NW	NE	BIRCHFIELD (after 1979: renamed PERRY BARR)	09	27th
SW	SE	293 Birchfield Road, Birmingham, B20 3BX 021-356 4326	BS	1927

On April 1st 1928, most of the rapidly urbanising District of Perry Barr became part of Birmingham. During the Inter-War years, this very large area on the north side of the city continued to be developed for both private and council housing. These developments were constructed on a number of estates (eg: Hamstead; Kingstanding; Perry Common; Tower Hill), each of which had its own identity and name, but the name Perry Barr attached colloquially to the Birchfield commercial area - where the Outer Circle bus route crossed the Birmingham to Walsall (A34) road, and close to Perry Barr railway station.

 

The Bank established a branch just south of this junction (2½-miles north of the city centre) and named it Birchfield. (The name of the branch was changed to Perry Barr, after 1979, to reflect how the area was known locally.) At a meeting of the City Council on February 2nd 1926, the Bank Committee was authorised to purchase 480 square yards of freehold land fronting Birchfield Road and the extension of Broadway. However, having regard to the prescribed building lines in Birchfield Road and Broadway, the City Surveyor (architect for the project) advised that it was desirable to secure a little more land to provide a better layout for the proposed building and greater banking accommodation. Acting upon such advice the Committee then purchased 120 additional square yards. Although the Committee would have preferred to commence banking facilities with temporary premises, a covenant relating to the property specified that any building erected must have a minimum value of £1,000. Accordingly, a new building was erected on this plot, and the branch was formally opened on October 8th 1927, by the Lady Mayoress (Mrs A H James). The builder was Edgar Crowder - slow progress with the work caused the Committee to consider enforcing the contract's penalty clause, but it transpired that the delay was due to a problem in obtaining delivery of certain stone specified in the contract.

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The Erdington News dated October 15th 1927 reported on the opening of the branch as follows:
The Birchfield Branch at the Municipal Bank was opened by the Lady Mayoress (Mrs A H James) on Saturday.
Tea was served [in the Birchfield Institute] to a company of civic representatives and well-known local residents. After the repast the Lady Mayoress was presented with a bon-bon dish by the Bank Committee. The presentation was made by Councillor A H Cooper, who presided at a subsequent meeting.
Among those present were the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress (Alderman and Mrs A H James), Alderman Sir Percival Bower (the chairman of the Bank Committee), Lady Bower, Mr J P Hilton (general manager of the bank), the Chief Constable, Sir C H Rafter, Mr H H Humphries (city surveyor), Councillor D Rose, Councillor T Hampson, Councillor and Mrs John Thacker, Mr S Adkins (chairman of the Handsworth Bench), Mr E J Thomas, and Mr H Milnes.
Councillor Cooper said the bank was one of the greatest Socialistic undertakings the city had adopted. Taking the bank as a whole, it was gratifying to report that there are 237,142 depositors whose accounts represented a value of £8,033,887.
Some idea of the important position which the Municipal Bank held in the civic life of Birmingham could be gathered from the fact that the transactions representing deposits and withdrawals during the course of the year amounted to a million and a half.
In the House Purchase department, £2,434,182 had been loaned to depositors in order to purchase their houses and 7,279 houses had been purchased with such assistance. That had been of considerable help in trying to solve the housing problem in Birmingham.
The Lord Mayor said it was astonishing how the openings of the bank's branches had won the confidence of the citizens. The bank was a democratic institution, and while depositors in joint stock banks could not transact business after 3pm, in the case of the Municipal Bank business on certain evenings was transacted until 8pm.
There was a large crowd at the opening by the Lady Mayoress, who also unveiled a tablet recording the date of the ceremony.
Councillor D Rose proposed, and Councillor T Hampson seconded, a vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Alderman Sir P Bower, and Councillor Cooper for their services.
Alderman Sir P Bower and the Lord Mayor responded.

During the Second World War, due to delayed action bombs in the vicinity of the branch, business was temporarily transferred to Aston branch from August 26th to September 6th  1940.

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