By Nick Pollard
The building in the photo is familiar today as part of the Riverside Arts Centre in Thames Street, Sunbury, but for many years it was the village bank. This, the first bank in Sunbury, was opened in 1883 by Thomas Ashby and Co, who had been founded in Staines in 1796 (another branch of this Quaker family owned a brewery in Staines, and many local pubs). The date on this building however is 1888, so there must have been another premises for the first few years. It was built on the site of the garden of a house, next to where the Assembly Rooms (now also part of the Arts Centre) were later built. Although quite small the building was elabo-rately decorated architecturally. A cheque issued by the Sunbury Bank in 1901, now in the pos-session of the History Society, reveals that the partners in the bank were Thomas, Frederick and Skidmore Ashby. The manager in 1894 was Joseph Spencer Skidmore, presumably a relation.
In 1903 Thomas Ashby & Co. with its 22 local branches was taken over by Barclay & Co, which also had Quaker roots, and the new manager for Barclay’s 57 Thames Street branch was a Mr P. Marsh. Under the new ownership the branch had sub-branches at Station Road, Sunbury and at Shepperton. By the time of the Second World War the position was reversed and the Thames Street and Shepperton branches became sub-branches to Sunbury Common (as it was then known), although later both regained their independence. In the 1950s the bank still had the telephone number ‘Sunbury 4’ which presumably means they had one of the first telephones in the village.
Barclays closed the branch with effect from 7th April 2000. The building was acquired by the Trustees of the Riverside Arts Centre in 2003, and subsequently converted by volunteers into studio space, reopening in 2006.
The Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society is marking its 70th anniversary with a series of posters in shops in the area, showing what was there in 1951 – look out for them! As part of the celebration there will be an exhibition of old photos of Sunbury and Shepperton at The Orangery, Squire’s Garden Centre, Upper Halliford, on Saturday and Sunday 2nd/3rd October, from 10am to 4pm. Admission free.