Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

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Leodian
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Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by Leodian »

Very many years back there were still quite a lot of old style safe deposit boxes on the external walls of banks. Over the years most have gone, occasionally to be replaced by modern style boxes. I am now only aware of 3 old style boxes in the centre, or near centre, of the City of Leeds. I took some photos of them in January 2015 and I have looked around since but I've not spotted any more. I wonder if anyone knows of any others there or even in the wider Leeds?

These are photos that I took on January 27 2015 of the 'Night Safe' box at the Lloyds Bank on The Headrow. The first is a close-up of that box and the second is a wider view showing the building with the box.

As only up to 3 photos can be in one post I shall post photos of the other 2 boxes in following posts.
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Close-up of the old Night Safe on the wall of Lloyds Bank on The Headrow (taken January 27 2015).
Close-up of the old Night Safe on the wall of Lloyds Bank on The Headrow (taken January 27 2015).
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View of Lloyds Bank on The Headrow taken January 27 2015. The old wall safe can be seen.
View of Lloyds Bank on The Headrow taken January 27 2015. The old wall safe can be seen.
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Leodian
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by Leodian »

These are photos of the old 'Deposit Safe' box on the wall of what is currently a William Hill betting shop on 21-23 Boar Lane.
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Close-in view of the old 'Deposit Safe' at what is now a William Hill betting shop on 21-23 Boar Lane (taken January 27 2015).
Close-in view of the old 'Deposit Safe' at what is now a William Hill betting shop on 21-23 Boar Lane (taken January 27 2015).
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Closer-in view of the location of the old box (taken January 27 2015).
Closer-in view of the location of the old box (taken January 27 2015).
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View of the William Hill building on Boar Lane (taken January 27 2015),
View of the William Hill building on Boar Lane (taken January 27 2015),
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Leodian
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by Leodian »

These are photos that I took on January 26 2015 showing the old wall deposit box on what used to a Midland Bank at the bottom of North Street (near Sheepscar).
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Close-up of the old wall safe deposit box at what used to be a Midland Bank at the bottom of North Street (taken January 26 2015).
Close-up of the old wall safe deposit box at what used to be a Midland Bank at the bottom of North Street (taken January 26 2015).
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The building showing the old wall safe box at what was a Midland Bank at the bottom of North Street (taken January 26 2015). PS. The clock is wrong, having been stopped at that time for ages. The photo was taken at 11:26 a.m.
The building showing the old wall safe box at what was a Midland Bank at the bottom of North Street (taken January 26 2015). PS. The clock is wrong, having been stopped at that time for ages. The photo was taken at 11:26 a.m.
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Last edited by Leodian on Thu 20 Aug, 2015 9:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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j.c.d.
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by j.c.d. »

I used that nearly every day, putting the takings, cash and cheques in a leather locked bag and retrieving it the following morning.

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liits
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by liits »

Leoian, Wow again. What a cracking idea for a set of photographs. Everybody knows what it is, there are lots of them about [or are there?] and they're the sort of thing that can be found during a casual wander with a camera [like benchmarks].
Like j.c.d I used them a lot. Our company banked with Midland Bank and their bags were a very thick waxed canvas with a lockable zip, very similar to the one below.
Image
I've no idea what the zip was made from but it was as sharp as hell and I don't think I ever used the bag without rasping the back of my hand on the zip. When the Midland changed to HSBC the bags changed too. Small square black things that were not big enough take notes, I think it was a subtle attempt to stop people using the night safes.

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Brunel
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by Brunel »

Ex. Yorkshire Bank, Kirkstall Road.

ImageNIGHT SAFE by Isambard Brunel, on Flickr

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Leodian
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by Leodian »

That's a nice one Brunel. :)

I wonder where there are any more?
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rikj
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by rikj »

Not in the centre, but I've got vague memories of one on the bank at the junction of Harrogate Road and Shadwell Lane.

I wonder if a lot got replaced by ATMs?

j.c.d.
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by j.c.d. »

rikj wrote:Not in the centre, but I've got vague memories of one on the bank at the junction of Harrogate Road and Shadwell Lane.

I wonder if a lot got replaced by ATMs?
I wouldn't think so as these night safes were usually just a chute that carried the bank bag down into a vault but most large banks had them.
The pictures put on by Leodis are wonderful showing how majestic the buildings were that held our money in years gone by.

rikj
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Re: Old style safe deposit boxes on external walls.

Post by rikj »

Having walked past it earlier there is one on the Barclays opposite the Parkinson steps. Another Chubb, though looks to have had a small plate fixed over the keyhole.

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