Bank bricked up in protest (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Barclays Bank in Westbourne bricked up in protest
8:30am Monday 27th September 2010 in News By Melanie Vass
BLOCKBUSTERS: The Recessionairs
ANGRY campaigners bricked up the front door of a Bournemouth bank on Sunday in protest at the banking industry’s attitude towards customers and businesses.
Watched by a group of cheering onlookers, and with passing motorists sounding their horns in support, the three local men stacked concrete bricks in front of the entrance to Barclays in Westbourne.
The men, who call themselves the Recessionairs, said they picked Barclays, Westbourne, at random and their protest is aimed at the entire industry.
The two property developers and one pensioner all said they had had enough with banks refusing to lend to businesses, calling in overdrafts and paying punitive interest rates on savings while charging higher rates on loans.
Bournemouth developer Cameron Hope, 59, who organised the protest said: “The situation has been bad for 18 months but it’s getting worse every single week.
“The bankers will still be getting their bonuses but we’re getting nothing, except for cripplingly high charges. Enough is enough.”
He claimed banks had refused him money for new developments and had tried to charge him a £7,000 fee when he asked to borrow £40,000 on a property he owns.
Friend Les Dawson, 66, said: “I wanted to support him because the attitude of the banks has a massive effect on my retirement nest egg. I’m getting no interest on my money and at this rate I’m going to have to keep working until I’m 80.
“Somebody’s got to say something. We’re all too apathetic in this country, we need to be a bit more like France.
“We’re not here for a jape, we’re here to bring a serious problem to people’s attention.”
And Charlie Townsend, 49, a developer from Poole, said: “Everybody I’ve spoken to agrees with us, the situation is now beyond a joke. Politicians have talked tough but nothing has changed. In fact it’s worse. We own these banks but they can still charge £30 for a letter. It’s madness.”
After barricading the door, the three men hung placards saying: “Robbed by the banks we own”, “Now the banks are lending even less”, “Halifax charged £500 for a £24 debt” and “Make the banks lend”.
Mr Hope said: “These are all headlines from national papers. Everybody knows the situation is crazy but nobody’s doing anything.”
Staff and customers today will notice no difference at the bank.
Shortly after the three men completed bricking up the door, two police officers attended and asked them to remove their protest.
The British Bankers’ Association has recently insisted its members were doing their best to help small firms.
A spokesperson said: “The UK’s banks have established a taskforce to report to the government on exactly this issue – addressing how banks can further help small businesses through the recovery.
“We absolutely agree with the government that small businesses are vital to securing the economic recovery and have committed to offering every assistance to viable businesses.”
Comments(60)
free wessex
says...
9:14am Mon 27 Sep 10
Upkeep
says...
9:16am Mon 27 Sep 10
rainbowkisses
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9:17am Mon 27 Sep 10
Wimwam
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9:19am Mon 27 Sep 10
zagzig
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9:37am Mon 27 Sep 10
themindboggles
says...
10:04am Mon 27 Sep 10
When we start losing services and the petrol and VAT go up I hope everyone remembers why!
fabiostn
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10:09am Mon 27 Sep 10
Fuzzy Grub
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10:12am Mon 27 Sep 10
JLC
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10:21am Mon 27 Sep 10
Did it ever occur to these developers that they are no longer a sound investment? How many houses in the conurbation have been ruined by the divide and conquer attitude shown by these people. How many cheap and nasty flats are sitting unsold and empty, with little or no family housing being built? All so they can maximise the profits. These developers have all but ruined the local area with the incessant building of holiday flats and studio apartments. If they were such a sound investment, why is it they don't have their own £40k to throw into the mix?
Why the hell should they think they have the divine right to be loaned money? It's this quick buck attitude that got the country into the mess it's in, in the first place.
Bob49
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10:39am Mon 27 Sep 10
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I could imagine their response to someone kicking up a stink because THEY wouldn't sell their 'redevelopments' at the price the buyer wanted.
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Absolute hypocricy from a bunch of greedy self publicists.
Syd Poumen
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10:46am Mon 27 Sep 10
For once, I agree with every word you say.
I want to bring in Les Dawson's mother-in-law to take on the banks...then we might see some reaction from this profiteering load of bankers!
themindboggles
says...
10:49am Mon 27 Sep 10
If the banks dont lend money then the money in the system drys up!
Carpenters, Bricklayers , Joiners, Factory workers. We all lose out this has a knock on effect.
The whole money system is a scam. These booms and busts are not natural economic cycles. They are created to fleece us.
Syd Poumen
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10:56am Mon 27 Sep 10
Remember The Big Society, Cameron. We're all in this together.
Frank2010
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11:24am Mon 27 Sep 10
Let me know if you want any more recruits as count me in.
I keep saying why doesn't anybody do anything against these big fat banks and at last you have, well done boys !!
The irate commuter
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11:47am Mon 27 Sep 10
The banks are there to look after themselves & make a profit......they obviously thought that these 3 attention seeking fools were a bad credit risk & would probably default on repayments
& theirs me thinking that the banks were a charity ... silly me !
carrie54
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11:52am Mon 27 Sep 10
themindboggles
says...
11:53am Mon 27 Sep 10
The irate commuter wrote:Commuting to the City of London this morning?
What a bunch of idiots !!
The banks are there to look after themselves & make a profit......they obviously thought that these 3 attention seeking fools were a bad credit risk & would probably default on repayments
& theirs me thinking that the banks were a charity ... silly me !
Friarscliff
says...
12:34pm Mon 27 Sep 10
Why pick on Barclays - they were customers of HSBC. Barclays has not received any funding from the government and is not owned by the taxpayer. Neither do the majority of staff receive the large bonuses so trumpeted in the press.
I think that developers have done more to blight the country with their over development of badly designed buildings than ever the banks , even with their present problems. Just look at the vast number of ugly spec. buildings that are either empty, for sale or to let blighting the whole area.
Finally, if you had the money, would you want to lend it to a couple of spec. builders in the present property market?
Arjay
says...
1:00pm Mon 27 Sep 10
The irate commuter
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1:02pm Mon 27 Sep 10
themindboggles wrote:Finished reading The Daily Mail this morning & being brain washed, you gullible sheep?
The irate commuter wrote: What a bunch of idiots !! The banks are there to look after themselves & make a profit......they obviously thought that these 3 attention seeking fools were a bad credit risk & would probably default on repayments & theirs me thinking that the banks were a charity ... silly me !Commuting to the City of London this morning?
Baaaa !!
The Liberal
says...
1:17pm Mon 27 Sep 10
carrie54 wrote:Like many banks, Barclays were deeply involved in the US sub-prime lending crisis that caused the collapse or near collapse of other banks, resulting in huge government bailouts and triggering a global recession. Just because Barclays didn't get a bailout from the UK government doesn't make them whiter than white.
This story is fine except one thing.Barclays wasn't one of the banks given money from the government,making us all in debt.Mind you they are tight on lenders and do charge bank charges on everything.But prudent I suppose when you think that it was bad debt that started all this.Just remember the debts started because everybody was wanting everything now instead of waiting till tommoro when they could afford it.That goes to all those youngsters who bought three and four bedroom big houses when really they only needed a one or two bedroom flats till they could afford better.
wolfies abode
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1:24pm Mon 27 Sep 10
MJD
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1:31pm Mon 27 Sep 10
The irate commuter wrote:Irate commuter you sound like a professional p**t and Arjay you need a new spell checker. should have been W
themindboggles wrote:Finished reading The Daily Mail this morning & being brain washed, you gullible sheep? Baaaa !!The irate commuter wrote: What a bunch of idiots !! The banks are there to look after themselves & make a profit......they obviously thought that these 3 attention seeking fools were a bad credit risk & would probably default on repayments & theirs me thinking that the banks were a charity ... silly me !Commuting to the City of London this morning?
Bob49
says...
1:44pm Mon 27 Sep 10
.
We've been through this before with the saddos who clambered about public buildings clad in borrowed fancy dress clothes unable to grasp that the world revolves around them.
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Perhaps this self appointed trio of super heroes might be better sitting down and trying to grasp how the financial system works rather than engaging in some childish stunt. A stunt that were it to have been inflicted on them by locals fed up with endless 'developments', would I'm sure have received a far different response than the indifference shown by the bank.
.
Perhaps this trio could also tell us how many protests they led over reckless lending by the banks a few years back - or whether they were happy to fill their boots like so mnay others and are now unable to accept that if you push the pendulum too far one way it has a nasty habit of eventually swinging back the other way.
The irate commuter
says...
1:47pm Mon 27 Sep 10
MJD wrote:Baaaa !!
The irate commuter wrote:Irate commuter you sound like a professional p**t and Arjay you need a new spell checker. should have been Wthemindboggles wrote:Finished reading The Daily Mail this morning & being brain washed, you gullible sheep? Baaaa !!The irate commuter wrote: What a bunch of idiots !! The banks are there to look after themselves & make a profit......they obviously thought that these 3 attention seeking fools were a bad credit risk & would probably default on repayments & theirs me thinking that the banks were a charity ... silly me !Commuting to the City of London this morning?
Frank2010
says...
2:28pm Mon 27 Sep 10
The same people who back the banks on here are the same people that just agree to anything....petrol prices, Liberalites electricity and tax - all the highest in Europe. These are the who want to blame a thugs upbringing for his behaviour, who agree that children involved in vandalism are 'finding themselves' and that Terrorists have a right to spout there evil tongues.
I have never agreed with the Unions over anything. But now, maybe with them calling for a General Strike might be the time to say enough is enough and lets bring this Country to its senses.
Fuzzy Grub
says...
2:30pm Mon 27 Sep 10
The Liberal wrote:Barclays were involved in US sub-prime mtgs and made well over a billion in losses. The difference is they sorted their own finances out and didn't send us the bill. It's a very big difference in my opinion.
carrie54 wrote: This story is fine except one thing.Barclays wasn't one of the banks given money from the government,making us all in debt.Mind you they are tight on lenders and do charge bank charges on everything.But prudent I suppose when you think that it was bad debt that started all this.Just remember the debts started because everybody was wanting everything now instead of waiting till tommoro when they could afford it.That goes to all those youngsters who bought three and four bedroom big houses when really they only needed a one or two bedroom flats till they could afford better.Like many banks, Barclays were deeply involved in the US sub-prime lending crisis that caused the collapse or near collapse of other banks, resulting in huge government bailouts and triggering a global recession. Just because Barclays didn't get a bailout from the UK government doesn't make them whiter than white.
Fuzzy Grub
says...
2:41pm Mon 27 Sep 10
Frank2010 wrote:Don't be so niave Frank.
Well done you guys. Its a shame that so many people decry what he has done and back the Banks! The banks caused this recession. It is they who we the Tax payer bailed out from going bust. It is they the Government has told to lend money at grass root level to get the Country moving again. If they don't lend to small business's how can they expand and employ more people and therefore kick start the economy? The banks have all the money and keeping it to themselves and pay stupid bonuses.....at our expense. The same people who back the banks on here are the same people that just agree to anything....petrol prices, Liberalites electricity and tax - all the highest in Europe. These are the who want to blame a thugs upbringing for his behaviour, who agree that children involved in vandalism are 'finding themselves' and that Terrorists have a right to spout there evil tongues. I have never agreed with the Unions over anything. But now, maybe with them calling for a General Strike might be the time to say enough is enough and lets bring this Country to its senses.
You me and everyone else caused the recession by borrowing too much without knowing when it's going to be paid back.
We became a credit society with store cards, multiple credit cards, overdrafts and ridiculous mortgages all creating a false economy.
We blame the banks for lending this as the cause. Now these guys are moaning because it's harder to get credit. What would you prefer the banks do??
Syd Poumen
says...
3:07pm Mon 27 Sep 10
I hope that you get a seat next to 'the irate commuter' on your journey home from the City tonight (but not in the cattle /sheep truck, of course). Then, he will be able to remind you that it was Gordon Brown and that nasty Labour Government that caused the recession.
Baaa!!
thermaltricty
says...
3:10pm Mon 27 Sep 10
We were contacted in 2008 by AGA/Rayburn the cast iron cooker manufacture to design 6 solar water heating systems for them, so they could meet this year’s new SAP ratings and building codes
The signed agreement for 3 years was worth £3million by 2012.
We approached our bank of 9 years loyalty for a £140,000 trade finance requirement and £100,000 covering invoice factoring.
Some months later after lots of paper work and a new business plan, we were offered the invoice factoring at a cost of £8,500 but refused the £140,000 that allowed us to import our containers of collectors we manufacture in China because we could not give the bank any bricks and mortar. We offered them a charge on my house and a charge over the £200,000 of assets located in the warehouse.
We then requested a Government backed guaranteed loan for £50,000, this was also rejected by our short sighted bank manager who then wrote to me saying we were a credit risk and a speculative business, while another part of the bank kept pushing us to sign up to the invoice factoring
By April even after a higher volume of sales to the private sector I called in the receivers and had the 10 year business wound up, focusing on my export side out of China to the USA and retrenching back to working out of my house.
Eight highly skilled staff lost there job, as was the good name we had as the AGA directors left us to resolve our own problems
Brock_and_Roll
says...
3:36pm Mon 27 Sep 10
Many people borrowed and spent too much in the boom, encouraged by greedy banks and a power hungry government.
Now the bust has arrived, it is the prudent whose savings are attracting sod all interest that are being fleeced to bail out individuals, banks and the nation itself.
Ironically for my sins i am a banker. The (foreign) bank I work for was always very careful and has very long term relationships with its customers. We are a bit cheesed off therefore that we suffered as a result of the recklessness of other banks, and just as worse those reckless banks are still being aggressive in the market, backed by state funds which makes their borrowing costs cheaper than ours!
Fuzzy Grub
says...
3:40pm Mon 27 Sep 10
Syd Poumen wrote:Lol afraid not. Rent a small flat here during the week. Too much to travel everyday.
Fuzzy Grub, Bmth/Ldn I hope that you get a seat next to 'the irate commuter' on your journey home from the City tonight (but not in the cattle /sheep truck, of course). Then, he will be able to remind you that it was Gordon Brown and that nasty Labour Government that caused the recession. Baaa!!
However I do agree Labour's (Gordon Brown's GDP) over spending deficit is why the country's in such a pickle.
Remember we don't really manufacture or export today. The main advantage we have these days is our geological spot for trading across the world. Too many people are ready to bash the financial sector when it's the only real industry we have left.
Syd Poumen
says...
3:57pm Mon 27 Sep 10
About that 'geological spot for trading' that you refer to; would that, by any chance, be the g-spot that has brought orgasmic delight to bankers over the last 30 years?!
Bob49
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4:01pm Mon 27 Sep 10
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Yes, and the shameless git did it in the USA, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, and a host of european countries as well.
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Thank god there was not control by national governments of the international movement of funds. This way we know it was all caused by Gordon Brown.
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Odd how those other countries haven't had a go at him yet.
JLC
says...
4:58pm Mon 27 Sep 10
It's the banks money. If they don't want to loan it to people who are going to throw up another batch of magnolia misery boxes, then why should they. House prices are about to plummet so what bank in their right mind would do this. Are you demanding that they loan out more money in an irresponsible manner? Yes there will be a knock on for tradesmen and further, but if houses were not so hyper inflated (due to the greed of people like this) we wouldn’t have this problem.
Blame Phil and Kirsty, tighten your belts and hold on - cos it's about to get a whole lot worse!
The irate commuter
says...
5:19pm Mon 27 Sep 10
JLC wrote:At last !!!
let's get this right. They were up in arms that the banking crisis was allowed to happen do to subprime lending, but now they are hopping mad because the bank wont give every Tom, Dick and Harry a loan without being prudent - and heaven forbid charging. It's the banks money. If they don't want to loan it to people who are going to throw up another batch of magnolia misery boxes, then why should they. House prices are about to plummet so what bank in their right mind would do this. Are you demanding that they loan out more money in an irresponsible manner? Yes there will be a knock on for tradesmen and further, but if houses were not so hyper inflated (due to the greed of people like this) we wouldn’t have this problem. Blame Phil and Kirsty, tighten your belts and hold on - cos it's about to get a whole lot worse!
Someone who is not delutional & does does not copy verbatim what they have read in the Daily Mail !!
rook
says...
5:21pm Mon 27 Sep 10
ekimnoslen
says...
5:31pm Mon 27 Sep 10
Building Inspector
says...
5:50pm Mon 27 Sep 10
Frank2010
says...
7:14pm Mon 27 Sep 10
Fuzzy Grub wrote:To start lending again! Without lending the economy is stagnated.
Frank2010 wrote:Don't be so niave Frank.
Well done you guys. Its a shame that so many people decry what he has done and back the Banks! The banks caused this recession. It is they who we the Tax payer bailed out from going bust. It is they the Government has told to lend money at grass root level to get the Country moving again. If they don't lend to small business's how can they expand and employ more people and therefore kick start the economy? The banks have all the money and keeping it to themselves and pay stupid bonuses.....at our expense. The same people who back the banks on here are the same people that just agree to anything....petrol prices, Liberalites electricity and tax - all the highest in Europe. These are the who want to blame a thugs upbringing for his behaviour, who agree that children involved in vandalism are 'finding themselves' and that Terrorists have a right to spout there evil tongues. I have never agreed with the Unions over anything. But now, maybe with them calling for a General Strike might be the time to say enough is enough and lets bring this Country to its senses.
You me and everyone else caused the recession by borrowing too much without knowing when it's going to be paid back.
We became a credit society with store cards, multiple credit cards, overdrafts and ridiculous mortgages all creating a false economy.
We blame the banks for lending this as the cause. Now these guys are moaning because it's harder to get credit. What would you prefer the banks do??
MJD
says...
7:24pm Mon 27 Sep 10
ranger_bob
says...
7:51pm Mon 27 Sep 10
Building Inspector wrote:I don't know, looks about par for the course for a building job in Bournemouth with the mania for knocking up shoddy flats at sky high prices on any available patch of land.
That is the shoddiest looking brick laying I've seen in a long time.
..
As others have said these guys are throwing their toys out of the pram because they can't have things their own way. It shows what a bunch of halfwits they are by picking one of the few banks not "owned" by the tax payers; get it right next time guys and choose a bank that was actually bailed out.
joncon
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8:29pm Mon 27 Sep 10
silkcut
says...
9:23pm Mon 27 Sep 10
PigWhistle0709
says...
11:09pm Mon 27 Sep 10
All the same, it's disappointing to learn the brickies chose Barclays at random when there seem to be plenty of good reasons...
Skyrah
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12:08am Tue 28 Sep 10
Yes there are good and viable businesses being denied loans but there are also many Bournemouth businesses that pay no heed to prudence and common sense and just try to operate with borrowed money! Debt write off for Richard Carrs millions must have put off a few banks!
Banks don't have to lend! End of.
carrie54
says...
1:26am Tue 28 Sep 10
butlincat
says...
2:10am Tue 28 Sep 10
EGHH
says...
6:58am Tue 28 Sep 10
~
The Chancellor told the Telegraph that the Government "will not tolerate" banks "piling the pressure" on SMEs, and said that banks have an "economic obligation" to help the sector. Well George, act on your words.
~
They should all be put under the control of the Chancellor.
themindboggles
says...
9:07am Tue 28 Sep 10
Its our falt because we told our banks to invest in these dodgy investments?
You people blamming us for this is ridiculous!
Yes we are to blame for Americas sub-prime loans?
Wake up people please and realise your being bent over.
fabiostn
says...
9:11am Tue 28 Sep 10
Building Inspector wrote:'No Mortgage' between the blocks.
That is the shoddiest looking brick laying I've seen in a long time.
Skyrah
says...
11:45am Tue 28 Sep 10
So why won't banks lend to small businesses again?
lennard
says...
1:37pm Tue 28 Sep 10
Jules
l'anglais
says...
2:48pm Tue 28 Sep 10
Fuzzy Grub wrote:"Geological spot"?
Syd Poumen wrote:Lol afraid not. Rent a small flat here during the week. Too much to travel everyday.
Fuzzy Grub, Bmth/Ldn I hope that you get a seat next to 'the irate commuter' on your journey home from the City tonight (but not in the cattle /sheep truck, of course). Then, he will be able to remind you that it was Gordon Brown and that nasty Labour Government that caused the recession. Baaa!!
However I do agree Labour's (Gordon Brown's GDP) over spending deficit is why the country's in such a pickle.
Remember we don't really manufacture or export today. The main advantage we have these days is our geological spot for trading across the world. Too many people are ready to bash the financial sector when it's the only real industry we have left.
"Its the only real industry left"?
You bankers..........LOL
Spending drives the economy, over spending (encouraged by greedy bankers) over inflates the economy.
The builders & bankers are both morally corrupt.
Why is a property that was valued at £20K in 1980 now worth £250K?
Average wage in 1980 £5K now its £25K. Can you see the disparity Mr Banker & Mr Builder?
Net result= over inflated housing prices
with pensioners (understandably) sitting on unearned equity to enable them to pay for eventual nursing care.
More importantly, the builders & bankers continue to make large amounts of dosh, while the rest of us struggle to make sense of it all.
fabiostn
says...
3:35pm Tue 28 Sep 10
lennard wrote:I wouldn't lend either of them my loose change
These men are top class idiots they block up a bank door but not the Bank who refused them the loans though.I would not lend any money to either of them and there bank must of had a good reason as to why they never lent them money anyway.they do not look like Decent businessmen to me. Jules
Frank2010
says...
6:31pm Tue 28 Sep 10
Skyrah wrote:Obviously you are not in business and are one the 'knockers' of businessmen in the town.
Ok, banks are being a bit shabby at the moment charging high prices for arranging loans and mortgages, but perhaps if they were not being forced into writing off millions of pounds per day due to government ruling? Why should the dishonest who lied about their salary and or ability to pay have all their debts cleared due to 'affordability formulae' when the rest of us pay up every last penny?
Yes there are good and viable businesses being denied loans but there are also many Bournemouth businesses that pay no heed to prudence and common sense and just try to operate with borrowed money! Debt write off for Richard Carrs millions must have put off a few banks!
Banks don't have to lend! End of.
Dont forget a lot of us people in business have written off vast sums of money as well, as the banks.
If they do not lend how will building firms start to grow again and employ all the sub contractors who are now out of work? Who will employ all the waiters etc that are out of work as the banks will not lend to food establishments?
The Banks have to lend. End of!
JLC
says...
10:30am Wed 29 Sep 10
A savvy businessman puts away enough to ensure that they can re-invest when they need to. They do not rely on the banks loaning them money for every whim they may have. It is a disgusting state of things when someone can put their business into administration one week, and re-open in their wife's name the next. In business you live by the sword, and die by the sword. If the majority of so called businessman in the connurbation cannot stay afloat, then bad bloody luck! They have no divine right to be.
Move fast, make good decisions and cut your coat according to your cloth. The amount of bars and restuarants I see opening, closing and re-opening just to keep a step ahead of the administrators makes me sick. just take a look at the site at the top of the Triangle. It closes every other week, then re-opens with a different name. The same way that the print rooms are going. These people are happy to rip the banks off, but upset when it goes the other way. The rewards in business are huge, but so are the risks. If you're not up to the job, then don’t expect a bank to bail you out. There are plenty of salaried jobs you could be doing instead.
fabiostn
says...
11:39am Wed 29 Sep 10
themindboggles
says...
11:19pm Wed 29 Sep 10
You dont have to do anything your politians and media outlets will do all your thinking for you.
Mediclogan5 says...
8:52am Mon 27 Sep 10