General Purposes Sub-Committee: October 13th 1930

On Minute No 1565 (premises Nos 5 and 7 Wheeler Street) the Sub-Committee were informed that the Chairman of the General Committee with the Chairman of the Sub-Committee and himself, had considered tenders for the adaption of these premises and the lowest tender, namely, that of Messrs A Pearce & Son, at the sum of £1,893 had been accepted, and the Town Clerk instructed to prepare and seal the necessary contract.

1587   RESOLVED:- That the General Committee be recommended to confirm the action taken in the matter.

Tenders for 5/7 Wheeler Street.

Finance Sub-Committee: October 13th 1930

The General Manager reported that during the adaption of the Wheeler Street Branch, temporary arrangements had been made for the use of accommodation at No 116, New John Street West, as a temporary branch, at a payment to the tenant of 10/- per week and a payment to the landlord of 2/6d per week.

469    RESOLVED:- That the action taken in the matter be confirmed.

Bank Committee: May 18th 1931

The General Manager submitted particulars of applications received for the tenancy of the Wheeler Street flat.

4093   RESOLVED:- That arrangements be made for the letting of the flat at Wheeler Street to Mr A Edwards (a Police Constable attached to the "C" Division) for a period of three years at a rental of £28 per annum plus rates and cost of internal repairs and that the Town Clerk be instructed to prepare and if necessary affix the corporate seal to any required document.

Finance Sub-Committee: July 20th 1931

Flat at Wheeler Street Branch.

Your Sub-Committee report that Mr A Edwards, the police officer to whom this flat had been let on the authority of your Committee was not willing to comply with the Bank's requirements regarding the terms of the letting and had vacated the premises. Your Sub-Committee have directed the General Manager to offer the tenancy to Mr A Borer on similar terms, viz: for a period of three years at a rental of £28 per annum, plus rates and cost of internal repairs, and in the event of Mr Borer accepting the offer they recommend that the Town Clerk be instructed to prepare and seal any necessary document.

Finance Sub-Committee: October 19th 1931

Tenancy of Wheeler Street Flat.

Your Sub-Committee recommend that the Wheeler Street flat be let to Mr Walter Herbert Johnson on a three years' tenancy from the 29th September 1931 at a rental of £28 per annum, plus rates and internal repairs, and that the Town Clerk be instructed to prepare any necessary agreement.

Bank Committee: February 5th 1932

The General Manager submitted the following report by Mr Stewart Evans, Architect, on the system of painting used at the Wheeler Street Branch:

Report by Mr H Stewart Evans, on the system of Painting used at WHEELER STREET BRANCH.

95 Colmore Row

Birmingham

29th January, 1932

Dear Sir,

Wheeler Street Branch.

In reply to yours of the 15th inst, Ref H/EM, I must apologise for not replying to this earlier but have been unable to go down to Wheeler Street before this morning.

I have thoroughly examined the whole of the Colouring in the Bank Chamber this morning, and find that the work is not standing nearly so well as I anticipated. The lower, or dado part, which is a Dark Maroon, is going badly discoloured in several places, and the upper surface, which is a light Straw colour, is flaking off in fairly large patches in numerous places. This is probably accounted for by the rapid changes of temperature in the Bank Chamber between day and night.

The Ceiling and Walls are not retaining their glossy surface as when first executed, and this again I should take to be due to the changes in temperature.

I have also carefully examined the Mess Room and Lavatories adjoining, and find the same flaking taking place, and also that in the Mess Room the whole of the wall surfaces are going a very bad colour.

To answer the enquiries in your letter, I think it would be best to give what, in my opinion, are the advantages and disadvantages of this style of colouring:

(1) There is no doubt that this style of colouring can be more rapidly applied, and when finished has an extremely pleasing appearance, and is easily washable, and on very large wall surfaces it would undoubtedly be of a great advantage in the saving of time in execution.

The great disadvantages are as follows:

(2) Very few Decorators have the necessary appliances, and for anything but very large work they would be loth to lay out the money to purchase the necessary motors for the job. Secondly, any woodwork such as door frames, window linings, architraves, skirtings, picture molds, panelling, etc that abuts upon the wall surfaces have to be masked or covered with paper to prevent the liquid spray falling upon the same. This has to be very carefully done, otherwise the material used in spraying will percolate beneath it. (I may say that we had an experience of this at Wheeler Street; the polishing at one end of the Counter was badly damaged by the Cellulose getting under the covering, and this polishing had to be re-done at some expense). Further, after the work is completed, this paper masking has to be removed, and the labour involved in this covering and uncovering the woodwork is such as to nullify, to a great extent, the advantage gained by rapidity of the actual painting work. At Wheeler St the labour involved in this covering and uncovering was sufficient to employ two men for 2½ days.

(3)  With regard to the financial aspect of the question, on very large surfaces, it would probably be somewhat less costly to use this spraying system, but in work such as your Banks the cost undoubtedly would be considerably more. I may say that, as regards Wheeler St, the plaster work had to be specially gone over by the Builder's man, involving a considerable amount of extra labour. The actual cost of the work was somewhere about £47, whereas the amount required for brush work painting the dado and colouring the upper part of the walls and ceilings was about £26.

(4) A further point is that in spraying, the actual coats of colour are so thin and transparent that the slightest defects in the plaster underneath are plainly visible, whereas in ordinary brush work these slight inequalities or defects are covered by the thickness of the material and the brush work.

(5) As to the question of carrying out this class of work while the business of the Bank was continued, this would, in my opinion, be almost impossible. In the first place, the fumes are such as to be very trying to anyone inside the premises. The smell is extremely objectionable, and the dust is such that it would be necessary to clean down the whole of the counters, books, and anything in use, at least three or four times a day. This dust and the odour from the actual paint is so strong and persistent that it can be perceived from windows and doors when open for at least 50 yards from the actual building. Furthermore, I think that your customers would find this odour and dust so disagreeable that they would cease to come during the progress of the work.

In conclusion, I may say that I am particularly taken with the general appearance of this system of spraying when completed, as the tone of the colour and the gloss on it is very attractive, and for work where the premises could be given up entirely to the operators until thoroughly dry, and where they could be given fair time for the setting of the material, it would be ideal, but for your class of work the faults I have previously enumerated would nullify any advantages to be obtained.

There is one other point I should like to mention; that is, that when it was first suggested that this material be used at Wheeler Street, it was strongly claimed by the Patentees that it could be applied on new or damp plaster, and yet when the Wheeler St plaster work was ready, the workpeople objected to commencing as the plaster was not thoroughly dry, and we had to wait a considerable time, and also you instructed the Gas Dept to send down several gas radiators, which had to be fitted and removed afterwards at considerable expense, to dry out the walls before Messrs Docker Brothers would consent to the work being carried on.

Yours faithfully,

(Signed) H Stewart Evans.

J P Hilton, Esquire,

Municipal Bank,

Birmingham.

1738   RESOLVED:- That the General Committee be informed that in the opinion of this Sub-Committee it is undesirable to adopt the method of painting carried out at Wheeler Street in connection with other Branches.

Finance Sub-Committee: February 19th 1934

Your Sub-Committee report that the following tender has been accepted for decoration at Wheeler Street branch:

Hadley & Son Ltd: £29. 1. 6.

Finance Sub-Committee: July 23rd 1934

Wheeler Street Branch Flat.

The Town Clerk has been instructed to take proceedings for the recovery of arrears of rent and water charges due from the tenant of this flat and it is recommended that this action be confirmed.

Bank Committee: November 12th 1934

The Committee were informed that arrangements had been made for the letting of the flat at the Wheeler Street Branch to Mr Cyril Albert Barre of 63 Soho Hill, Handsworth, for one year certain from the 29th September 1934 and thereafter determinable by quarterly notice, except in the Christmas quarter; the rental to be £28 per annum, the tenant paying rates and to be responsible for internal repairs.

Finance & General Purposes Sub-Committee: February 17th 1936

Arrears of Rent - Wheeler Street Branch Flat.

Your Sub-Committee report that the tenant of the above mentioned flat has again fallen into arrear with the payment of rent. The Town Clerk has been instructed to take any necessary steps to recover the arrears.

Finance & General Purposes Sub-Committee: June 21st 1937

Newtown Row Premises.

In order to secure possession of the living accommodation at these premises with a view to their ultimate demolition, arrangements have been made with the Estates Department for the tenant at No 77 Newtown Row to be accommodated in a Corporation House, payment of £2. 10. 0d to be made to the tenant in respect of decorations and fittings, in addition to removal expenses.

The tenant of the premises in Manchester Street, also forming part of the property, will be offered accommodation at the Wheeler Street Flat, at an inclusive rental of 15/- per week.