Lloyds Bank 1972

1993 Logo

133 & 135 High Street - Courtesy of Clive Wood

Since 1921, The Dark Horse has been publishing articles on our branches, more recently under the series title of "Façade" We are changing this title, which we feel might have given the impression that we took only a superficial look at each branch (though that was certainly not the case) and the series will now simply be called "Round the Branches". We hope in the future to give more coverage to the branch staffs (as befits a staff magazine) as well as to history, premises, nature of the business and so on. We should be pleased to hear from any branches who would like to be included in the series, in particular whose which have not been the subject of articles in the past.

Rushden—somewhere in the Midlands? Yes; though even some Midlanders might find it hard to say just where: it's a large area. Bedfordshire, perhaps? Wait a minute, though—boots and shoes. Must be Northants. or Leicestershire. They produce 50% of the country's boots and shoes between them.

In fact, Rushden stands on one of the last pieces of rising ground as you go east from Northampton towards the Bedfordshire fens: it is actually in Northants, but Bedfordshire runs up almost to its boundary and Leicestershire is only 15 miles to the north. A hundred years ago it was a village with a population of 2,000, but in the 1870s the boot and shoe trade began to prosper with the introduction of new machinery and Rushden grew. (The present population is 20,000.)

By 1890 its prosperity had caught the eye of the Capital and Counties Bank, which opened in handsome premises at 133 High Street.

In 1972 Remodelled

Mrs Maye Dicks receiving the chain of office from retiring chairman, Mr. A. Goulsbra.

To-day these premises, which became a branch of Lloyds when we took over the C. & C. in 1918, look from the outside very much as they did originally. The sturdy, rather severe late-Victorian façade is almost unchanged; the two slender lions, sejant guardant, still perch, a bit precariously, on their thin finials on top of the gables. When the present manager, Mr Allen Goulsbra, came to the branch in 1959, much of the interior detail still had a strong flavour of the 1890s too, especially the brown tiling which gave the banking hall something of the look of a public convenience ripe for modernisation. But expansion of the business—in 13 years the number of current accounts has trebled—necessitated continual enlargement, and at last the branch moved to temporary premises across the road and there began a complete remodelling of the whole office, completed in April this year.

Now we are represented in Rushden by premises which yield nothing in attractiveness to those of our competitors, despite their positions nearer—it has to be admitted—to the "better" end of the High Street. With more than enough space for the present staff of 12, and with a growing business—the 2,000 current accounts mark was passed in August—we are well placed to hold at least our fair share of the traditional boot and shoe trade as well as a good stake in the diversified light industry the town is now encouraging on its new trading estate. (In view of this trend, it's interesting that the branch's largest account is not that of a footwear factory at all but of a well-known manufacturers of drinks-vending machines, based in London.)

Mr Goulsbra (as we reported at the time of the reopening of the premises after their facelift) is chairman of Rushden U.D.C., having been a councillor for the past eight years and vice-chairman last year: as such, he is intimately involved in the life of the town. He has a particular interest in the operatic and dramatic societies, of which there are three: he is chairman of the Theatrical, secretary of the Operatic and treasurer of the Dramatic Society (the Rushden Players), for which he has also both acted and produced.

Lionel Meredith, the branch's sub-manager, is something of a football fanatic: he is a shareholder in Hereford and Burnley football clubs and his enthusiasm for Hereford —his home team—involves him in arduous cross­country journeys to their matches.

Staff - Lionel Meredith (manager) at the centre desk with Susan Coleman (secretary); beyond him a new entrant, David Rooksby. On the counter, No. 1 (far end) Stephen Willmott (a keen footballer), No. 2 Jennifer Babbage and No. 3 Paul Coley, securities clerk (enthusiastic golfer, who is also learning to fly). At the machines (left to right) are Marie Smith, Susan Burgess and Vivien Bailey. Also in the picture is Gillian Underwood, supervisor. [taken from a photocopy]

In December 1995, Lloyds Bank and TSB merged to form Lloyds TSB. Another change came in 2013, when the two banks were divided. This building is now Lloyds and the bank at 135 High Street is now TSB. That too closed in 2022 along with the other bank and other banks. But now in 2023:

A note pad given to customers in the 1980s

Regeneration The TSB at the bottom of the High Street closed in 2022. But the building is back in use, and is now a restaurant in 2023. It is now a Mediterranean Restaurant. Happily the facade is unchanged, keeping a little piece of Rushden's history.

Index of All Traders