NW	NE	KINGSTANDING	26	54th
SW	SE	595 Kingstanding Road, Birmingham B44 9TB 021-354 3313	KS	1937

The branch was opened in a temporary wooden building on January 1st 1932 as an Evening Branch at 595 Kingstanding Road. Hours of business were Mondays and Fridays 18:00 to 20:00. The Kingstanding area developed rapidly to house some 40,000 people, with about 5,000 moving into the district in 1936/37 alone. This level of population made it necessary to provide permanent premises. During the construction of these new premises in 1937 to create a daily branch, the temporary structure was transferred to adjoining land belonging to the city's Water Department. The new building, which incorporated a flat on the first floor, was designed by William J Davis, and the contractors were Messrs Edgar Crowder Ltd.

The new premises were formally opened on Saturday, October 23rd  1937 by the Lord Mayor (Alderman H Roberts). The Lord Mayor was accompanied by the Lady Mayoress, and before the official opening at 5:00pm, they were entertained to tea at Kings Vale Council School, where Alderman Harrison Barrow (Chairman of the Bank Committee) presented the Lord Mayor with an appropriately inscribed silver salver as a memento of the occasion. Among the company were Alderman R R Gelling; Councillors A H Cooper, W S Lewis,  A W Gurden, S J Dixon, J S Silverman (member for the local ward); Councillor Mrs Hyde; Councillor Mrs Clarke; Mr D G Bevan (assistant surveyor) and the Bank's General Manager (J P Hilton).

 

below left:

the Lord Mayor receives a silver salver at the pre-opening event at Kings Vale School

 

below right: the official party outside the branch include the Bank's Chairman

The Commemoration Tablet, recording the opening ceremony, is on the right of the photograph. In the early 1960s, an extension to the premises was made behind this wall. The door on the left gave access to the staff messroom, and the door in the centre is to the strongroom. The light above the strongroom door remained illuminated at night, enabling police patrols to check the security of the branch through a clear portion of the obscure glass fitted to the building's frontage. A story regarding these gas Police Lights is recalled by Len Wright in Memory 026. The gas lights were replaced by electric versions in the 1960s (see Kitts Green branch)

below (branch interior):

Depositors witnessing the official opening. Although the Second World War is still almost two years away, the wall poster is seeking volunteers to become Air Raid Wardens

The new premises commenced with 2,230 depositors, and the balances standing to their credit amounted to £46,247. During the last twelve months in the temporary premises, the number of counter transactions amounted to 14,188. A substantial increase in accounts and transactions ensued in the permanent branch. Within  five years (as illustrated by this passbook) over 9,000 accounts had been opened.

 

The temporary building was sold to the Perry Barr Labour Party (for use as their headquarters) for the sum of £43 including gas lamps and pendants.

 

The volume of business soon became excessive for the size of the premises, and sub-branches were opened at Perry Beeches and Pheasey in an attempt to relieve the pressure on space. These two part-time branches, in wooden huts, were not a success in this respect, and the Kingstanding premises were extended in the 1960s in order to adequately accommodate one of the Bank's busiest branches.

The development of the Kingstanding estate began in 1929, following the incorporation of Perry Barr within the city boundaries the previous year. This development, on the northern side of Birmingham up to the boundary with Sutton Coldfield, provided a major contribution to the city's council housing provision between the World Wars. During the inter-War years, over 6,000 houses were built in this area. A feature of the estate's design, the Kingstanding Circle was built as a shopping centre/bus terminus with a cinema and a public house. This hub of the estate's layout was the centrepoint for six roads, and the Bank's Kingstanding branch was located on one of these roads, close to 'The Circle'.