DELVING BACK INTO SOCIETY HISTORY
Hinckley and Rugby Building Society has a long and proud history stretching right back to 1861 and does not waste any opportunities to delve back into the past.
The recent arrival of a mystery envelope in the Society's Marketing Department, marked 'A Blast from the Past!', provided one such opportunity.
The envelope had been forwarded by staff at the South Wigston branch and contained a selection of photos taken exactly 25 years ago, in July 1985.
Things have changed a lot at South Wigston since then, including both the decor and the uniforms.
The discovery brought memories flooding back for a member of staff who was in one of the photos and still works at the branch.
She said: "It was before the days when the Society had a uniform, but we all decided we wanted to look the same.
"We went off after work one night to a shop called Woolco in Oadby, which was where Asda now is, and bought blouses with huge bows. I think we all wanted to look like Princess Di!"
The photographs were discovered by the former branch manager at South Wigston whilst she was researching her family tree.
One of the photos shows the outside of the branch, with a very traditional wooden counter and high glass screens visible inside.
A sign of the times is the poster in the window advertising the Society's 'Special '7' Shares' account - the rates that are visible read 9.75% (13.93% APR), 9.99% (14.27% APR) and 10.20% (14.57% APR)!
Seeing the photos set staff reminiscing about days gone by, when customer service was more of a struggle for staff.
"We had frosted glass in the screens and we couldn't see customers through it when they came in," one laughed. "The answer was to get a brass bell and put it on the counter so they could ring to let us know they were there!
"It was my job to polish the bell every day with Brasso!"
Branch staff also put their flower arranging skills to good use by providing a range of floral displays inside the branch and in the windows.
"The plants were all in pots and vases that were probably antiques which we found in the branch," she explained. "I've no idea what happened to them but they must have gone missing during the numerous refurbishments we've had since then."
Today, South Wigston is one of the Society's busiest branches and part of Hinckley and Rugby's network of 11 branches across Leicestershire and Warwickshire.
The branch is located at 28 Blaby Road, South Wigston, Leicestershire LE18 4SB and can be telephoned on 0116 278 6152. Opening hours are 9am to 4.45pm from Monday to Friday and 9am to 12 noon on Saturday.