In reply to mypyrex:
the co-operative bank have always been fantastic in this respect in my experience.
I travel a lot and am constantly calling them to let them know and have only once had a problem...and that was the time i forgot to tell them.
I was in Gran Canaria and my card was rejected. I remembered that i had forgotten to let them know.
Not having a smartphone at the time, i was resolved to having to go into town to find an internet cafe and skype them from there.
As i was walking along the promenade into town, my cellphone rang and, lo and behold, it was the lady from the co-op just checking that i was really in GC so she could unlock my phone.
And furthermore, this was no call centre in Hyderabad, but a lovely scouser with whom i had a nice chat about the relative weather conditions