The evolution of banking technology and training

Quill pens were before my time. Technology had replaced them with steel nibs well ahead of the start of my working life in the Bank in the late 1940s. Only three months later, however, technology made a much greater impact on the work in my branch, with the installation of electric accounting machines. These came to relieve us of the laborious system of writing ledgers and statements by hand. In fact they represented simply an improved method of carrying out the same duties with some saving of manpower. Mechanised accounting had begun to be used before the war, of course; but it was not until 1957 that we could claim its use in every branch of Lloyds Bank. Only three years later we were preparing the installation of a computer to service our largest branch, and to utilise a technological development of much greater importance.