Another week over

Friday again at last. Sorry the posts have been a bit slow recently - between interviews, coughs, Civ4, college assignments & recovering from birthdays I've not had much time on the computer!

I've been off to college today. I hadn't done my assignment (again), but that's ok, nobody else had either, so we went over the topic again. this time it made much more sense, so I'm ready to tackle the next two assignments now. Although any spare time is currently used up playing Civ4. Ooops. Plus my lecturer is getting married tomorrow, so will be away next week, so I can't hand it in till the following week, so there is no point rushing:-)

I spent my half hour lunch break shouting at the bank. I opened an account in a major high street bank just about 18 years ago. I have kept the same account since then. as time went on, I also opened a saving account with the same bank. Then a business account. When we bought our first house, we changed my current account into a joint account. When we got married I went to see my bank manager because I wanted to change the name on the joint account, but keep my savings account in my miaden name as I still work under that. This was no problem he assured me, loads of customers do it. I showed him a copy of my marriage certificate (the original was lost within 24 hours - don't ask!) All sorted. No problem.

When we moved house four years ago, i transferred all my accounts to the local branch. They felt the need to change the name on my savings account so that it matched the joint account. I asked them to change it back. they refused, but said I could still pay in cheques in my maiden name whenever I wanted. For two years I tried to do this approximately every month. Each time it involved a long "discussion" with the cashoer, a trip to the managers office & a "special circumstnaces" form to be filled out. After two years they changed the computer system & the whole thing became impossible so I closed the account, opened a business account in another bank & used the free banking facility for two years. This time is now up, so I thought I'd re-open my savings account, in my maiden name. I took along payslips, birth certificate, photo ID, copy if marriage certificate. They still told me I couldn't open an account in my maiden name. i argued with the "new accounts" officer, the "personal banking" manager, the "lending & opening" head office before giving up in disgust. I pointed out that they had accepted my marriage certificate to change the name from maiden to married, so why not vice versa? They had my records going back 18 years & know perfectly well what my maiden name is. It's a very unusual name - I am definitely the only one in the UK, probably the world. I want a savings account, not a loan! All to no avail.

i think the secret is to NOT tell them I am the same person as the married me. so on Monday I am going to do that. Go there, with my ID & open a new account. They say they need a passport or driving licence, but I'm going to be a non-driver non-traveller & then see what happens!

Of course, it might help if my mother accepted I was married & didn't send my my birthday cheque in my maiden name, after 6 years of marriage!