Cash begins at 40

Enfield Town may be part of the busy northern sprawl of Greater London but I like living here. It has good transport links, nice parks and a few good pubs. It also has some history to be proud of: A mention in the Domesday Book, a 700 year old market, Forty Hall and ... it was the location of the World's first ATM!

Happy 40th Birthday to the 'Hole in the wall'.

Yes, 40 years ago today the first ever automated cash dispenser was installed at Barclays Bank in Enfield Town. The first person to use the machine was none other than legendary entertainer, On The Buses star, Reg Varney! How cool is that? Better him than the Queen I say.



Who could have predicted the impact that the ATM would have on people across the globe? Perhaps not even its creator John Shepherd-Barron OBE. Read this BBC story and watch this BBC Video for more about the background of this great invention.

Sadly, the small plaque that commemorates the installation, stuck on the front of Barclays Bank, is pretty poor and cheap looking. More importantly there's no mention on it of John Shepherd-Barron or Reg Varney - I mean who cares about the name of the Mayor in 1992?