I'm in the middle of ferrying family members about. Will get back to you! Incidentally one's wife is intrigued as to why the Turkish place is no longer recommended.

Thanks Joe.

 

Not sure about the Turkish place, I haven't entertained it as a thought since my first and last coriander nightmare visit. But I'll see what I can snoop out, we have friends that go regularly so they might know something. But for future reference there's another very lovely one just off The Centre for Life called Taste of Persia, (I believe sazbomb speaks highly of it too).

(Off the top of my head) In my experience it's almost impossible to find decent independant financial advice. Everything I've done is as a result of reading the Broadsheet money sections. They are very good on family finance. You sometimes need to make a balance between the romantic notion of opening bank accounts for kids and hard faced financial nouse. At the moment Halifax pay 6% for one year for children's accounts but then it drops to 2% one of their spokespersons told me that done people open and close them to keep getting 6%
Other Bank accounts are a waste of time. You'll probably need to take in your passport as well.
You can also consider junior ISA or other complex stuff. I don't know anything about trust funds.
You can also give your children £3000 once a year tax free, and your grandchildren gifts of £250, and let them decide!

Thank you.

 

i had looked at the Halifax account. I might consider going in to the building society I have my savings account at, it's a small localised one so I suppose there's always the chance at some point it might be bought out and there will be financial benefits for its members.

 

As for gifting it for the parents to decide, it isn't an option as I know the kids would never see it.

Sorry! I've just read your post properly.
Amongst other stuff, I have junior isas for my two! Exciting long term stuff where they can intermittently lose a lot or gain a lot, but usually out perform a bank account.

Im no use to you cinds, but my son has opened an account for each of his 3 boys and I have stored the info with my bank and can easily pay money into them. I'd be interested to know more of the junior isa GJ.

If you trust YOUR children. Google hm gov. Or just google. There are rules especially around whether they received the £250 from the government.
Opening an account
Only parents or a guardian with parental responsibility can open a Junior ISA for under 16s.

To open a Junior ISA you need to:

choose the type of Junior ISA you want for your child - cash or stocks and shares (or both)
choose your account provider
get an application form from them
Your child can only have:

1 cash Junior ISA
1 stocks and shares Junior ISA

Thank you. Thinking about it, I can buy all of their birth certificates online anyway. 

Oh! You just caught me! Another good source of info is Martin Lewis' web site. It's very good for all matters financial.

it was his site that I had looked at and saw the advice about Halifax. 

Oh and I tried to buy certificates online but you cannot if they are under 6 months