What were you doing?

I worked for a chartered surveyor in London and was expecting my first baby.

At boarding school in Hastings. We were allowed into town on a Saturday when we were in the 5th form but only in school uniform. I was mortified when a group of boys accosted myself and a friend and asked if we were from the school where we had to wear big brown knickers!

Still at school but had a Saturday job in a hairdressers.

I was busy with two small boys and didn't have time to think about the new money so got to grips with it quite quickly.

Some of my older relatives didn't like it and found it difficult. My DHs gran used to just hand her purse over and tell the shop assistant to take what she owed!

Worked for a large chartered accountants where I typed up boring accounts all day for a pittance. Started as receptionist and became personal secretary to partner but no pay increase. Left soon after!
I do rememer after decimalisation that almost everything doubled in price.

At college, we had the new money in our change at the refectory, we were all exited

I was at primary school. I think learning how to convert half crowns, shillings, sixpences and old pennies into the new decimal currency was our maths curriculum for the whole academic year!

I was at secondary school. I hated Mondays that school year. Double maths followed by double latin. Then lunch and a single lesson of music. Sir would just play an LP record of some classical music. At the time I was into T Rex. Then to round off the day double french.

I can only remember adults saying the new money was all an excuse to put prices up.

I was working in Barclays Bank & it was a extremely confusing time indeed! Also price of mostly everything increased . Retailers rounded up prices generally as it was easier I suppose

I had two small children. Public information adverts. were advising us to be there to help our elderly relatives, so I was cóncerned about my parents (who were only in the late sixties at the time. Offered to go shopping with them that first week, which they declined. Feel a little embarrassed about that now.

Married expecting first child. Working part time in a Littlewoods Pools shop which sold beer making equipment. Not a long term job! Only for a few months. I'd actually forgotten. I found a rolled up mattress under the counter one Monday morning. I did not ask questions.

Franbern that is funny. I'm thinking how I would feel if my daughter offered to help. I'm late sixties.

I had our first baby a couple of months previously. An elderly man we knew gave us a set of decimal coins and an unused 10 shilling note. The idea was that when she grew up we’d show it to her and explain how she’d been born at a pivotal time in history. A lovely idea but sadly when we moved a couple years later it never made it to to new house! I’ve always felt a bit sad about that. Of all my children she’s the one who’d have appreciated it and kept it.

I was very pregnant. My son was born in March. With a young daughter I didn’t have much time to worry about counting in 10s

I was newly married and volunteering with WRVS as a secretary to the Area Manager. At that time WRVS sold baby milk which cost 1/6d but giving change was beyond the older ladies so I was regularly called from my typewriter to sort out the money.

In the Lower Sixth with a Saturday and holiday job at Woollies. I can’t remember having any training on the new money, but I do recall people just presenting a handful of coins and telling me to take what they owed.

And how pleased we’d been the previous year when it was confirmed that our Maths O Level would still be based around the Imperial system. We’d been so worried that we’d have to struggle with the complicated new one!

Junior clerk in a bank, sometimes a cashier.
I remember all crowding round for a first glimpse of the 50p coins being tipped out of their bag.
We soon got fed up of counting them (by hand), tho.

My children were six and three years old at the time. As we had lived in Holland I was familiar with decimal currency so the change over didn't bother me at all.

I was at teacher training college. A cup of coffee cost about 3p in the common room and we saved all the twoops (2p coins ) for the table football machine !

In my last year of nursery nursing training and planning my engagement for the Easter of the same year. Don’t remember any problems with managing the new money

12 yrs old at school looking forward to not doing those horrid £.s.d calculations, with ounces, pounds and stones, with long division.
Never did quite happen did it.

I was working in a family run grocery store. Mondays were always busy as we sold bacon bones for soup etc., we often had a queue out of the door!
Monday 15 Feb 1971 was no exception, but the money was different.
I don't know how often I had to explain to older ladies that the bacon at 12p per pound was not 1s 2d but actually 2s 6d. Poor ladies thought they were getting a bargain.

I was looking forward to my second birthday the following month I imagine!

Last year of primary school. The week before I got sixpence pocket money. That week I got 2.5p - it just wasn’t the same.