Stories from the Vault: Lynda's Story
Birmingham Municipal Bank (BMB) holds a special place in the city’s history, not just as a financial institution but as a source of skilled workers. Written by University of Birmingham student Ben Grateley, this is Lynda Hoccum's story.
Joseph William Hoccom. Photo courtesy of Laura Shaw.
Birmingham Municipal Bank provided an essential connection between the community of Birmingham and its civic and local institutions. For both employees and customers, that sense of connection was essential and a thing of pride that could never be taken away.
This is certainly the case for Lynda Hoccom, who worked at the Bank during the summer holidays at school, starting at 16 in 1966 and working until 1972. Her role was to microfiche the account records, sorting through paper records of accounts dating back to when the bank first opened in 1919.
Her father, Joseph William Hoccom, was General Manager at the time and embodied the discipline and professionalism of the Bank. His hard work and dedication to the Banking industry would later earn him an MBE.
The memories of Lynda’s experiences working at the Bank live as strong in her mind now as they did then, re-visiting the vaults and seeing the Board Room brought back memories of her father’s work in the Bank, now known as The Exchange.
A key feature of the Bank that visitors pick out during tours is the balcony on the first floor where the General Manager can watch the staff at work. Often, we lose sight of the significance of these aspects and view them as we would imagine them, as something that was surveyed daily by the manager. For Lynda, however, it was seen in a very different light; she made a point about her father rarely using it. This reinforced the human nature of buildings, the objects associated with them, and how they are the ones that shape the stories of the building for future generations to enjoy.
Lynda’s daughter, Laura Shaw, reflected on fond childhood memories of giving flowers to Princess Mary at the Royal Show and her grandparents being beside her in the picture.
These experiences and memories have shaped the lives of people like Laura and Lynda, and the Municipal Bank was a proud and crucial part of their lives, as well as so many others in Birmingham.