London - Bank of England

12-02-2015

Needed to visit Lloyds bank in the city today to try and open up a UK bank account.
Got out at Bank station - was overloaded with memories but also quite startled at the number of new glass high rise buildings and the mass of cranes in the skyline.
Was a massive effort to get the bank account process started - just couldn't provide the proof they needed of a residential address - no online documents acceptable, no trusts acceptable and nothing over 3 months old.
The boys were extremely patient - sat in the foyer(with their devices, of course) for a good 2+ hours (this resulted in the need for a public toilet which they have a major lack of in the city - Chris had to beg a café to use theirs for Lachlan).
After a squashed lunch - not much room to fit five anywhere inside during the peak of lunchtime especially in the winter and in the city(most people just takeout), we walked down to the 'Bank of England' Museum.




                       Lloyds Bank and the 'Gherkin'.                                        

Nice to have 'free' entry (admission charges have been very step) - boys got an activity pack with the carrot of a prize if they completed it (enough encouragement for Jarvis and Lachlan, not enough for Ollie). Poor Jarvis got an ear-bashing from a nasty older man and women while trying out one of the interactive devices(really designed for children, not adults!). Sobbing so hard he could hardly speak, he managed to tell me they had called him a 'stupid constipated idiot'. I was desperate to storm over and have a go ( I was absolutely wild), but I new that the sort of person that would say that to a child wouldn't think much of me and that I would end up even crosser (so I let it go - quite disappointed). Most people have been so lovely , especially to the boys, it gives you a big shock when you come across this.Anyway, moving on we spent quite a while at the museum(very well done), collected the prizes and headed back. I learnt quite a bit about the Bank of England which I would have benefited from knowing when I worked there - opps!



On the steps of the Royal Guardian Exchange, Bank of England in the background

Cranes in the 'City'