Kindly shared by Laurence Cunnington

23 AUGUST 2022

I was in Ashby de la Zouch yesterday and visited the branch 40-08-31 where I started with the bank on 1st September 1980.

It closes on Thursday after 131 years. The cashier I spoke to said that they had found the original building plans when they were clearing out the cupboards!

I appreciate that technology has made branches like this one redundant but there is still something sad, from an historical point of view, about a building that has been in constant use for its original purpose finally losing that purpose after all that time.

I vaguely remember that the first entry in the Foreign Drafts Issued book was from when it opened as a branch of the Leicestershire Banking Company. It is, by far, the largest and grandest building in the main street of the town.

I hope a use can be found for it.