Merthyr Imp 729 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Talking to a Lady at work t'other day & she puts pound coins in a meter on her TV, the bloke comes once a month to empty it, takes £16 for the rent & gives her the rest back. I said "but you can buy a TV from Aldi for about £130, that's a lot less the you'd pay in a year!" But she couldn't see the economics of it.. I suppose that's no different to when TV rental from the likes of Rediffusion was very popular. I can't remember how much I used to pay for mine. I think the attraction was if the TV broke down it didn't cost you anything to have it repaired - I think they were less reliable in those days (pre-1980s). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted February 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 I paid £400 for ours (32"Toshiba) in 2008 with a free 5 year warranty, it's still going strong, if it went 'phut' tomorrow it wouldn't owe me nowt, I'd just go & get a cheapo one from Aldi or somewhere similar. Got a 20 inch tube telly in the bedroom we paid £89 for in 2002, working perfect with a cheapo £10 digi-box... Sandra at work says the meter on her telly helps her to save, how? I don't know.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 I bought a 27" colour television in 1995 with some of my redundancy money from the Brush I got rid of it Christmas 2013 still working, when I bought a 42" L.G. H.D. with 3D option (unused) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tony1 118 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 I remember a 'nightmare' winter evening in the early 1950's. In those days, pennies were generally known as 'coppers' and we were short of 'coppers' for the meter, so as on many other occasions, my mother sent me across the road to the shop armed with half a crown; for "some coppers for the meter". There were 2 white coated women, who decided to play dumb. They kept saying they did not understand. Over the next 20 or so minutes, I was buffeted back and forth between mother and these two white coated old trolls with the same message and return message. I thought it would never end. After more than 60 years I still get flash backs. ;-) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 I remember booking a delightful country cottage in Cornwall for a week (well that's what the add said !) Took my wife and young kids and when we got there it was a single wall breeze block construction, more like a shed than a cottage, It was in the middle of a field, and it was raining as it does often, down there and all the walls were damp, the beds were damp, so I tried to put on the two small electric heaters and they wouldn't work ! After looking around we found the electric meter, which was a private one, and took 50p coins, well, the word was ate 50p coins very rapidly ! I had to drive over to the office to get some change as we depleted our supply of coins very quickly. Nearly ended in a divorce, it was so bad, we lasted 3 days, of the week booked, when we complained the owner could see nothing wrong ! One last happy memory of that disaster was one morning the kids playing in the sand on the beach, in their packamac type things, with wellies on oblivious to the incessant rain. While mum and dad stood under my big golf umbrella that I luckily kept in the boot of the car. We still have that photo which I took at the time. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radfordred 6,284 Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 So today we get a new pound coin, If you can save all your old ones up, I'll come round at no expense to you & collect them up & dispose of them? What about those poor shopping trolley's? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,271 Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 OK radfordred, deal! you collect the old pound coins and I'll collect the old fivers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,409 Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Talking to a youngster this morning about ice cream. When I told her that we used by the ice cream in a paper wrapper and put a wafer on each side to make an 'ice cream sandwich' she thought I was pulling her leg. Just could not persuade her that an ice cream sandwich was a real thing. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Booth 7,364 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 This is the new £1 coin. It's designed like this so it can be extracted from a Yorkshireman's hand with a spanner. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Hopefully it's not available in Scotland, or we'll never get the correct change ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 I remember the old shilling meter, my mother had a selection of assorted foreign coins & washers to use when she was a bit skint (often) When the meter man emptied the meter every quarter she would get those back in her (rebate). As far as I remember nearly everyone on the street did that as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,507 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Anyone had a new Pound coin in their change yet? I asked in our local Co-op today and they haven't had any yet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,409 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Wish I had that actual coin, I think it might be worth a bit more than a quid.... it's dated 2014! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 No, but I've been searching all my old trousers, jackets and jeans, various cubbyholes, under cushions and in various 'savings ' pots in order to get rid sharpish. Yes, I know I've got till October ! Evidently, they are only to be released in certain cities, and only certain banks too. The nearest was the Birmingham area I believe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,507 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Well spotted Brew! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,599 Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Paul and I are putting any (old) pound coins that we have at the end of each day into a 'piggy bank' so that we should have quite a lot to take into the Bank before the deadline in October. We've got £7 worth already! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted April 19, 2017 Report Share Posted April 19, 2017 According to the news, there are 200,000 £1 coins recently put into circulation that were actually a trial run, and subsequently are dated 2016, although the official release date is 2017. I've just checked my small change, and have got five. I looked on eBay, and several are going for just over £1 , but one clown is asking £80,000 for one. I'll hang on to them just in case ! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted May 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 Another thing I've just remembered... When the electric meter was jam packed full & your Mam & Dad were shaking & belting it to get some more shillings/2 shillings/50P's in, same with the TV meter. Can't ever remember the gas meter getting jam packed full though, mind you we only had a cooker that ran on gas... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 1, 2017 Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 By it must be great to be young, when I were nowt but a kid it were a penny in the meter, that's a real 1d, 240 to the quid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted May 2, 2017 Report Share Posted May 2, 2017 In the early 1960s it was a shilling for the meter. In our shop people were always asking for them in their change, and I remember on Saturday mornings my mother would send me to the bank to get a couple of bagfuls of them. The days when banks closed at - I think - 1130am on Saturdays. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted May 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2017 I can't remember penny meters, they were shilling then 50 pence for electric, shilling or 2 shillings (dual meter) for gas & a tanner (2 1/2 pence) then 2 bob for the telly. Mam went on quarterly for electric in early 70's & bought a colour telly so no more telly meter, gas was bob & 2 bob for a few more years. I had a card electric meter when I rented a house in early 90's, was a right pain in the rear. All direct debit now.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 2, 2017 Report Share Posted May 2, 2017 52/53 the gas was a 1d I well remember the collector counting the coins on the table and wrapping them in paper rolls, he would then give mum her rebate of a few coppers and with a bit of luck I might get the odd one or two to spend on 'chews' at the corner shop, 4 for a penny in them days. Just had a thought his leather bag must have been bloody heavy at the end of the day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim in the North East 200 Posted May 2, 2017 Report Share Posted May 2, 2017 The bank I used to work at in 1973 had the contract with EMGAS and EMELEC to pay in all the 5p and 10p coins they had collected from the meters. The bank employed a guy whose full time job was putting them a counting machine and bagging them uo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted May 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2017 Don't know what I'd do nowadays as I hardly ever use cash, only time is when I go to the pub or pay on the door at line dance socials, mind you a lot of pubs take cards, usually minimum £5 spend... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted September 17, 2017 Report Share Posted September 17, 2017 Well I'm flummoxed as to exactly how many new coins were issued dated 2016. I initially heard that it was 200,000, but I've been checking most of what I've been handed in change, and I've already nearly 100, and I've received them from virtually all areas of the country too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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