Branches
 
Branch Hours of Opening
 
Full-time Branches
except Bournville Works & City
 
(see individual branches re Part-time Hours of Opening;

see Bournville Works and City re their unique opening hours;
 
see Part Time Branches re Evening Branches etc
 
see  Hours of Business - 1919 to 1931 re discussions regarding opening hours)
 
Illustrated below: examples of notices displayed in branches
Monday, September 1st 1919 to Friday, August 31st 1923:
    Mondays - 10.00 to 14:30 and 17:30 to 19:30
    Tuesdays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Wednesdays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Thursdays - 10:00 to 13:00
    Fridays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Saturdays - 10:00 to 13:00 and 17:30 to 19:30
    (Total hours: 28)
 
Saturday, September 1st 1923 to Thursday, July 30th 1931:
    Mondays - 10.00 to 14:30 and 18:00 to 20:00
    Tuesdays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Wednesdays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Thursdays - 10:00 to 12:00
    Fridays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Saturdays - 10:00 to 13:00 and 18:00 to 20:00
    (Total hours: 27)
 
In 1931, the evening opening at the end of the week was moved from Saturdays to Fridays.
This change was made as a result of requests made by depositors, as the following
contemporary newspaper article reported:
 
[The Bank Committee ....] have given careful consideration to the question of changing the evening opening of the bank from Saturday to Friday. Representations have been made by depositors for such a change, and in order to ascertain the wishes of depositors as a whole the committee arranged for a plebescite to be taken. The result of the voting shows that 45.62% of the depositors are in favour of Friday evenings, 23.32% in favour of Saturday evenings,while 31.06% state that it is immaterial to them whether the bank is open on Friday or Saturday evenings. The voting cards returned represent 76.40% of the depositors concerned.
In the opinion of the committee the voting is sufficiently indicative of the wishes of the depositors, and accordingly it has been decided to make the change to take effect on the Friday before August Bank Holiday.
Hitherto the bank has been closed on March 31, except when that date has happened to be a  Saturday. The committee have now decided that the bank shall be closed on March 31, irrespective of the day of the week on which such date falls, and thus enable the work of theannual balance and the crediting of interest to accounts to be faciliated.
 
Friday, July 31st 1931 to September 1939:
    Mondays - 10.00 to 14:30 and 18:00 to 20:00
    Tuesdays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Wednesdays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Thursdays - 10:00 to 12:00
    Fridays - 10:00 to 14:30 and 18:00 to 20:00
    Saturdays - 10:00 to 13:00
    (Total hours: 27)
 

(The 1940 Annual Reports stated that:
On the outbreak of hostilities it was decided to abandon evening hours of business and in lieu thereof to arrange for all offices of the Bank to remain open until 4-0 o'clock on Saturday afternoons. This decision was made because of the difficulties of transport arrangements and the risks involved in travelling during the "black-out" period. When summer time was re-introduced the normal hours of business were resumed, including evening openings on Mondays and Fridays.)
 
(See:Hours of Business - 1939 to 1945)
 
Winter  1939/1940
    Mondays - 10.00 to 14:30
    Tuesdays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Wednesdays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Thursdays - 10:00 to 12:00
    Fridays - 10:00 to 14:30
    Saturdays - 10:00 to 16:00
    (Total hours: 26)
 
Two sets of hours (winter and summer) were therefore operated throughout the War.
From November 1st 1940, the 2:30pm closing times were changed to 3pm.
 
Friday, November 1st 1940 to Monday, December 31st 1945:
                        Winter Hours                             Summer Hours
    Mondays - 10.00 to 15:00                             10:00 to 15:00
    Tuesdays - 10:00 to 15:00                            10:00 to 15:00
    Wednesdays - 10:00 to 15:00                      10:00 to 15:00
    Thursdays - 10:00 to 12:00                           10:00 to 12:00
    Fridays - 10:00 to 15:00                                10:00 to 15:00 and 18:00 to 20:00
    Saturdays - 10:00 to 16:00                           10:00 to 13:00
        (Total hours: 26)                                         (Total hours: 27)
 
During the War, a number of smaller branches were only open on a restricted basis
 - see: World War II - Combination of Branches
 
Tuesday, January 1st 1946 to Wednesday, December 31st 1958:
    Mondays - 10.00 to 15:00
    Tuesdays - 10:00 to 15:00
    Wednesdays - 10:00 to 15:00
    Thursdays - 10:00 to 15:00
    Fridays - 10:00 to 15:00 and 18:00 to 20:00
    Saturdays - 10:00 to 12:00
    (Total hours: 29)
 
January 2nd 1959 to Monday, June 30th 1969:
    Mondays - 10.00 to 15:00
    Tuesdays - 10:00 to 15:00
    Wednesdays - 10:00 to 15:00
    Thursdays - 10:00 to 15:00
    Fridays - 10:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 19:00
    Saturdays - 10:00 to 12:00
    (Total hours: 29)
 
Tuesday, July 1st 1969 to Friday, August 31st 1973:
    Mondays - 10.00 to 15:00
    Tuesdays - 10:00 to 15:00
    Wednesdays - 10:00 to 15:00
    Thursdays - 10:00 to 15:00 and 16:00 to 19:00
    Fridays - 10:00 to 17:00
    (Total hours: 30)
 
Saturday, September 1st 1973 to Tuesday, November 20th 1979:
    Mondays - 09:30 to 15:30
    Tuesdays - 09:30 to 15:30
    Wednesdays - 09:30 to 15:30
    Thursdays - 09:30 to 19:00
    Fridays - 09:30 to 15:30
    (Total hours: 33½)
 
 
 
Branch Hours of Opening were, however, subject to amendment on
Days when all Offices of the Bank were Closed
 
Days when all Offices of the Bank are Closed
 
 
Home
 
Examples of notices displayed in branches
The four notices, above and right,
are undated but appear to have been
used in the Second World War,
when reduced hours were operated
The post-was hours are advised by the notice (left)
 
These hours applied until amended from
January 2nd 1959 (above and right)
BACK TO THE TOP
(above)
Hours of Business as printed in passbooks