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:

right:

left:

 

see Newspaper Report of the occasion

right:

below:

218 St Vincent Street West - the branch's location from October 1965

right:

 

 

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

NW	NE	LADYWOOD	28	14th
SW	SE	300 Monument Road, Birmingham	L	1924

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.