Why are there no cashpoints in the Northern Quarter?

I WAS stood outside Kebabish in the Northern Quarter and I wanted some lunch. But I had no money, and they don’t take cards. And then it occurred to me. Why are there no bloody cash machines in the Northern Quarter?

‘All I want is a hole in the wall. But if I’m being greedy, a couple of freestanding cashpoints in Stevenson Square would be better.’

There’s Tesco and the Co-op near The Unicorn. Apart from that, if you’re in the Northern Quarter and you need cash, you’re screwed.

Shudehill has a couple, at the bus station and the convenience store near Café North. But Thomas Street, the teeming hub of the NQ, N4 or whatever you want to call it, is barren. So are Tib Street and Oldham Street, two other bustling thoroughfares.

Why are there no cashpoints anywhere near Stevenson Square? If you need to reload the pockets in the middle of the Northern Quarter, you’ve got to walk to Nationwide and Natwest on Piccadilly Gardens. It’s too far.

It’s not that I’m being lazy. From a business point of view, it forces you out of the Northern Quarter. Surely bars and shops in the area would want to keep people in and spending? So give us some cashpoints please.

All I want is a hole in the wall. But if I’m being greedy, a couple of freestanding cashpoints in Stevenson Square would be better.
The Northern Quarter is an all-night kind of area now, opening until 5am in some places. So why is the only option to load yourself with cash on Shudehill before you enter.

Banksy street art in London

It’s like a weird cash-free zone. I know the NQ is boho, retro and achingly twee in places but surely it hasn’t done away with the concept of cold hard cash altogether has it?

I’ve jumped in cabs a few times to get to the Northern Quarter then realised I’ve had about 56p in my pocket; which means being dropped somewhere you don’t want to be just to be able to jump out and get some money for the driver, or mounting a ridiculous diversion through the one-way roads, adding extra to your fare.

Am I out of touch? Should I just forget the idea of money and just use my card for everything? I sometimes like tipping bar staff though, so how am I going to be able to do that?

What if I want to offer some cold comfort to a gentleman of the street? Should I ask him if he’s got a PDQ machine?

Sometimes, you want to buy things costing under a fiver. Sometimes, you need money to pay into a bar, get a late night Hunters or grab a taxi home. Sometimes, only cash will do. But there’s nowhere to get any from. And it’s really annoying.

Follow Simon on Twitter @simonbinns

PICTURE CREDIT: Creative Commons