please empty your brain below |
Ah, the old Abbey National and Girobank logos. They make me feel all nostalgic, they do. It'll be a shame when the Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley are gone. Since when has expanding consumer choice meant amalmagating lots of little banks (or any other type of business, for that matter) into one big organisation? Let's not forget that these three banks aren't the only casualties. Norwich Union is also being phased out, to be replaced by Aviva. It's a pity. |
Yes and Aviva itself came out of CGNU, when CGU 'merged' with Norwich Union. CGU was the phoenix from the ashes of Commercial Union & General Accident... And so life goes on. It's only a name. Like Woolworths or Safeway... |
Console yourself with the knowledge that one day Santander will get gobbled up or even better, split up. |
They are probably muttering 'remember the armada' as they do the gobbling. From what I read, Santander is a well run bank. |
Is it such a bad thing? As ellie says above, Santander seems well run - certainly better than some of the British banks - and isn't it slightly more honest from a consumer choice perspective to have mutually owned banks actually identified as such? |
And yet the financial pages always have a litany of complaints from Santander users ... |
You're old enough to know, if not to realise, that NOTHING lasts for ever. |
Nothing lasts forever except Arsenal finishing above Tottenham. Unfortunately. |
I like the fact that A&L still use the postcode GIR 0AA from GPO days. |
Topaz: You make that sound like it's a bad thing |
maybe now they will start giving us some interest for our money again. |
Who cares what the name above the door is as long as the FSA and the OFT come down on the side of the customers and refund all the bank charges I'm owed (about £6,500). I'll happily take it in pesos (or is it Euros now?) |
Litle fish have big fish upon their backs to bite 'em...... I've long had the idea of a photo series that charts some of the old names that still hang around on the buildings. |
@ Ham Someone beat you to it. http://faded-london.blogspot.com/ |
Santander are buying up banks here in the States too. |
It is sad when the old familiar names disappear. Maybe more so when you are of a "certain age"! I'm still in denial over Woolworths. Most of my childhood and teens are deeply entwined with Woollies! I can't believe I'll not see any when we visit next month. |
I wonder whether Santander will still use G1R 0AA? Let's face it though, A&L need a bit of a kick up the arse - their banking systems are still mostly in the stone age. |
I was more alarmed when Opal Fruits became Starbursts. |
Whatever happened to Mintola? |
Minolta? The camera company? They merged with Konica (colours are calling me), and flogged off their SLR cameras to Sony (now their alpha series). They now make the photocopier/scanner/printer/fax in my office. Dunno what else they do. |
Prepare for more - it seems inevitable to me now that the names TSB, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Natwest are all under threat. |
TridentScan Privacy Policy | |