More than 600 bank branches have closed across the UK in the last year, with rural areas worst affected, according to figures obtained by the BBC.
The banks said that demand for branches was falling, as more people switch to banking online.
I have avoided online banking until now. Having had my identity stolen and time and money wasted (over 10 years) trying to rectify it, I find it difficult to trust anything on a website or mobile phone and prefer to go into a bank.
It doesn’t matter if it is not face to face – they had machines and ATMs I could use.
My daughter does all her banking with an app via her mobile (cell phone). She rarely uses cash at all.
Portswood Road in a suburb of Southampton (pictured above) had six bank branches up until a year ago. Now there is just one NatWest office – not even a proper branch which have announced that will only open weekdays from 10am to 2pm.
Bank buildings have ended up as cafe’s or off-licenses (liquor stores).
The data – obtained by BBC Breakfast – came from the big six High Street banks and the closures all took place between April 2015 and April 2016.
So how do people bank where you are?
SNIPS & SNAPS 
Over here, it’s a mix of face-to-face brick and mortar and ATM’s as well. Though there’s a lot of online stuff, I’m not really into that.
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So you are like me? Hurray!
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I live near a small country town that has four banks including the postal bank which is open full time. The others are open part time. For the time being the service is good enough, and I wonder if it reflects the level of affluence in the region due to the wine making industry. Interesting news that I was not aware of.
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Or maybe trying to keep a more traditional feel? The country towns are the ones that suffer the most here.
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That would be nice if so, and maybe customer service is important, but I’m not sure that tradition interests them. Thanks for replying.
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I do use Internet banking a lot, but occasionally have to go to a real bank. It’s such a shame that so many have closed, I suppose this reflects the impact of technology. There is a bank in Southsea, just like the one in your photo, that has been turned into a very posh restaurant.
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I went to one similar in Newport Wales that became a Wetherspoons pub. I think for some people the communication revolution happens too fast.
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There are plenty of brick and mortar banks around here and it is nice to have my bank close for quick cash from the ATM or go in if I need something special. We do a little Internet bill paying and account transfers but we still use checks. I think the younger people are readily using online banking and using their phone apps. It is a beautiful building!
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I am with Lloyds and in Southampton two have closed since I have gone to University here (I am in second year). There used to be one along Burgess Road by the University and the one along Portswood high street as you showed, both closed. If I need to go to a bank, I have to go to West Quay, but I mainly use mobile banking.
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That’s correct, most have to go to the City Centre. I rarely use a mobile for conversation or messaging, let along use it for banking. My daughter, like you must, uses her mobile for everything, music, watching TV, making films, cook-a-long video recipes, satelite navigation – it is beyond me.
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I’ve never done online banking, and never used an ATM. If I need cash, my branch is only a few blocks away, and I go to the drive-through, cash my check, and go on my way. I don’t pay ordinary bills, like cable or phone, online, either. Of course I use Paypal for some online purchases, and have an Amazon account, but for the most part, I still live in the old-fashioned world of checks and cash. I’m not sure what most of my friends do, although I suspect they prefer the convenience of online transactions.
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Never use an ATM either? It fills me with joy to know that there are still people like you.
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Even the ATMs are getting used less often in Australia. We use a card to pay for groceries and get extra cash out at the same time.
I have to ask: why is that lady wearing Mickey Mouse ears? And, why is that gentleman wearing two hats?
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Yes they do that here too. After groceries are paid for you get asked you would like “cash-back”. That other photo was another post I started but deleted for the faces challenge. I am surprised that you can still see it. It was taken at Banksy’s Dismaland last summer. It was like a very sad Disneyland and the ears made from black paint tin lids were a bit like Mickey Mouse ears worn by the workers (actors who were told be as unhelpful as possible). As for two hats – I think they may have swapped so he was wearing two. I wrote something about it at the time: http://wp.me/p6jveM-eI
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Oh, I’m glad that photo was there. Dismaland looked very thought provoking! I hope I can also find the post you referred to.
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Out of interest do you also see the picture of the bank? or just the two people? I put a link to the Dismaland post at the end of the last message.
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Now, it’s just the bank photo.
I had read the post about Dismaland, it was the other post you mentioned in THAT post I’m trying to find. It was featuring other artists who were shown at Dismaland.
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Oh the official Dismaland website closed after a few months. I did make a copy of the list to take with me. If I find it – I’ll publish their names. I wrote about one on my art blog http://wp.me/p6jveM-eI
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I do online banking. I use my debit card to pay for most things.Credit card too. I like my bank and even though I no longer live in the same state as my bank I can still use it. In the US the banks will charge you a fee to go into the bank. Here in Canada there are lots of banks and bank branches. More people use cash here than I have seen in a long time. That is a beautiful building.
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I like using cash – it seems more real. Most banks in England used to be in buildings like this.
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Me too especially for groceries. At present I prefer not to use my phone for banking.
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I know that bank. Straight across Cobden Bridge and up the hill. Its at the crossroads. There used to be a bus depot on the right before you reached Portswood High Street. Ha! Ha! My memory hasn’t gone yet!!!!!! Bevois Hill on the left?????
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Yes Do you remember that wonderful bus depot? Continue down Portswood Broadway, the theatre became a bingo hall but now an evangelist church, pass the Chinese Christian Church, the Mosque over Bevois Hill and into Bevois Valley and The Royal South Hants Hospital. The visual image has not changed that much but it is far more multi-cultural than it used to be. You’ll have to take a peak on Google Maps
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Over in Singapore we have off-site ATM locations where we could draw or deposit cash. And yes, most of the banks does not have many banking locations where we could go to as more are going into Digital banking. But It is always better to have physical branches to go to when some transactions just could not be done online – and at times the phone banking just takes too long a wait.
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Thanks for that TGIF. We used to have a lot of off-site ATMs but they kept getting robbed, so they were closed. They are mainly in supermarkets now but London still has many. Thanks for contributing
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I use a bank branch in New Milton. In Milford on Sea the bank is now a beautician, but still has an active ATM on the wall
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That’s fascinating!
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I use online banking and PayPal. I don’t believe I’ve entered a bank for at least 5 years.
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Apparently you make up 85% of the population. Thanks for your reply.
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I go into my bank about once every five or six weeks. A couple of weeks ago was the first time that I wasn’t behind at least three people to see a cashier. They have reduced the number of cashiers, though. Banks are still not open at the times when people want to use them. There is a small window on a Saturday morning for going into the bank and the building society.
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Do you think the use of iphones has more to do with it?
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I don’t know. I wouldn’t trust my money management to Apple.
My point was the other way really, in that lots of people do still go to the bank to do things.
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There is nothing like face to face really is there?
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This was an interesting post. My three adult sons rarely use cash. If they have it at any time, it’s because someone gave it to them (me, for instance…). They have no fear of identity theft or Big Brother watching every transaction. They don’t even carry a wallet any more, because a mobile phone cover has slots for cards. However, I haven’t noticed any banks closing around here, only bookshops, sadly.
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Mobile phones will soon be watches – less cumbersome to carry. One day they might be microchipped. When things move so fast it is hard to catch up.
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Note from another old lady: I do 99 percent of my banking online from my pc. I use an excellent firewall called ESET Smart Security, and it catches absolutely any malware that might cause me problems. There’s really no going back for me; I love it.
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Good for you. But I feel one day we will all be back to going to physical banks.
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And I, in contrast, believe that one day physical banks could well become a thing of the past. To be honest, I hope not, but I don’t believe the technological revolution will reverse itself; it will simply become ever more sophisticated, especially with the younger generations coming up behind us completely computer literate and comfortable with new technologies.
Time will tell, if we’re here long enough to see it, right? 🙂
Cheers.
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A nearby town, Camelford, has lost all its banks. So far, Bude’s are still open. Everything I hear about using a phone for banking makes it sound full of risks that I’m not willing to take.
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That must be a terrific shock for the lifestyles in Cornwall!
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I’m not sure, really. But I do know people aren’t happy about it.
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We have a real bank in Bitterne and I use it regularly. Fingers crossed it stays open.
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The staff in that bank are wonderful!
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They are. We see one of them at football regularly.
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It strikes me that I should be encouraging you to do a review of October Books…which is just up the road from this ex-bank. 😉
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I remember October Books when it was in St Mary’s Road, Newtown. I buy my Xmas cards there. They have some good kids events. Unfortunately I cannot afford to buy new books. I get mine from friends, the library, charity shops and bootsales.
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