I've never regarded myself as seedy- maybe others do though?
There is still a large cash culture out there, with piles of folding bringing much more respect than any other form of payment. Many small businesses still use large amount of cash. At one time I had a sideline trading in lobsters and spent about 3000 cash per week in buying them from fishermen. Dealers came and went, lobsters were a highly perishable commodity and they had been burnt too often to be prepared to trade them for anything else.
My current car was bought for 5000 cash at the beginning of last year. It was during a holiday period and the banks were closed for a few days. Part of the deal was that he got a new MOT, and it failed, requiring the last owner to replace the catalyst. Again this took a few days as the garages were closed for several days. So the end result was that I had the money at home for about ten days.
Drawing it out of the bank was quite exciting- I generally go to the autobank, draw out a tenner in cash then go back when its spent and take out another one. So its unusual for me to have more than twenty pounds in cash about my person. This initial excitement faded very quickly and I began to worry about whether it was safe.
So I find your perception of seediness quite interesting. I have been on the fringes of a cash culture, although never really being part of it and see it as a legitimate alternative way to transact business. It's usually scrutinised very closely as well. I had to keep detailed records of all my transactions in the lobster business, as the authorities and my accountant were determined to make sure it was above board.
It would be a boring life if we were all the same though, would it not?
James