Funny money for the Lakes?

Pretty pounds?

A new currency, exclusive to the Lake District, is set to hit the tills on the 1st of May.

£2 million worth has been printed, and it can be ‘purchased’ for the equivalent amount in sterling. The idea behind the scheme is for visitors to the area to use the money within the Lakes, whilst enjoying their time in the area. Only local businesses will accept it, so it’s use will support local communities.

The Lake District National Park Authority is certainly banking on the Lake District lolly being a boon for the area – they’ve invested £30,000 in the project.

The bank notes are colourful, featuring attractive designs of local luminaries such as Beatrix Potter, Alfred Wainwright and living legend Joss Naylor, along with the distinctive scenery of the area – by which I mean mountains and lakes, not sheep and rain.

It’s likely to be a hit with collectors, keen to swell their bulging bank-note stashes. It seems to have been broadly welcomed by local businesses too, with an impressive list of shops, restaurants and cafes signed-up and ready to accept the wonga in Windermere and the bread in Bowness, along with many other locations.

The man behind the Lake District Currency project is called Ken Royall. I’m presuming all the new notes are in pristine condition. Royall mint.

Yes, I did write this entire article so I could use that.

This post first appeared as the second piece in my column/page in The Mail and the News & Star, on the 27th of April 2018. The only change to the title when it was printed was expanding "Lakes" to "Lake District".

Whoops. Busy catching up on other stuff this last week, so didn't get round to posting this immediately after it was published. Sorry!

Took me a while to come up with that 'Royall mint' joke. I'm still not convinced it was worth it...

(CD A-Z: Music of the Millennium 2 - I'm into the 'various artists' zone now...)

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