Hastings Permanent Building Society

From Historical Hastings

Established in 1849, the society had premises in Oak Passage in 1877 and was managed by Mr. Thomas Poole[1].

On the 22nd of February, 1930, their new premises in Havelock Road were opened by the Mayor, councillor F. M. Russell Davies KC with a silver key following a luncheon held at the Queens Hotel. The new ​building​ was clad in white stone and had been completely re-built behind the facade by the local firm Hayhurst and Wright Ltd. with an extension to provide a frontage onto Middle Street. As the Mayor opened the door, the chairman of the Building Society (Mr. W. F. Balding) joked that they were using a silver key as opposed to a gold one due to the Society's aims being that of thrift and they could not afford a gold key. After an announcement that the Mayor had taken the first share to be registered in the new ​building​, the assembled dignitaries sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" as the Mayor left the ​building​. It was revealed that out of the 1,035 ​building​ societies with assets over half a million pounds, the society was at number 36 in the list and the largest ​building​ society on the south coast.[2].

In May, 1951, the society amalgamated with the Isle of Thanet Building Society to become the Hastings and Thanet[3]

References & Notes

  1. Mr. A. M. Apel Looks Back from 1936
  2. British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 1 March 1930 Pg. 0003
  3. Building Societies Association Mergers Yearbook 2019-2020 retrieved 21st October 2021.