STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

I BOUGHT a jacket from an Ambrose Wilson catalogue several months ago. I posted a cheque for £15 but keep receiving demands for payment. I’ve written three times but still the letters come. I’m 85 and scared that I might have bad debt. C. H., Ayrshire. AMBRose WIlsoN has now written to you confirming you don’t owe any money. It has also refunded the £15 you paid as an apology for the difficulties you’ve had. I’M STRUGGLING to clear my credit card debt after a divorce and a period of unemployment. I owe around £1,600 and the minimum monthly payment is £40, but I can only afford to repay £20 each month. D. S., Kent. sPeAK to a debt charity that can help you set up a repayment plan with your bank. try stepChange on 0800 138 1111, the Debt Advice Foundation on 0800 043 4050 or the Money Advice trust on 0808 808 4000. OUR grandson and his wife have combined earnings of £35,000 a year and have saved £10,000 for a deposit on a £100,000 house. But they are struggling to get a mortgage because they have no credit history. They tried to take out a credit card to fix this, but were refused for the same reason. M. D., Bridlington, Yorks. tRY Aqua or Vanquis. these firms offer credit cards for the very purpose of building up a credit history. the interest can be high, so always clear the balance each month. I RECENTLY discovered £240 in tenshilling notes tucked inside my old travel wallet. Can they be converted into today’s currency? G. G., Winnersh, Berks. Yes. You can change old notes at the Bank of england. You can either do this in person at the bank on threadneedle street, in london, (the safest option) or by post.

the postal address is Department NeX, Bank of england, threadneedle street, london, eC2R 8AH.

You will need to download a postal banknote exchanges form from bankof

england.co.uk. You can ask a local library to do this if you do not have internet access.

typically, the bank pays out within ten working days.