Recent UK banking advice? Anyone have a Lloyds INT account?

Just wondering if anyone has any advice for Canadians moving to UK in regards to banking? Also, looks like Lloyds International is a great product... anyone have any experience with this account? Thanks for your advice?

I can't tell you much about the international but what i've read gives me the impression that its for people that travel, not residents.
For a personal account, the best i've found is through Lloyds TSB.

All you need for proof of ID is your passport and a valid visa.
The two recommended accounts are the classic- which is free as long as your account remains in credit, and gives you a visa debit card.
the second option is the silver account. it costs 7.95 GBP per month but gives you travel insurance, AA breakdown coverage, mobile phone insurance AND a money transfer card. this is the silver lining of this account. You can easily transfer money onto the card, which you give to a family member or such back home ( this works well if you have someone who can deposit money for you as its WAY cheaper than money transfers). There is a conversion charge of 3% ( most places charge around 8 from what i've found), a 5 pound transfer fee, and if its a cash withdrawal its only 1.50... which is amazingly cheap. you can top up anywhere from 10 to 750 GBP onto the card..

If you go with the classic account, you can do money transfers through Lloyds as well. it costs 20 GBP for transfers up to 5000 GBP but it only takes a maximum of 3 days.
hope that helps a bit..