Ladywood branch was one of the Bank's original offices on September 1st
1919, operating on a part-time basis on alternating days:
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The branch was worked in conjunction with
Harborne, where opening days were Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays. The branch's location at this time was in a shop that was formerly used as a national food kitchen at
299 Monument
Road, Ladywood. Business increased rapidly, and full-time, daily openings were commenced on November 3rd
1919.
299 Monument Road
was a shop with living accommodation attached. When the Bank became tenants in 1919, they used the shop portion for
the branch, but the adjoining living accommodation was severed from the commercial accommodation and was in the possession of a commercial
traveller, Mr W A Jordan. The Bank desired to have the living accommodation occupied by the branch manager for security reasons, and
offered Mr Jordan alternative housing at 118 Great Lister Street, Duddeston, claiming that this house would provide practically
identical accommodation. Mr and Mrs Jordan claimed that Duddeston was not of the same residential character as Ladywood, and declined
the move. Birmingham Corporation, on behalf of the Bank, sought in Birmingham County Court, to gain possession. Judge Ruegg, KC, found
for the defendants after visiting the property in Great Lister Street and concluding that the two districts were not equally good.
(The Bank had more success at Sparkbrook - see
Press Cutting.)
When possession eventually became available, the buildings
were deemed unsuitable for the usual reconstruction project, and they were demolished in order that an attractive, purpose-designed,
one-storey branch (plus a small adjoining house) could be built. During this work, the business of the branch was conducted in a wooden
building located to the rear, after the original building's stabling and slaughterhouse were demolished. The City Surveyor prepared
the plans for the new branch, and supervised the work, estimating the cost at £2,000. Tenders received for the plans were considerably
in excess of this amount and the plans were amended - eventually P W Cox completed the work for the sum of £2,277.
Formal opening
of the Bank's second (after Handsworth) entirely new building took place on June 14th 1924, with the ceremony being performed by the
Lady Mayoress - Miss Williams, who was a depositor at the branch. The ceremony was also attended by Neville Chamberlain, who addressed
the assembled crowd by saying that he was sure the Bank's General Manager and Chairman, from personal experience, could quote many
instances of the real benefit the Bank had been to depositors who wished to draw upon their resources in time of need. He looked forward
to the time when the example set by Birmingham would be followed by other towns.
The branch's location at the junction of Monument
Road and Icknield Port Road lended itself to a street widening scheme, and the Bank transferred a portion of land to the Public
Works Department for £277 during the building process for this purpose. The address was amended to 300 Monument Road.
In the
mid-1960s, the site at the corner of Monument Road and Icknield Port Road was needed for the building of a new fire station, requiring
the demolition of the branch. The branch was transferred to new premises at 218 St Vincent Street, (from December 1st 1967, 218 St
Vincent Street West) Ladywood, and officially opened by the Bank's Chairman (Mrs E L Hobson) on October 8th 1965. By this time, Ladywood
district's original Victorian housing had recently been replaced by tower blocks. Ladywood branch was closed on March 18th 1994,
and business transferred to Broad Street branch.
left:
The newly constructed Ladywood branch and adjoining house in 1924. The second of the Bank's completely purpose-built offices,
Ladywood utilised aspects in its design that had not featured in any of the previous thirteen permanent branches. The new construction
replaced the building on the same site that was used as a temporary branch, as shown above
right:
The opening ceremony at 300 Monument Road took place on June 14th 1924. Photographed on that occasion are (left to right):
J P Hilton (General Manager)
Thomas Williams (Lord Mayor)
Miss Williams (Lady Mayoress)
Neville
Chamberlain
Councillor Appleby (Chairman)
left:
Assembled crowd at the branch's official opening.
right:
Interior of branch in 1924 showing location of Commemoration Tablet
below:
218 St Vincent Street West - the branch's location from October 1965
Two photograph taken at the branch opening of the new office. Image on right includes two members of the Bank's maintenance staff:
- 1st left: Alf Maggs
- 3rd left: Lawrence Shaw
right:
The Bank's Chairman (Mrs E L Hobson) chats to two
lady members of staff:
Gertrude Leedham (partly hidden),
and
Edna Woodward
The Commemoration Tablet on the rear wall states:
THE ORIGINAL LADYWOOD BRANCH WAS OPENED
ON 14TH JUNE 1924 AND AS A RESULT OF REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS AREA THAT BUSINESS WAS TRANSFERRED TO THESE PREMISES WHICH WERE OPENED
BY COUNCILLOR MRS E L HOBSON, JP CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE 8TH OCTOBER 1965
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LADYWOOD
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28
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14th
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300 Monument Road, Birmingham
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L
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1924
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From 1965:
218 St Vincent Street West, Birmingham, B16 8RP
021-454 0326
|
right:
Temporary premises at 299 Monument Road used from 1919
Just west of the city centre, Ladywood was a rural area on the fringes of Birmingham until the middle of the 19th-century. The development
of the growing city then resulted in Ladywood being completely built over by the beginning of the 20th-century. These late Victorian
houses largely consisted of densely occupied terraces and squalid back-to-back developments.
Managers:
1919 - H G Wright
1921 - E C Neighbour
1922 - A M Hodgkins
1926 - H J Sutherland
1926 - A M Hodgkins
1928 - H E Martin
1929 to
1931 - H R B Rees
1934 - S F Jones
1937 - A H Read
1958 to 1960 - (Miss) N K Pogson
1961 - S C Wilson
1963 to 1966 - F W Hearne
1967
to 1970 - N A Monk
1971 & 1972 - E A Stewart
1972 - K T Burden
1973 - J G Bayes
1974 - S R Pink
1976 - G L Capener
= location of first permanent branch at 300 Monument Road
= location of second permanent branch at 218 St Vincent Street West