07-03-2023, 11:08 PM
(07-03-2023, 10:46 PM)JAS84 Wrote:I believe it was actually the other way around!(02-03-2023, 09:17 AM)WillPS Wrote: Bank of Scotland have one (just) English branch: branches.bankofscotland.co.ukThere's a reason for that - they were owned by Halifax (which was later taken over by Lloyds), and the other branches all either closed or switched to that fascia.
But yeah it is unusual to see these ads.
Halifax Building Society demutualised and became a bank (1997), but shortly afterwards merged with Bank of Scotland, adopting the corporate name HBOS. Bank of Scotland was keen to make inroads into England as their big rival, RBS, had acquired NatWest! Then, the HBOS Group Reorganisation Act 2006 created "Bank of Scotland plc", of which Halifax became a brand name. In 2009, following the financial crisis, Bank of Scotland was in trouble so the government encouraged Lloyds TSB to make a takeover approach. Halifax and Bank of Scotland both then merged into Lloyds TSB, creating Lloyds Banking Group. As part of competition rulings, Lloyds Banking Group later had to sell off what-is-now TSB to satisfy regulators - so Lloyds TSB became Lloyds Bank and TSB. TSB is now no longer related to the rest of the group.
I believe Bank of Scotland, unlike Royal Bank of Scotland, never actually had any English branches aside from Halifax ones anyway?
Berwick-upon-Tweed, as the most northerly town in England, is treated as a special case by both Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland. Both still have branches there but, aside from commercial and specialist private banking activity, have no other business in England. You can still open accounts with them though, they just don't actively advertise or have branches there.