1936 On the Continent

Hotel
    E SHER
    The Gay Adventure, Esher Road

    FOR VISITORS TO ENGLAND
By LAWRENCE WOLFE
    I F this is to be your first visit to England, in order to save you from that forlorn “stranger-in-a-strange-land” feeling and also from the resultant time and temper wasting difficulties, you are offered the following information, which you will recognise as either indispensable or at least helpful.
    First, there is the English climate. Of course it is different from all others, though it is nevertheless a perfectly good climate, with the additional charm of variety. However, the fact that Englishmen apparently never cease to grumble about it has led certain unobservant foreigners to believe that in England it rains every day, summer and winter. Now that is not true. It does not rain every day. When an Englishman says “What a rotten day,” he is making a friendly remark, and not, as the said unobservant foreigners believe, expressing an opinion. At the same time, it is a national custom in England for every man, woman and child to possess a raincoat, and the foreign visitor cannot go far wrong in providing himself with such a garment immediately upon arrival in this country.
Currency
    Then there is the English currency which, unlike other currencies, is not based on the decimal system. The unit is the
pound sterling
(£), whose approximate rate of exchange with all other currencies is given elsewhere in this work. One pound is equal to
twenty shillings
(20s.), and one shilling contains
twelve pence
, while one penny (1d.) contains two
halfpennies
or four
farthings
. The coinage is as follows.
Silver: threepence
(3d.);
sixpence
(6d.);
shilling
(1s.);
florin
(2s.—two shillings, or one-tenth of £1);
half-crown
(2s. 6d.—two shillings and sixpence, or one-eighth of £1);
crown
(5s.—five shillings, or one-quarter of£1, but this coin is practically out of circulation).
Copper: penny
(1d.);
halfpenny
(½d.); and
farthing
(½d.). The denomination of £1 is available in the form of notes only. Other Treasury or Bank of England notes are: 10/– (or 10s., i.e., ten shillings); and £5, £10 and £100 notes. It should be noted that denominations of £5 or over are rather difficult to change, except at banks, and the visitor is therefore advised to provide himself or herself with sufficient £1 and 10s. notes and change for all immediate requirements.
    A unique feature of the English monetary system is the fact that prices are sometimes quoted in a denomination that does not now exist, i.e., the
guinea
, which imaginary note or coin is equal to a very real
twenty-one shillings
.
Banks
    The English banking system is also very different from that of most other countries, particularly in one respect—English banks carry a very heavy stock of the commodity in which banks usually deal, which is most reassuring to the foreign visitor who wishes to entrust his or her money to one of them. The assets of each of the Big Five—the
Midland Bank, Barclays, Lloyds, Westminster, London and Provincial
—at any given moment amount to anything between four and five hundred million pounds.
    Each of these banks has branches throughout London and the provinces, and correspondents in practically every town in the world, and they offer the foreign visitor every conceivable banking facility either at an infinitesimal cost or entirely free of charge. The handling of current accounts, the forwarding of remittances in any currency, and the issue of travellers’ cheques are only a few of these facilities. Wherever the visitor may happen to be in this country, there is sure to be a branch of one of the Big Five within easy reach, and the manager of any branch will be pleased to assume the rôle of guide, philosopher and friend in any financial matter. The
American Express Company
, Haymarket, London, S.W.1, provides similar facilities.
Safe Deposits
    The great London safe deposit companies, like the
Chancery Lane Safe Deposit Company
, undertake to guardmoney, valuables or documents in their extensive vaults, and customers may rent a separate box at a low charge.
Postal, Telegraph and Cable Services
    The English postal, telegraph and telephone services may safely be described as the most efficient and reliable in the whole world. Any information the visitor may require may be obtained at any post office. Ordinary post offices are open on week-days from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m., but the General Post Office, King Edward Street, London, E.C., and the post