With Churchill set to replace social reformer Elizabeth Fry on the nation's fivers when the next set of bank notes is issued in 2016, the queen will be the only woman left on our paper money. (Which presumably means that if Charles becomes King before then, our notes will be a total sausage-fest...). It's not the first time a lady on our cash has been bumped off. The lady with the lamp, Florence Nightingale was replaced by Charles Darwin on the ten pound note so Elizabeth Fry, Quaker and social reformer is all we have representing the ladies right now.
This got us thinking about which faces we'd like to see staring back at us when we visit the cash machine or wince as we pay for a round.
This got us thinking about which faces we'd like to see staring back at us when we visit the cash machine or wince as we pay for a round.
1. How about a woman whose work contributed to one of the greatest scientific advancements of recent times?
Rosalind Franklin would be a great addition to any note, surely? Her work was critical in the understanding of DNA, but she was never rewarded with the Nobel prize - helping people to recognise her work by putting her on the money seems like a fitting piece of justice. The design possibilities are good too - Photograph 51 could be incorporated into the watermark. Squeamish Louise
2. So I'm going to put myself on a 20 pound note. I'll also put my date of birth on it. That way, I never have to worry about carrying ID ever again - I can just get people to check my face against the contents of their wallet/till. Yes, it might cost the country a bit more to recall and reprint all 20 pound notes every few years just so the picture always looks vaguely current, but there are downsides to every plan, are there not? As an added bonus, I will be able to stake my claim to every 20 pound note in the country, given that they actually will have my name on them. MINE! F1Kate
3. I am ashamed to admit that knowledge of history is a mish mash of events that aren't in chronological order and rely heavily on the history taught to me by Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Quantum Leap. This means my British history hall of fame is sparse. Who did come to mind, whose strong and determined face I would like to see on a bank note is Boudica queen of the British Iceni tribe. Her up rising against the Romans may have ultimately been unsuccessful but a heroic and ancient addition to my favourite banknote would be a reminder that it's worth fighting for what you want. Most of the time, for me, that being a wage. Squeamish Nicola
4. I really think that there could be no finer person to put on bank notes than Rich Uncle Pennybags (AKA the Monopoly man). However, I think the only way to please everyone is for all bank notes to have a little wipe-clean area on the note so you can add your own picture. Gareth
5. I would like to see some arty people on our money. Just as Barbie says: Maths is hard, let's make it pretty when money makes us perform arithmetic and use women that have contributed to the arts. I would like to see Vanessa Bell staring back at me from a 5 pound note. Every time I handed a fiver over I would think of the library in her house, Charleston where Keynes reclined in his chair, where Lytton Strachey shared anecdotes and Virginia Woolf sought peace. Bell provided a home for artists and was part of the creation of a movement, surely that deserves a note? Squeamish Kate
Rosalind Franklin would be a great addition to any note, surely? Her work was critical in the understanding of DNA, but she was never rewarded with the Nobel prize - helping people to recognise her work by putting her on the money seems like a fitting piece of justice. The design possibilities are good too - Photograph 51 could be incorporated into the watermark. Squeamish Louise
2. So I'm going to put myself on a 20 pound note. I'll also put my date of birth on it. That way, I never have to worry about carrying ID ever again - I can just get people to check my face against the contents of their wallet/till. Yes, it might cost the country a bit more to recall and reprint all 20 pound notes every few years just so the picture always looks vaguely current, but there are downsides to every plan, are there not? As an added bonus, I will be able to stake my claim to every 20 pound note in the country, given that they actually will have my name on them. MINE! F1Kate
3. I am ashamed to admit that knowledge of history is a mish mash of events that aren't in chronological order and rely heavily on the history taught to me by Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Quantum Leap. This means my British history hall of fame is sparse. Who did come to mind, whose strong and determined face I would like to see on a bank note is Boudica queen of the British Iceni tribe. Her up rising against the Romans may have ultimately been unsuccessful but a heroic and ancient addition to my favourite banknote would be a reminder that it's worth fighting for what you want. Most of the time, for me, that being a wage. Squeamish Nicola
4. I really think that there could be no finer person to put on bank notes than Rich Uncle Pennybags (AKA the Monopoly man). However, I think the only way to please everyone is for all bank notes to have a little wipe-clean area on the note so you can add your own picture. Gareth
5. I would like to see some arty people on our money. Just as Barbie says: Maths is hard, let's make it pretty when money makes us perform arithmetic and use women that have contributed to the arts. I would like to see Vanessa Bell staring back at me from a 5 pound note. Every time I handed a fiver over I would think of the library in her house, Charleston where Keynes reclined in his chair, where Lytton Strachey shared anecdotes and Virginia Woolf sought peace. Bell provided a home for artists and was part of the creation of a movement, surely that deserves a note? Squeamish Kate
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