NW	NE	STECHFORD	61	41st
SW	SE	177 Station Road, Birmingham B33 8BA 021-783 2445	SF	1930

Stechford branch was first opened in a room in the YMCA Red Triangle Club buildings in Lyttleton Road, Stechford, on Tuesday, September 20th 1921, ("for the convenience of residents in Stechford and Yardley districts"). For the remainder of that first week, the branch was open every evening from 19:00 to 20:30, and then subsequently at the same times each Monday and Saturday. The hours appear to have been extended shortly afterwards to Monday and Saturday Evenings - 18:00 to 20:00. This arrangement was amended to Friday Evenings only (18:00 to 20:00) from January 6th 1923.

 

On October 9th 1926, the branch was removed to a wooden hut at 177 Station Road - opening hours then reverted to Monday and Saturday Evenings (still 18:00 to 20:00). The temporary wooden building was erected on a 600-square yard plot of freehold land that the Bank Committe had purchased for the purpose, at a cost of £450. A condition of purchase was that a permanent facility had to be completed within five years. The branch continued to develop (slowly at first) and it was decided in 1929 to build a permanent structure on the site - the 1930 Annual Report stating that 'At Stechford a branch Bank is being erected', and the address in the branch list is given as just 'Station Road', suggesting that the wooden building has been moved to a nearby location during the construction work. The architect chosen for the new premises was a Mr Andrews - he based his design (for a branch with flat, and a shop plus house) on the plans attached to the property deeds (rather then visiting the site); these proved to be inaccurate, resulting in a revision to the plans. Mr Andrews was not used for any other Bank project. The branch was constructed by C Bryant & Son Ltd at a cost of £4,285. The temporary wooden building was moved to Yardley.

 

A full-time daily branch was opened at 177 Station Road on November 8th  1930, by the Lord Mayor (Alderman M L Lancaster). This was the last public ceremony performed by Alderman Lancaster during his mayoral year, and it was recalled during the proceedings that it was in Stechford that he had first taken up public work. The official proceedings began with tea being served to invited guests at the YMCA hut. The Bank's Chairman (Sir Percival Bower) presided, and on behalf of the Bank's Committee, presented the Lord Mayor with a silver cigarette case and silver matchbox, as a souvenir of the occasion. The Lord Mayor stated that he was originally a representative on the Yardley Council, and later represented Yardley on the City Council when the district was absorbed by Birmingham. The Lord Mayor spoke of the remarkable progress made by the Municipal Bank, and added that he knew of no activity in the city which aroused so much interest among visitors to the city as the work of the bank.

Two aspects of the newly built branch in 1930

below:

branch interior in 1930

below (November 8th 1930):

the Lord Mayor receives the key from Sir Percival Bower to formally open the new premises

The hamlet of Stechford in the parish of Yardley began to attract middle-class Birmingham businessmen to build large houses in the area after a railway station was opened in 1844, about 4 miles east of Birmingham's centre.

 

Yardley became part of Birmingham in 1911, and both private and public housing developments commenced in the 1920s, assisted by the establishment of a tram route from Birmingham in 1924.

 

 

 

(Right: Stechford Village in the early 20th-Century)

2012:

the branch is occupied by a Day Nursery

right:

tea being provided in the YMCA premises prior to the official opening of the branch

Managers:

1921 - Mr Clayton
1931 - G A Harling

1934 - F H Deville

 

1958 to 1969 - R G Roberts
1970 to 1972 - H J Clemmow
1972 to 1973 - M G Crofts

1973 - K T Burden

1974 to 1976 - R D Hines
1976 - A Nicol

The new permanent branch commenced with 1,148 accounts, with balances amounting to £30,413, that had been opened at the temporary premises.

 

On the night of August 15/16th 1940, the branch sustained slight War Damage during an air raid.