Dunstable Yesteryear: When Lloyds Bank arrived in town

The larger photo was taken during a Remembrance Sunday parade in November 1935. Lloyds Bank is the white building in the centre.

Ironically, the Lloyds branch recently reached its centenary in Dunstable. The bank had bought a shop in High Street North in 1920 which was then demolished and replaced by a new building. When this opened in November 1923 It was described by the Dunstable Gazette as being “of contemporary design”. boasting an elaborate balustrade on its roof. The carving of the bank’s prancing-horse symbol on its skyline can still be seen.

The previous shop on the site had been an ironmonger’s owned by Wood and Co. At one time it had been occupied by J Chambers and Son who were tenants of the trustees of Jane Cart, the rich heiress who had also owned the Sugar Loaf Hotel.

The inset photo here shows, with a lowered blind, the old shop which was replaced by Lloyds. On its left is the former Barclays Bank building which is now being converted into a slot-machine casino.

The three-storey building on the right, once the premises of W R Gibbard, a corn merchant, is still readily recognisable. It has recently been refurbished into serviced apartments by the Harper Luxe company, owned by Oliver Harper, who has created a private courtyard for residents at the rear. Dunstable historian Worthington Smith once had a workroom on an upper floor of the building. In 1885 he created his famous picture, featured recently in Yesteryear, showing the view of Dunstable crossroads from his window.

Yesteryear is compiled by John Buckledee, chairman of Dunstable and District Local History Society.