John Shepherd-Barron - a tribute
The inventor of the ATM has sadly passed away, but not before he got to see his lifelong dream of securing not one, but now two (including the one inside Costcutters) free cash machines in the formerly cash-stricken Brockley Cross fulfilled.
Farewell old friend, your work here is done.
21 comments:
I wonder whether his dream included the strangely London-only idea of having smelly newsagents charge up to £1.85 for the priviledge of using their machines?
Is that a London-only thing? I thought everyone had to suffer it.
Have never seen them anywhere else, other than perhaps in some service stations.
That's the first convincing argument I've ever heard for living somewhere other than London.
Slow news day?
It's not a London thing. Plenty of motorway services have Link machines that charge for withdrawals.
Oi! For one thing, that is today's fourth story. For another, our second free cash machine (four including Tesco and Barclays) is BIG NEWS. Only three years ago, we had but one, in Crofton Park.
And people say that the ELL isn't transformational...
John Shepherd-Barron - Any relation?
They definately charge up north too. My old local had a Link machine years ago which charged.
Nope, nor are Brian Barron or Keith Barron.
Phew - glad to hear it's a universal problem.
It's not a London only thing but it's usually a big city thing. ATMs which charge a fee are usually found in poorer areas or places where there's a captive market (captive market includes poorer areas really since many people don't travel far on a daily basis)
Listen sex with farmyard animals is not only accepted but activley encouraged in the country. I read it in a book. £1.25 is a small penalty to be free of the pig fiddling weirdos.
What's the connection between the ELL and free ATMs in corner shops?
Pigs are a bit fierce, are they for the kinky type?
Well of course it was slightly tongue in cheek, but clearly there has been significant regeneration in Brockley over the last 3 years since the first article I wrote about the lack of a cash machine.
Click on the "cash-stricken" link, which bemoans the lack of the following:
1. a mini supermarket alternative to Costcutters. We now have Tesco and arguably Broca Food Market.
2. A cash machine that doesn't charge. We now have two in Brockley Cross and one on Lewisham Way.
3. A nice proper pub as an alternative to the Barge. We now have The Orchard, The Talbot and the Wickham has made some improvements.
It is all clearly related. There is more money and economic activity around Brockley Ststion. More businesses and entrepreneurs have taken risks around the station, that were never taken in the ten years beforehand.
It's pretty bloody obvious that this is to a large extent due to the East London Line and the optimism it has fuelled.
The ELL's transformational power isn't just theory, it's visible fact.
Not if you approach them with a handful of acorns and a winning smile. Apparently.
On the 8th day god created the ELL and he saw it provided good links to the rest of London...
The Orchard may be many things, but I wouldn't class it as a 'proper pub'. Not overly enamoured with The Talbot either, £1.70 for half an ale, whilst they play the hits of the 80's.
The best local boozers are indeed The Wickham and also Skehans, which gets precious little press on here, because it's westside and the majority of people on here would rather bang on about the shipping container on Lewisham Way or other such eastside grievances...
I suggested it to the local MP's office some moons ago. don't know if that helped or not.
I've big up Skehan's I think it's a great little pub. I spend a very enjoyable night at the orvchard the other night too. Rammed on a Tuesday night so they must be doing something right.
T
Very Brockley-biased piece. We've had cash free machines in Crofton Park for years!
Wasn't the first cash machine used by Reg Varney?
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