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co-op cashier wires.

  • Thread starter Thread starter maggie
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maggie

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Does anyone know if it was just the Co-operative stores that used the method of sending customers payments to the cashiers by means of a wire, called the Lamson system I believe, or was there others.
Maggie
 
Here is a website that lists places where some sort of "cash railway" system was used in Britian. There were other stores in Birmingham, not sure which, that had a system of some kind but they may not have made this list.
Lewis's had the vacuum tube system in it's stores in Birmingham and Manchester. It was always one of my favourite things to watch when I went to the Co-op stores years ago. There was a co-op store on Stockland Green that had the system but it is not on this list. The system was removed when the store went into self serve and all the counters were also removed, that would be early l950's.

https://www.ids.u-net.com/cash/locationsEM.htm
 
Maggie I have seen them send money on the overhead wires and vacuum tubes, here is a drawing of the Lamsom Cash tube
 
Have not thought about this in donkeys years. I think that the co-op either on Washwoodheath road or on Alum Rock road at the Gate, had the vacuum system. Neat idea.
 
Thanks jennyann That list will be a great help to me.how did you know were to look for it, and so quickly
The same question applies to you cromwell many thanks for that superb picture of the lansom tube, The ladies dresses makes me think the time of the picture is 1900- 1914. I didn't think these cash systems were that old
thanks again
Maggie
 
I you go to my post of the 04-10-2006 'the cash machine' in this section SHOPS you will see some more recollections.
 
Maggie, I was looking for years on my computer for info on those fascinating overhead cash systems and their history, etc but couldn't find much. These days there is lots about them online. I just remembered the ones I had seen in Brum years ago. Intriguing to me is the fact that they were first invented to stop theft by the cashiers and young children were often employed in large department stores and drapers to carry the money to the Cashier's office and bring back change to different counters. It was thought that the children would be more honest. However, it was too difficult to control and Lamson came up with his overhead railway idea. I like this site https://www.ids.u-net.com/cash/index.htm It's part of the same site I put in the above message.
 
jennyann
Once again thank you so much all the information you have posted it is so useful,For some unknown reason I never even thought of the net for information on this subject.
Maggie
 
Yes, that's an interesting subject which brings back memories of the grocery department in Co-op branch no. 101 on Hawthorn road. And thank you Jennyann for the very informative link. I think the grocery dept on the ground floor (or was it the basement?) of Lewis's also had a Lamson installation before the war. Other departments had the popular pneumaic tube. Barbara's first job after we married in 1960 was as a bill clerk in the Piccadilly Hotel, London, where she had to tot up the bills from the different bars, restaurants and of course the reception desk, which handled the rooms and room service. She never touched the money, which was handled by cashiers.
Peter
 
I Can Remember The Overhead Wires In The Coop In Hall Green And Also In Pearks I Think Thats The Spelling Also In Hall Green Circa 1953 -1955 I Seem To Remember My Ration Card For Sweets
John
 
John, I still have a ration book that I found in our house a few years ago.
Can't imagine a world with ration books these days! I remember Pearks
grocery shops. There was one in Erdington High Street. My Mom used to write a grocery list and put headings in it for the shops I was to go into to buy items on the list. The headings would be names such as Home & Colonial, George Masons, Pearks, etc.
 
Spent a couple of days in Shrewsbury this week and there is a pub there on the river called the Armoury where they use the overhead tube system to send the food orders from the bar to the kitchen counter. Very retro - who knows, perhaps they are coming back. Maybe computerised tills have had their day - or maybe I'm just dreaming.
 
I think Taylors of Erdington had one also, seem to think it was upstairs.
 
They might have Catkin. That was my Mother's favourite shop in Erdington and I remember going there a lot back in the early to mid l950's. You received good service from the assistants in those days and you could also be seated comfortably if you wanted to. I used to like seeing what was in those wooden drawers that held all the clothing items. They had two shops in the High Street I remember, one on the corner of Harrison Road which sold hardware mainly.
 
I have a friend who is in her 80's and worked for many years at Grays she tells me they had them there.
 
It seems that the overhead Rapid Wire systems are only in a few museums
these days including the new Birmingham Science location. The Air tube systems are very much alive and here is a website for a Birmingham
company who makes the systems.
 
Brunette Yes they had them in most Foster ours was High St Aston.

Moma P Yes Grays I remember in town.

All kids loved them I'm sure:)
 
I remember The Beehive Stores in Albert Street had a similar system.
Incidentally, Jasper Carrott used to work there!!
 
Compressed air tubes

I had one of the containers for years,it was made of brass,with a thick felt at each end,by revolving the outercontainer,it would allow money to be inserted,I kept grease in mine( courtesyFoster Bros) very useful just dabbing a bit on wood screws,easier to screw in especialy if it was hardwood
 
The Co-op on the Coventry Rd, Yardley used the wires into the early 1960`s. Len.
 
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