Pound for pound

I had an incident today that shocked me so much I felt I had to write a blog entry while checking emails and uploading holiday photos here on Broadway.

I ran out of money while travelling in America (not a great shock really!) So I traipse over to the nearest American Express office just off Wall St and casually ask how much the exchange rate is for the Pound Sterling I had in my wallet.

1.97 came the reply. OK, not as good as Marks and Spencers but it will do so I ask to change 100 UK Sterling.

Upon seeing my Scottish bank notes, the exceedingly friendly American clerk (is there any other kind of American clerk!?) informed me that Scottish notes would be translated at 1.87.

The floodgates opened..... I couldn't hold back the shocked outrage. Not that "Gladys" really cared so much, it's not like she was going to bend the worldwide American Express rules given my inspiring, righteous speech on UK currency which had the faintest whiff of Nationalism about it.

Anyway, my point is, what kind of image of Scotland is being portrayed when our pounds are seen to be worth less than English pounds? How can that raise Scotland's image in the world's eyes? And moreover, whose stupid bloody idea was that in the first place!?

It's kind of amusing when English staff don't know what to do with a Clydedale Bank note and have to ask their managers if they "take foreign currency". But grossing that up to the global stage and the issue gets a bit more serious.


Maybe Scotland having their own line on all of the Foreign Exchange translation tables is the way forward. Or maybe we should just be done with it and join the Euro......

The American Dream

Just a quick note that regular blogging will/may return one day.

I'm touring around the USA at the moment (including unfettered access to the Capitol Building yesterday) so, obviously, random chat on all things Holyrood related has been replaced with something a bit more Hollywood.


Missin' you already!!!