NatWest in Wanstead celebrated its 100th anniversary on Tuesday, but they really don’t want you to make a fuss. Â There were crisps, olives, and chocolate cake on offer for customers who happened to go into the branch, but it sounds like a rather low key affair, with certainly nothing stronger on offer than fizzy water. All in the interests of not offending the taxpayer, perhaps who do – after all – own 82% of it.
And the lowest key thing of all seemed to be that customers weren’t told the event was happening. Someone somewhere  “didn’t think it was worthwhile telling people”, a normally reliable source has told Wansteadium. And any leftover food was thrown away at the end of the day.
But since it is an asset we all own, and January is desperately in need of reasons to celebrate, Wansteadium would like to propose a toast (in water, with a Hula Hoop thumb-ring): “Wanstead NatWest.”
Damned if they do celebrate and damned if they don’t!
You call that celebrating???
I’ve banked with NatWest for the last 45 years, 32 with this branch. My husband was in there on Tuesday and saw the food and drink and thought it was a bank employee’s celebration. There was no written notice or not one person, including the manageress invited a customer to partake. Thank you so much Natwest Wanstead for such generosity of spirit. Bring back Paul Kelly…..a former manager who knew how to treat customers.