p for an hour. it varies a lot, and it is mostly change. our city's meters take cards but not many other cities do i think.


I have a friend in Scotland. I was told it is really far from Kent...but that does not stop me from thinking of driving there in the weekend..or am I am too foolish. :p

Thanks for all the help...both of you.:)

i'd call it a bit crazy, but then you might be more used to driving greater distances. about 500 miles: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=kent&daddr=edinburgh&sll=54.162434,-3.647461&sspn=10.562603,29.157715&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=7

our roads aren't too great though - motorways are often congested, especially the M25 round London (which you'd probably go on) and the M1 up by Leeds (if you went that way), or the M42/whatever by Birmingham.

my point is what google says is really optimistic in terms of time :p
also, expect to pay a small fortune, compared with what you're used to, for petrol :P


oh and stuff to do in kent... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tourist_attractions_in_Kent (its an obvious one but there you go ;))

I will be having a rental car. So I can skip the taxi part. How is the parking system there. Do I have to put coins on the meters? what's the usual rate...like how much for..say 30 mins?
Really depends.

In York (which is pisstakingly expensive for almost everything, really) it's about a couple of quid for 3 hours.
I don't know what's a chip&pin. The Debit card has a pin that I use in ATMs. The credit cards may have them...but I don't remember them. Will that be asked :confused:
You should be alright just taking money out at ATMs and what have you, not sure about anything else.

Again, check with your credit card supplier for that one.
I will be in Kent actually. Anything to do there?
There's always Canterbury Cathedral to look around. I've not been to Kent for a long time, so I can't help that much, really. All of Kent is quite near the beach, and things are warming up here lately, so you might be able to get the buckets and spades out :p
I have a friend in Scotland. I was told it is really far from Kent...but that does not stop me from thinking of driving there in the weekend..or am I am too foolish. :p
It'll take you about 12 hours of solid driving to get there (realistically), seeing as you'll probably have to use the M25 which is a SLOOOW and also confusing motorway. Really depends where in Scotland they live, too. Aberdeen might take a while longer than that even.

And keep in mind that gas here isn't $3 a gallon, nay! It's about $8 or $9 even. On the other hand, our cars are 931% more fuel efficient, so it shouldn't be such a massive problem.

On the other hand, we can go at 70mph on the motorways, which is nice.

Really depends where in Scotland they live, too. Aberdeen might take a while longer than that even.

totally. look here (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=edinburgh&daddr=inverness&sll=53.57421,-1.47371&sspn=5.351029,14.578857&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=8)... its 3 hours just from Edinburgh to Inverness FFS

And keep in mind that gas here isn't $3 a gallon, nay! It's about $8 or $9 even. On the other hand, our cars are 931% more fuel efficient, so it shouldn't be such a massive problem.

:p

totally. look here (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=edinburgh&daddr=inverness&sll=53.57421,-1.47371&sspn=5.351029,14.578857&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=8)... its 3 hours just from Edinburgh to Inverness FFS
Stunning views on the way, though. Saw a golden eagle on that route, in fact (went to Inverness to get a ferry out to the Orkneys if you SUPER CARE, which I'm sure you don't, sorry for wasting your time)

Stunning views on the way, though. Saw a golden eagle on that route, in fact (went to Inverness to get a ferry out to the Orkneys if you SUPER CARE, which I'm sure you don't, sorry for wasting your time)

i'll admit, i don't care all that much ;)
furthest north i've been is Edinburgh, and even then i flew there from Southampton airport. furthest i've driven is Newcastle, last summer, and that was a hell of a long drive which i don't much want to repeat.

however, on a semi-related note, i'd love to go to the Isle of Skye sometime. i hear its beautiful :)

however, on a semi-related note, i'd love to go to the Isle of Skye sometime. i hear its beautiful :)
It is indeed. All of the Western Isles region is.

totally. look here (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=edinburgh&daddr=inverness&sll=53.57421,-1.47371&sspn=5.351029,14.578857&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=8)... its 3 hours just from Edinburgh to Inverness FFS


:p

Sounds like a good trip.

Been up to Scotland once. thought it was very scenic. Drove through Glasgow on the way to Kilmory castle for a wedding in February. Damn it was cold.

I will be in Kent actually. Anything to do there?

I have a friend in Scotland. I was told it is really far from Kent...but that does not stop me from thinking of driving there in the weekend..or am I am too foolish. :p




Just from a previous resident of the UK I would say while you are in the South you should take the trip over to Avon and Bath specifically to see the Roman Baths. If you like Roman history it is a place to see. On the way you can stop by Stonehenge if you have not already seen it. If you get real adventurous while over there you can take a short trip to Cardiff, Wales from Bath. Might be best for an overnight excursion though from Kent.

As for the trip to Scotland you may just want to take the flight out of London. The drive up is a very long one. The traffic can be fairly horrendous at times.

As a resident of Kent I suggest:

Canterbury Cathedral
Rochester Castle
Leeds Castle

If outdoors are your thing:

Shorne Country Park
Herne Bay
White Cliffs of Dover and The Downs

Towns to Visit:

Canterbury
Rochester
Maidstone has a decent night life.

However avoid Chatham town centre at all costs. Believe me!
Also not a safe town, though interesting is Gravesend, burial place of Pocahontas and has an old preserved fort which you can take a tour through.
However spend no more than a few hours there, its not safe for people not familiar with the whole town :p.

I have a friend in Scotland. I was told it is really far from Kent...but that does not stop me from thinking of driving there in the weekend..or am I am too foolish. :p
You’d be spending a good deal of the weekend on the road, so your best bet would be to fly up (a flight from London to Glasgow takes about 50 mins) then either travel by train or hire another rental.

Depends where you want to go in Scotland after you get here, and what you want to do. If your mate lives in the Central Belt (Glasgow-Edinburgh, and everywhere in between) and that’s where you’ll be staying, then public transport, especially the train, is the best option. You can take day trips to Glasgow from Edinburgh, or vice versa, and explore the surrounding areas like that.

However, if you want to get away from urban Scotland and explore the Highlands, then a rental car is what you’ll need. If you’ve got the time you can explore loads of places you’d never get to with public transport. This site (http://www.visithighlands.com/) might help you out with info about visiting the Highlands.

Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy this wee country; Scotland’s well worth the trip.

That's not to say you can't look at the Highlands through public transport. I did, but in fairness only through short stops in Fort William and Inverness, never any of the really spectacular remote places (except passing through them by coach and train).

The other Scotland-Kent travel option is the train, which really is most viable if you're heading for Edinburgh as there's a fast London-Edinburgh service. Although it's stupidly expensive except for advance tickets, and it seems you can only book advance tickets for weekdays (we're talking a gap of $65 vs $239 for Canterbury-Edinburgh). London-Scotland is about the shortest journey I'd even consider non-silly by aeroplane, and personally even then I wouldn't do it, but it'll sure save time. I came from Weymouth - in central southern England - to Scotland for my holiday, entirely by train, and needed an overnight stop to do it. I'd planned on the sleeper train from London, but it was booked out by the time I bought my tickets, and they'd have been expensive anyhow.

If you are travelling around the UK by train, I cannot urge you enough to look for advance tickets. The savings can be absolutely huge.

As for the main topic; starting to have doubts over the coinage...

How old are you, if you're 25 and under and planning to travel by train first thing to do is get a young persons railcard (take a passport photo and some id to any station). I think it's available to all nationalities but I might be wrong. It'll cost £24 but you get 1/3 off all fares (though there's a condition that if you travel before 10am Mon-Fri the minimum it goes down to is £8).

If you travel any distance by train it'll pay for itself several times over.

Thanks for all the responses. Although I have not responded to every post (time constraint...packing for leaving tomorrow :p)...I truly appreciate all the help.

Next post from me will be from England.

UK...here I come...

*swirls sword over the head and kicks the horse*

Very sharp! However I would like any new British coins as long as the words Euro don't appear on them. :p

This Yankee agrees.

*sighs*

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/4388/exchangeratesqq4.png
You seem to be mistaking value and stability. The Irish Punt was stronger than the €uro as well, and yet Ireland hasn't tanked getting rid of it.

ok...I am visiting ol' blighty for a few weeks.

Can I get by with credit cards or do I have to convert dollars into pounds...how much would I need ?Considering how badly the dollar dropped while I was in the US and how badly it continued dropping when I came back, you'll probably save money if you exchange it while the ratio is still 2:1.

^it's an all expense paid trip...so meh.

Yes, I am in the UK...after major re-routings and massive delays and baggage losses.

Please don't fly short hops into the UK on British Airways. It goes to terminal 5 and the experience will make you wanna become a terrorist and blow up the plane.:mad:

I haven't gone around much except a drive by Canterbury...me likes what me saw...got a lot of time in the weekend to roam about...

And what is the flipping speed limit on the roads and how does one know what type of road one is on?

Fly? Heh, I went by bus.

Personally, I think they look very nice and I like the way they all 'fit together' to form the overall design. Modern, simple, sleek and rather elegant.

I don't like the designs. The 20p looks like they haven't finished it.

And what is the flipping speed limit on the roads and how does one know what type of road one is on?

Residential areas and technically anywhere with street lights is considered to be de-facto 30mph, unless otherwise signposted - and these days most roads like this are plastered with 30mph signs anyway. Motorways and dual carriageways are 70mph, again unless otherwise signposted. Everything else is generally signposted. The white circle with a diagonal black stripe through the middle is the 'national speed limit' sign, which means 60mph on single carriageway roads and 70mph on dual-carriageways and motorways.

If you're in a lorry or towing something, however, most of that goes out of the window.

And I hate the new currency, incidentally. The word 'bleh' comes to mind.