New money

The euro might be popular with the money men, but it appears it is not going down so well with the average punter.

Brussels Journal reports that a large chunk of Bavaria has actually started printing and using it's own currency while other countries have started using their old currencies.

Millions are simply opting out. A chunk of Bavaria is issuing its own money, while shops from Italy to the Netherlands have started to accept their former currencies, to the delight of their customers.

The region of Bavaria in question, Chiemgau, is by no means alone, as the Telegraph reports.

Fifteen other regional currencies have emerged in Germany since the first euros were printed five years ago.

Fifteen! In Germany alone! When they used the deutschmark, there were none. Now they have the euro and 15 regional currencies have sprung up. What does that tell you about the euro? It tells me we were right to stay well away.

An intense feeling of regional pride has also helped Mr Gelleri's creation to gain a foothold. Bavaria's long history of independence before the creation of modern Germany means that many see the euro as the distant plaything of technocrats.

Well, well, well. Pride in a currency? Who'd have thunk it. Can't they be proud of the euro?

"The deutschmark was better," said Helmut Schmidt, 50, who manages a supermarket in Rosenheim that accepts the Chiemgauer. "Chiemgauers are good but the euro? No, I don't think so."

I guess not.

I propose we set up our own regional (English) currency.

It'll be called the pound, they'll be 20 shillings to the pound and 5d to the shilling. Each pound, or quid to use the vernacular, will be worth ten ordinary pounds.

A pint of beer will cost about 4/4
A packet of Silk Cut will cost 10/2
A DVD around £1/4/-
A basic fridge would retail for roughly £10/10/-
A flat screen telly could be picked up for about £33
A scooter would cost in the region of £200
A brand new family saloon about £1300
An average 3 bedroom semi in Slough would set you back £23,000

On the downside, the average wage would be about £2500 a year.

Anyone want to volunteer to print the money?