With banks becoming a rare sight on the high street landscape, these recent finds are a reminder of how certain financial transactions were handled in the latter part of the 19th century. The two bank books, produced by Hudson & Kearns; manufacturing stationers, date from 1892 and the little bundle of cheques are dated 1902, possibly some of the first cheques written and signed by the Headmistress Beatrice Harris, when she moved from the High Street to the new Girls’ School building in Kings Road. Note the red one penny stamps, a duty payable on cheques from 1853. This duty was abolished just before decimalisation in 1971