|
|
|
WHEELER STREET
|
68
|
42nd
|
|
|
|
7 Wheeler Street, Birmingham 19
NORthern 3238
|
WS
|
1931
|
The Bank's 1931 Annual Report (dated June 6th 1931) stated that:
Since the end of the financial year daily Bank facilities have been
provided at Wheeler Street in place of the former evening bank. This refers to the formal opening on May 9th 1931, by the Lord Mayor
(Alderman W W Saunders). A permanent branch became possible after possession of No 7 became possible. The reconstruction of the premises
to permanent branch standard was supervised by Stewart Evans (architect) and carried out by A Pearce & Sons at a cost of £1,893.
During the alterations, the branch was conducted from 116 New John Street West.
The daily opening hours for Wheeler Street at
this time were slightly different to other full-time branches as they anticipated the switch of Saturday evening opening (18:00 to
20:00) to the same times on Fridays, that was applied to all branches from July 31st 1931.
During the Second World War, the branch
was only open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The actual dates when the restriction applied are unknown, but this part-time
working was listed in the Bank's Annual Report for 1941 (see
Combination of Branches).
below:
Wheeler Street branch, shortly after the completion of the reconstruction of 5 and 7 Wheeler Street in 1931
below (May 9th 1931):
The Lord Mayor (Alderman W W Saunders) arrives with the Lady Mayoress and the Bank's General Manager (J P Hilton)
for the opening of Wheeler Street branch.
below:
The Lord Mayor addresses a large crowd at the official opening ceremony. A number of small children use a gas lamp and the branch's
window cills to gain a better view of events
A new branch was opened in the
Aston Newtown Shopping Centre on January 5th
1968, to which the business of Wheeler Street was transferred,
the latter premises being required to be demolished under a Redevelopment Scheme for the area.
Wheeler Street, just north of the city centre, and linking Hockley to Lozells, dates from about 1850. By the beginning of the 20th-century
it was a principal route through a densely populated area that justified the opening of a branch. A temporary office was initially
opened in 1924 in nearby
Summer Lane, but this was closed in favour of two new branches as reported in the
1930 Annual Report (dated
June 16th 1930), which stated that:
Since the end of the financial year .... additional branch Bank facilities have been provided
at Wheeler Street and Newtown Row in place of the temporary Summer Lane Branch. The Bank purchased the freehold of 5 and 7 Wheeler
Street for £1,350, but initially were unable to obtain possession of No 7. Accordingly, just No 5 was utilised as an Evening
Branch (open Mondays and Saturdays 18:00 to 20:00) from January 18th
1930.
Managers:
1931 - A J Smith
1934 - G A Harling
1958 - D Crowley
1961 - A W Hopkins
1963 - N Slater
1965 to 1966 - H W Powell
1967 to
1968 - W Porritt
|
= location of branch at 7 Wheeler Street |
|
= location of branch at 260 Summer Lane |
|
= location of branch at 77 Newtown Row |
|
= location of
branch at Aston Newtown |