NW	NE	WELLS GREEN (later SHELDON)	66	61st
SW	SE	2136 Coventry Road, Birmingham B26 3JA 021-743 2389	WG	1957

The branch was subsequently transferred to a substantial, freestanding building, on the site that the Bank had originally secured in 1936. This permanent office was formally opened by the Chairman (Councillor I L Morgan) on March 15th 1957.

 

The name of the branch was amended from Wells Green to Sheldon in 1970; the new name being that used for the area locally, although Sheldon is a short distance away.

below:

branch interior in 1957

below:

Interior, looking towards customer entrance

below:

depositors transacting business in the new premises

the branch is located in an office block (the nearest corner in the photograph) that is
used by Lloyds TSB

The ancient village of Sheldon in Warwickshire (5 miles east of the centre of Birmingham) lies just to the north of the Birmingham to Coventry highway. The part of the Sheldon parish north of that road, amalgamated with Birmingham in 1931, when the village's population was just 526. Substantial areas of private and council house building then commenced in both Sheldon and the nearby Wells Green; the latter becoming the area's shopping centre due to its location on the Coventry Road. Most of these areas were covered by housing by 1939, but more housing followed after the War, in order to accommodate people from the clearance of inner-city slum dwellings.

 

Wells Green branch was opened as a part-time office, in a temporary building, on January 3rd 1938, opening on Mondays and Fridays from 18:00 to 20:00. The address of this office was 2144 Coventry Road. In 1940 or 1941, the hours of business were extended to:

Monday to Wednesday ....	10:00 to 15:00
Saturday ...........................	10:00 to 16:00

Following the removal of building restrictions, a report, dated December 7th 1954, by the Bank to Birmingham City Council stated:

In January 1938, a temporary branch was opened in a wooden hut at 2144 Coventry Road, Wells Green, to provide savings facility for Sheldon on the north side of Coventry Road, and part of Solihull on the south side. The business of this branch has steadily increased, and the accommodation for the public and staff is very restricted. Now that building restrictions have been removed your committee have decided to erect a permanent branch building on this site, the cost, as estimated by the City Architect being £10,200, which will be defrayed out of the Bank's funds.

 

Year Ended March 31st	Balances £	Open Accounts	Transactions
1938	15,139	444	1,367
1939	41,898	1,178	9,072
1940	69,719	1,816	15,622
1941	112,982	2,511	21,885
1942	178,329	3,185	26,311
1943	265,237	3,879	32,927
1944	356,271	4,439	34,708
1945	430,002	4,897	34,838

The branch appears to have become a full-time office in 1942, (however, see Combination of Branches) but was still trading from a temporary building (left). The General Manager submitted the following report to his Management Committee in July 1945:

This branch is conducted in a wooden building, and has made rapid progress. Accommodation is proving inadequate, and steps should be taken to erect a permanent building as soon as possible. Mr Surman [an architect]  has been asked to prepare a plan for a suitable building with dwelling accommodation, and in my opinion, we should press for early priority.

The General Manager's reference to 'early priority' refers to the post-War restrictions on the use of building materials and labour, but permission to build a permanent branch was not obtained during the period of building restrictions. By March 31st 1946, the branch's deposit balances had grown to £480,368. The branch's statistics for the following year were:

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended March 31st	Balances £	Open Accounts	Transactions
1947	518,499	5,753	41,161

In September 1955, building contractors were invited to submit tenders for the construction of branch bank premises including a flat above to the City Architect, A G Sheppard Fidler. Depositors were advised that, from November 7th, business would be conducted from 16 Sheaf Lane (below).

In October 1944, the General Manager reported to the Bank Committee that a substantial development (to be known as the Chestnuts Estate)  was contemplated on land bounded by Sheldon Heath Road and Brays Road, Sheldon. The Committee agreed that it would be desirable for the Bank to reserve a site for a branch in a proposed shopping centre, as the development was some distance from Yardley and Wells Green branches. However, no branch was ever opened in this area, also known as Lyndon Green.

1958 to 1961 - G W Thomas
1961 to 1966 - H E Forman
1967 - J W Smith
1969 to 1972 - N A Worwood

1972 to 1974 - R F Lovell