After getting here Thursday and settling into the new flat in Morden, I first attempted the common sense approach (one would think) to getting a bank account, especially since, as an EU citizen, we're supposed to have free movement of labor, goods, etc. So I went to the NatWest just down the street from me and despite my most reasoned arguments, was stone-walled, the old "No proof of residency, no bank account" arguments, and I can't get put on the lease to the flat giving me the proof of residency without stuff like the bank account, etc.
So having already had some communication with the extremely helpful grumpylad last October when I was here, I called him up, spoke a few minutes and was on my way to the Chiswick branch of Barclays, where within an hour, I was walking out with a bank account, debit card on the way, etc. Anybody in the London area having problems? Contact grumpylad here. I swear, if I wasn't already too old and if he wasn't happily married to the lucky Cait (I hope I got that right), I'd be offering to have his child or something!
