After all, no bank always gets its service right or offers the best rate of interest.But one thing is certain: in their hunt for new customers, banks are switching their focus to what was once considered an outdated concept: the branch.Consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton recently revealed that 80 per cent of bank/ customer relationships are forged in the branch.And the growing realisation among banks that they have missed a customer service, and sales, trick is now fuelling huge investment in the UK's network of branches.NatWest is midway through a £150m refurbish- ment after reversing a programme of branch closures at the turn of the century. It hiked the rate on its Young Saver account from 4.42 to 5 per cent, and the top tier of interest (for those with more than £15,000) on its mini cash individual savings account (ISA) went up from 4.94 to 5 per cent. The weather may be hotting up but the same cannot be said of the "summer sale" offers popping up in British banks and building societies. Behind the seasonal marketing hype, many of the deals can easily be beaten elsewhere. Last week, NatWest pitched its "hat-trick" of summer savings. From Leicester, it offers 169 options, ranging from Kenilworth and Althrop to pre-school swimming lessons, from Chester there are 43 possibilities within a 30-mile radius and from Cirencester there are 83.
You can search using town or postcode and it's quick, clear and genuinely tempting: this is the one that makes you want to run to find the car keys.By Hester Lacey. This site makes a particular point of flagging up attractions that can be accessed by visitors with special needs. The site is still under construction, so as yet there isn't a huge range of suggestions, but this is one to watch.Two of the best current sites are and .co.uk. Sightseeing.co.uk's efficient location finder offers a whacking range, from Beeston Castle in Cheshire to the Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire and Prinknash Bird Park in Gloucestershire. All distances from your start point are clearly indicated, as are contact details.
The site specialises in activities for children and includes clubs, sports and activities, with plenty of summer specials from music-making in Chester to working farms near Leicester and holiday play-schemes in Cirencester.But if you're only going to bookmark a single site, the one that stands out is It offers a huge range of activities, all clearly marked with the distance from your start point. Here you'll find a listing of those stalwarts of days out, the Tourist Information Centres: all 560 are listed under the "practical information" button.Commercially run "what's on" sites seem to spring up and vanish at a rate of knots and their content is variable: many are out of date or have broken links.Among those that worked when we checked are , which has offers and vouchers for days out on a budget, and .co.uk, with a helpful directory under the "days out" button.The freshly designed site is attractive and user-friendly. Let the kids have a go sometimes.In proposing a particular day out to the children, avoid the word "educational" It may appeal to you that this museum will help their studies, but it is unlikely to provoke the same thrill in them. And here is another tip: drop the competitive parent bit for a few weeks. The Follington-Smythes down the road may have taken their children on a tour of Umbrian churches for two weeks, and followed that up by enrolling them in language classes, but, trust me, they are storing up psychological trouble in later years.Never underestimate the efficacy of bribery There are plenty of household chores even the smallest child can tackle, the reward for which will be a trip, or spending money for one already arranged. Sensitive parents will draw the line at sending the kiddies up the chimney, but room-tidying, fridge-defrosting etc can be achieved by all but the tiniest of hands.Consider leaving the car behind Radical, I know, but to the child driven everywhere, a long-distance train or coach ride can be an adventure in itself.
