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ASTON CROSS
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05
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8th
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99 Aston Road North, Birmingham, B6 4DA
021-359 0285
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AC
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1923
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The opportunity to purchase 101 Aston Road North (which was then the main A38 road, prior to it being bypassed by the Aston Expressway
in 1972) came at an auction in March 1922, when the Bank's valuer (Frank Wilde) obtained the property, the vendor being a Mr Woodward.
A reconstruction scheme was subsequently carried out. The purchase of these premises were reported by the Bank Committee
on July 4th 1922 as follows:
Your Committee report that they have been able to secure premises suitable to meet the future requirements
of the Bank in the Aston Cross district. The premises are situate at number 101 Aston Road North, in a prominent shopping centre,
and comprise a large shop and dwellinghouse. Vacant possession has been given and the premises can be adapted forthwith for the purposes
of the Bank. The property is leasehold, with 52 years unexpired, and your Committee have agreed to the purchase at the sum of £1,020,
which amount will be provided from the funds of the Bank. In accordance with No 10 of the Bank Rules, the Committee now ask for the
approval of the Council to their action.
Building Plans were lodged with the City's Engineer & Surveyor on August
28th 1922. After reconstruction by F J Briley for the sum of £862, these new premises were officially opened on April 28th
1923,
by Councillor R R Gelling. Before the opening ceremony, the guests of the Bank Committee took tea at St Mary's (Aston Brook) War Memorial
Hall. Addressing the gathering, Councillor Gelling said he was sure the residents of Aston Cross would support the Bank in just a
keen a manner as residents were doing in other areas; the more so as they now possessed reasonable premises in which to transact their
business. Mr Gelling opened the new premises with a silver key presented by the committee, and then unveiled the branch's commemoration
tablet. The Bank still held the lease on 1 Park Road, but were able to sub-let to a Mr Hatwell at the same rental being paid by the
Bank.
The space available for the public at
101 Aston Road North measured just 16 feet by 9 feet, but by 1925 transactions
were increasing at a rate of 47 per week towards an annual total in 1924/25 of 43,866. After the refurbished premises were opened
in April 1923, the branch's rapid development necessitated an increase in staff from two to three and later from three to four. The
following table shows the progress since the branch was opened in the temporary premises:
left:
Aston Cross branch after the reconstruction in 1923 of 101 Aston Road North.
The branch after it was extended to include 99 Aston Road North
(December 11th 1926). The extension is on the right
The interior following a third set of alterations - date unknown
The medieval Aston Cross was originally located at the junction of Lichfield Road, Park Lane, and Rocky Lane, 1½-miles north of Birmingham's
centre. The ancient preaching cross was replaced by a clock tower towards the end of the 19th-century, as the area was developed for
housing (right).
Ansells Brewery and the HP Sauce factory were built near the landmark clock tower, plus small factories and
more houses; the latter mainly consisting of tunnel-back terraces. The Bank sought to open a branch in this densely populated district
in 1920.
In contrast with the method adopted for many early branch sites at the commencement of the Bank, Aston Cross was opened
immediately as a daily (full-time) office on Monday, November 1st 1920. Despite the fact that Aston branch (also a full-time office)
was less than a mile away, the normal practice of testing demand with a part-time opening was not followed.
A small shop at
1 Park Road, Aston was the site for this experiment of gauging demand based solely on the surrounding density of population.
The shop was taken on a 5-year lease at £60 per annum. The bold policy paid off, and it was soon necessary to find larger premises.
= location of Aston Road North. The area where Aston Cross branch was located is now overshadowed by the Aston Expressway (A38(M))
that connects Birmingham's city centre to the M6 motorway. A nearby roundabout carries the Middleway Ring Road over the Expressway.
Managers:
1922 - A F Lambeth
1926 - F H Whitehouse
1928 - W I Wynn
1929 & 1930 - H J Sutherland
1931 - S A Guy
1932 - H J T Bayliss
1934 - T J Ladrooke
1937 - F FitzPatrick
1958 - J C W Brown
1959 & 1960 - F M Thompson
1961 to 1963 - A H Bower
1965 to 1967
- F Hood
1969 to 1971 - J W Walker
1972 to 1974 - L S Bellmore
1975 - L D Webber
1976 - M G Crofts
Temporary premises at 1 Park Road,
used from 1920 to 1923
Councillor Gelling performs the branch opening ceremony,
watched by Councillor Appleby.
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Deposits
£
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Withdrawals
£
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No. of
Transactions
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No. of Accounts
Opened
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Deposit Balances
@ March 31st
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5 Months
ended March 31, 1921
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11,482
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2,351
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2,745
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610
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14,942
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Year ended March 31, 1922
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27,949
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15,714
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9,655
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823
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29,319
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" " "
31, 1923
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45,546
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23,795
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16,375
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1,198
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52,164
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"
" " 31, 1924
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83,567
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37,077
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31,416
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2,445
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101,133
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11
Months ended Feb. 28, 1925
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100,126
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54,477
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38,989
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2,193
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154,605
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As with other early branches, the Bank was able to purchase the adjoining leasehold shop/dwelling house (number 99). The
existing tenant used the premises as a coffee house and had a lease until September 1926. The asking price for the leasehold premises
was £1,450, and although the Bank was able to secure them for £1,200, it required a payment of £250 to obtain possession
from the sitting tenant. Fifty-two years remained on the lease, and the ground rent was £12 per annum.
Early in 1926, tenders
were received for carrying out the alterations to amalgamate 99 and 101 Aston Road North: R Fenwick & Son - £2,153; A Pearce
& Son - £2,170; Maddocks & Walford - £2,179; P W Cox - £2,247; E M Squire - £2,275; F J Briley - £2,485; W
Sapcote & Sons - £2,989; W & J Webb - £3,125. As the amounts of these tenders exceeded the estimate of £1,550 provided
by the City Surveyor, he was interviewed to ascertain the reason for the discrepancy. From this interview it emerged that £435 (furniture
and fittings £335; contingencies £100) needed to be added to the original estimate, and the tender of R Fenwick & Son at £2,153
was accepted. In addition, Messrs Allbright and Wilson were requested to apply a stone preservative - presumably as an attempt to
protect the branch's exterior Hollington stonework from the inner city's smoky atmosphere.
In 1929 the General Manager reported
that he had been in correspondence with the agents (Messrs Parrott & Antrobus) for the acquisition of the freehold of the Aston
Cross premises, but had been informed that their clients were not prepared to sell.
left:
Aston Road North in January 1956
Councillor Gelling speaking at the official opening of the permanent branch.