are old £20 notes still accepted?

[mumoverseas]

I've been going through piles of old papers and have found an envelope stuffed full of the old style £20 notes and am not sure if they are still accepted in shops or whether I can change them in the bank?

I don't think shops accept them...the big ones you mean?

How come you have found wads of notes anyway, more to the point?!

not really big, just different to the new ones that have more silver stuff on.
found them when sorting through my mum's things following her recent death
Can't believe the bizarre things I'm finding

Look at any bank note and there will be the message:
I promise to pay the bearer the sum of ...

They always keep the promise.

that implies that the head of the bank of England wasn't male, which he was [win]

Thanks for that, will take them into the bank

Elgar and Adam Smith are OK. Faraday is past it. Anything Faraday or older has to go to the bank.