Open Writing

In 1968, after two years in the centre of Leicester, I was moved to the small seven-person suburban branch of Uppingham Road out on the A47. The manager was promoted to a larger branch soon after I arrived, and his replacement was a guy I knew vaguely from my Nottingham days. He was an easy-going person.

As number three in the branch I took on the second officer's duties whenever he was on holiday or standing in for the manager. The year I spent there provided me with useful experience.

During this time the bank made a decision to phase-in computer based operations. Conversion of standing order payments to full computerisation was the first phase. I was involved in some of the lengthy activities necessary to bring this about.

I learned some years later that the new manager had been asked to resign. Apparently he had opened accounts in fictitious names, and by a method which I am still unable to fully comprehend provided them with overdrafts. He then, again through incomprehensible methods, calculated the interest due on these overdrafts, included it with genuine interest paid by other customers and succeeded in showing a profit on branch business when, in reality, it was barely breaking even.

If a branch did not have many substantial business customers with loans on its books and suffered heavy usage by customers of other branches, it would be lucky to ever show a profit. Such were the pressures on managers to make a profit. Little has changed in over forty years.

I continued to be disenchanted with my lot. I passionately wanted to go overseas, preferably Africa. I knew I would never achieve my ambition if I remained with the Midland Bank. I increasingly began to realise I did not conform to the stuffy and conservative values of the banking world. I again decided to do some secret research.

I applied to Wolverhampton Technical Teachers’ Training College for admission to its one year programme. I was called for interview. I did not want to upset the Bank a second time by a display of indecision so I faked sickness on the day of the interview.

There was just one problem. I was the keyholder on the day before my intended journey to Wolverhampton. Mary did not drive. I did not want the manager coming to my house to collect the keys. I decided upon a strategy. I would wrap the keys in several layers of plain paper held together by a length of sellotape. I would drive to a location near the branch and park up in a side street. Mary would approach the branch as if she had arrived by bus; ring the bell; hand over the bundle containing the keys.

It all went according to plan. The manager, thanking her profusely for going to so much trouble, promptly said that if she would not mind waiting whilst the strongroom door was opened he would drive her home so she was not away from her 'sick' husband for longer than necessary. I don't know what she said in reply but she reappeared back at the van. We duly drove to Wolverhampton with my son tucked up in his pram in the spacious rear of our vehicle.

I was offered a place on the course commencing September 1969. It was not yet Christmas 1968. I told the College not to ask the Midland Bank for a reference until I gave the word.

In January 1969 I was transferred to London Road Leicester branch. Having a staff of twenty-six it offered more scope for experience. I alternated between chief cashier and part of the securities team dealing with matters broadly relating to lending and foreign services.

As we moved into the summer I was still firm in my intention to move out of banking. I told the manager of my decision to resign. I was immediately transferred to cashiering duties at a sub-office. I informed the College it could take up references.

In early September my banking career came to an end. It provided me with a sound background for my subsequent teaching career in business studies. I never regretted making the break. I was never culturally, psychologically or politically suited. My mother was right all along when she said it was not the right career for me.

Perhaps the greatest benefit I derived from being in banking was being able to borrow money to purchase a house, 100% loans at 2½% rate of interest less income tax relief making the real cost 1¾%, cheap by any standard.

Following my resignation the bank immediately increased the interest rate some three or four fold. This proved to be a major burden. A great deal of pressure was applied to force me to sell the house whilst undergoing teacher training. I always felt there was an element of revenge in its action.

Fortunately, the manager of Uppingham Road kept me informed of head office antics. He was helpful in stalling its attempts to ‘out’ me. Eventually the pressure came off after I let it be known that I would go to the press if it did not turn the heat down. I eventually sold the house just before the completion of my training.

When I resigned a 4% pay award was pending. It had been frozen by the government as part of its attempt to control wage and salary increases. Permission to pay it was granted whilst I was on my teacher training course. I wrote to the bank indicating that I had calculated it owed me £70, around £350 at today’s value. Payment was refused.

I wrote to the bank on and off over the next few years requesting payment. All requests were refused. I decided to pursue a campaign to gain payment. In early 1974 I wrote a final letter to Midland Bank Head Office indicating that I would take legal action if payment was not forthcoming. Again a refusal to pay. I filed a writ in the Small Claims Court in Nottingham.

Within a few days I had received a cheque for the sum claimed together with accrued interest dating back to 1969. As I said, I never did fit into banking. I guess I have always been something of an individualist. As a middle-aged female colleague in Nottingham once said to me, "You are the sort of person I always think of as going off travelling the world."

How right she was. What is amazing; I didn't ever imagine at that stage in my life that events would shape up in the way that eventually transpired.