Barclays Bank - Canvey
First Opening
Barclays today
My father, Frederick Cook, was a bank clerk working for Barclays Bank in Southend on Sea. Canvey did not have a bank and there was an agreement that the banks would not open on Canvey without consulting each other.
However one bank, name unknown, opened on canvey without telling Barclays. Barclays response was to rent a beach hut and my father used to travel from Southend, by train, with a case of money and then cross the stepping stones to the island to open the beach hut bank, I believe twice a week.
I have no other record but would like to know if there are any photo’s of this early bank or any other history of this story.
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Fascinating detail about the early banks on the Island. My most vivid recollection of Barclays was of the Manager (!) Mr.Ribbons…who seemed to know more about my financial affairs than I did!. As a young teacher asking HIM for a Bank Loan of £100 for a new car seemed downright profligate, and he as much as said so! I wonder what sort of bonus he got, if any…
This might be the beach hut Barclays bank you mentioned
Hi can you tell me what the building was in the photo before Barclays Bank, the reason I ask is because i have a interest in architecture and the building to the rear off the bank with the 2 little balls on top of the gable is very interesting, was it there first before the bank, the reason is because the gables are of Dutch design, thank you
The Dutch design of the building you mention is not unusual on the island.
Hi Dean , Barclays Bank at Lakeside Corner was I think built late50s/ early 60s and was specifically designed to reflect Canvey’s Dutch heritage in what is vaguely known as the ‘Dutch Colonial ‘ style . As Janet says there are quite a few properties of similar design on the Island, particularly the bungalows of the Dutch Village Estate built in the 30s.
From this era it seems that several builders had ideas to build houses influenced by Dutch/ Continental styles which has given us quite a’ mish-mash’ of properties e.g
the copies of the Dutch Cottage in Grasmere and Ferndale Cresc, the stepped gables of the Red Cow/ King Canute (very Flemish) and a couple of houses with Mansard gable
roofs.🙂. Graham Stevens.
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