Money and so much more Admission Free
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It's Twelfth Night, the day to get the Christmas decorations down, and start totting up the festive bills. :(
If you think you've overspent this year, it's nothing in comparison to Henry VIII in 1509. He blew the equivalent of 13.5 million pounds on his Yuletide celebrations, almost the entire tax revenue for whole year. It might put that hefty credit card bill into perspective!
For our first of 2024, we thought we'd give you some ideas to inspire your fitness regime. In 1991 a team from Bank of Scotland were winners at the Banks Athletics Championship in Tooting Bec, as celebrated on the cover of staff magazine, Between Friends. The man with the bottle has the same facial expression as we adopt when we're made to run...
Super Squirrel gave a long groan. He gingerly opened one eye, and poked his head out from within a mountain of blankets.
‘Who turned the daylight up to extra bright? It’s making my retinas want to turn inside out? Good party last night though? I didn’t know you could do the splits, Museum Assistant?’
‘Nor did I’ mumbled Museum Assistant.
It had indeed been a good party. Museum Assistant had invited all their human friends, and had made attempts at pretences of sophistication. They used the fancy bowls from the back of the cupboard, and made the room so dark that people could hardly see each other. They’d even bought olives-the big, green ones.
‘Those grapes you had last night were weird and salty, I wouldn’t buy those again’ said Super Squirrel, with a burp.
The thought of eating made Museum Assistant feel very uncomfortable. They had no idea why they felt so bad today, the punch they’d made was barely alcoholic.
‘It’s not that your friends are boring or anything, but I’m glad some of my lot gate crashed’ smiled Super Squirrel.
‘The Tufty Club are much wilder than I expected’ moaned Museum Assistant, looking for the aspirin.
‘They’ve gone rogue since lockdown, some of them have been crossing at the red man and everything. They really like to let their tails down.’
Several squirrel heads popped round the door.
‘Thanks for letting us crash Soops, sorry about the mess.’
Super Squirrel dashed to the door, masking the sound of the clinking of squirrel sized bottles.
‘Tufty Tequilla in the punch, classic! Take the empties with you, for goodness sake!’
Super Squirrel sneaked his comrades out the door, while Museum Assistant limped to the kitchen.
‘We’re going to carry on back at the dray, you coming?’
‘Soops, are you ready for our history documentary marathon? Best afternoon of the year?’ shouted Museum Assistant.
‘Just nipping out for a constitutional!’ yelled Super Squirrel, knocking over his litter tray in the dash to the door.
‘New Year, new poo!’ he giggled to himself. There would be many more where that one came from.
‘
We're sneaking in early to wish you all a Happy New Year when it comes! Here's to a great 2024 from everyone at Museum on the Mound. 🤩🥳🐿🍾🍾🎉🎊
Just a quick reminder that the museum is CLOSED today. Please don't come and see us, or you'll find like Old Robin Carrick of Glasgow's Ship Bank, IT'S NO COVENIENT!
See you all in the New Year for all things money based!
Today is your last chance to visit us this year! At 5pm we'll be nipping off to do the foxtrot in our best party frocks until Wednesday January 3rd.
Hurry hurry hurry! (Or cha-cha-cha, it's your call.)
For our last of 2023, we're revisiting what looks like a cracking party for Scottish Halifax staff members in 1955. We're presuming we might be a bit late to book the pipers of the Royal Scots Fusiliers for our Hogmanay bash?
(We definitely are, they haven't existed since 1959!)
Are you needing to stretch the legs and get out of the house after the Christmas excess? Come and pay us a visit! We're open today, tomorrow and Friday 10-5, for all your money history needs.
*Photo clearly not taken today. Leaves on trees and sunshine subject to availability.
Christmas had passed so quickly. All the weeks of preparation and present buying, the peeling of endless spouts and the wondering if the turkey was cooked or still liable to hospitalise a maiden aunt, it had all shot by faster than you could say ‘Call The Midwife Christmas Special’. Something about the whole affair was making Super Squirrel extra grumpy.
‘Yesterday was unboxing day, today is boxing up again day, tomorrow is searching for the receipt in the bin day, and the day after that is the having a fight with the lady in Marks and Spencer day when you work out the thing you’re returning is ten years old and has been regifted. Harumph!
‘Anything else you’d like to be annoyed about Soops?’ asked Museum Assistant, who couldn’t find the squirrel amongst the festive chaos.
‘There was no Top of the Pops on telly, I didn’t get a fortune telling fish in my Christmas cracker, and I fell asleep just as Dr Who came on and woke up to Angie from Eastenders! I knew we had a new Doctor, but that was a maverick choice I didn’t see coming! And, to top everything off I ate all the sprouts and I haven’t done a single bum burp!’
It wasn’t like Super Squirrel to be so moody, he normally loved Christmas. On top of that his voice sounded strange, and muffled.
‘Super Squirrel, where are you?’
A head wriggled out from Museum Assistant’s nephews new Grinch hoodie.
Suddenly, it all made sense. Super Squirrel screamed.
‘Birth me from this monster like the little baby cheeses. I’m away in a stranger, but there’s room in the tin! Fling me in with the Quality Street, I’ll be fine!’
Super Squirrel dug himself in beside the purple ones and the green triangles. He shouldn’t really eat chocolate, being a lactose intolerant squirrel.
‘Ah, the festive p**p p**p times’ he said to himself with relief.
‘I love Christmas’ he said contentedly.
‘When’s Die Hard on?’
Merry Christmas from everyone at Museum on the Mound!
We hope Santa's been good to you all. :)
It was the night before Christmas, and Super Squirrel was curled up in the laundry basket, waiting for Santa.
‘Maybe this year I’ll get a Scalextric’ he mumbled to himself, wriggling down into a mass of Museum Assistant’s pants.
No sooner than he’d drifted off to sleep, he was awoken by a booming voice.
‘Super Squirrel! Come with me!’ It said.
‘Where to?’
‘Work!’
‘I’m sure this is in violation of my statutory annual leave requirements!’ screamed the squirrel, as he felt a rush of wind propel him through the night sky, and back to the Mound.
The Museum was all in darkness, and was as cold as a crypt. In the distance, he heard whispering: squirrel whispering.
He trembled with fear as he approached the voices. The lights pinged on, and he screamed as he saw before him three, disembodied heads.
‘I am the ghost of Super Squirrels past!’ said the first head.
‘I have seen many a gala day float, and I remember the land of milk and honey that lay many miles from here.’
‘Nirvana?’ asked Super Squirrel.
‘Savacentre at Cameron Toll. I come from the glory days!’
‘I am the ghost of Super Squirrels present’ spoke the second head.
‘What do you see?’
‘You left the tap running in the bathroom.’
It was true. Super Squirrel loved doing that, just to make Museum Assistant think the house was flooding at 3AM, and so they needed to do an emergency dash to the loo.
‘And I am the ghost of Super Squirrels future!’
Super Squirrel approached the third head.
‘Got a bone to pick with you about that. I tried reading that Christmas Carol thing once, and I couldn’t help but wonder, how could you be a ghost, if you’re the future? Ghosts are from the past, you’re dead, right? You haven’t been alive yet, so you can’t be dead, so therefore existentially speaking you’re a misnomer?’
The third squirrel thought very hard, and promptly vanished in a puff of logic.
‘Thank goodness for that, he was so annoying’ said the Ghost of Squirrels past.
‘Want a quick trip back to 1985, Soops?’
‘Thought you’d never ask’ said Super Squirrel, with a smile.
Just a reminder that we're now CLOSED until December 27th. Have fun, everyone!
It's our last week before Christmas, so time for a few important announcements!
Firstly, if you still need presents, we've got your back. Our gift shop has plenty of Super Squirrel books, tea towels, mugs and cookie cutters to fill the gaps in those stockings.
Secondly, when will we be closed?
Saturday 23rd-Tues 26th CLOSED
Saturday 30th-Tues 2nd CLOSED
We'll be open as usual 27th-29th December, and from 3rd of January onwards.
Ho ho ho!
Super Squirrel shuffled into Museum Assistant’s flat wearily.
‘Ho…ho…harumph’ he muttered, slumping on the sofa.
Museum Assistant looked up from their book long enough to notice the long beard that Super Squirrel was sporting.
‘Soops, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, pretending to be Leonardo Da Vinci will not necessarily mean you’ll get your own prototype flying machine.’
Super Squirrel groaned.
‘My Ornithopter days are long behind me, I’ve long since realised I’m not Vitruvian Squirrel either, however much I flap my limbs about. I’ve been helping out at the small mammals kid’s Christmas party. I, am Super Santa!’
Super Squirrel burped. His breath smelled strongly of mince pies.
‘I got all the kids to make a list and check it twice, just to make sure they had included the Santa tax.’
Super Squirrel produced a pile of crumpled lists.
‘Wait, all of these say they’d rather give a pile of nuts to Super Santa than have any presents?’
‘Children are very generous these days, what can I say? I did compensate them though?’
Museum Assistant spotted their piggy bank was upturned , with the stopper missing.
‘Soops!’
Tis the season to be generous, Museum Assistant, has no one told you?’
As Museum Assistant chased Super Squirrel around the room, he pondered to himself how funny it was that he was dressing up as a human after so many years of humans dressing up as him.
‘Christmas is very meta these days’ he chuckled to himself, hiding under the sofa.
We hate to mention it, but how's that Christmas shopping going? If you have a numismatist in your life, we can help. We have collector's sets of bank notes galore, as well as limited edition pound coin prints, coins, and all manner of other money finery!
Ever feel like you're struggling with the work/life balance? Do you have so many Teams calls that you sometimes wonder if your boss is living in your home? Have a look at this prophetic cartoon from 1937 which definitely sets the tone for the future!
It was Super Squirrel’s favourite night of the year.
‘CASTLE OF LIGHT!’ he screamed, dashing up the esplanade to Edinburgh Castle.
‘It’s just so blingy and big and loud and flashy’ he chirped, doing a back flip through the gatehouse entrance.
‘Why is it the castle is allowed to flash, but the last time I flashed I was grounded for a week?’
‘Different type of flashing, Soops’ shuddered Museum Assistant, once again picturing the horrified onlookers on the day that Super Squirrel had decided that his suit was an unnecessary encumbrance.
‘Look at all of this, it’s amazing! There’s animated dancing Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, there’s magic tricks being done by holograms, and Queen Margaret is definitely cheating at Patience. Look at the hand she’s drawn!’
Super Squirrel stared at the animations on the ancient chapel, agog. It was pretty spectacular, agreed Museum Assistant.
‘I love all this magical stuff, I don’t know why you don’t appreciate it when I do magic, Museum Assistant?’
‘That’s because eating a whole packet of Tunnock's Teacakes in one sitting does not count as an amazing vanishing act, Super Squirrel.’
Just then, an animated dragon wriggled along the wall of the Middle Ward. A jet of dry ice shot from Foog’s Gate, making the crowd jump.
‘I wouldn’t normally mention it, but I think that dragon did a guff’ whispered Super Squirrel.
‘Think he might have eaten a whole packet of teacakes too’ he said, with a chuckle.
Edinburgh Castle
Here's the debate- is it too soon to put up the Christmas tree?
Here's the tree outside St Paul's cathedral in London from the Lloyds Bank staff magazine The Dark Horse in 1948 for a bit of twinkly inspiration!
What are you planning for your Christmas party? In 1925, The Dark Horse magazine was suggesting buying a projector to impress your friends. It didn't come cheap through- £6 15/ is around £350 in today's terms, and if you wanted to buy the full kit with the cine camera it would be over £650 today!
In the continuing occasional series of strange things we see from the museum windows, we can report a stray unicorn is on the loose in Princes Street Gardens. If you've lost your unicorn lately, feel free to retrieve him with a bag of carrots, a magic spell, and possibly a lasso.
How can it be December 1st already?
Like it or loathe it, the festive period is here, and we're going to be delving into our staff magazine archives for some Christmas highlights through the years. Today we're in 1937, where the Dark Horse magazine seems to be finding a new way of delivering those presents...
Happy St Andrews Day! The saltire of Scotland with the cross of St Andrew has been used by Bank of Scotland for much longer than you might imagine. Long before the days of the 'chips and peas' logo, it featured in the Bank's coat of arms, as seen on this ridiculously heavy messengers armband from 1743. Thankfully it was just for ceremonial purposes-it would be a tad impractical for day-to day use!
It was a dreich morning.
Super Squirrel was staring out of the window at the Christmas market, which had been fully operational for a few weeks.
‘But I don’t understand, you know I love a bit of tinsel and a cracker joke as much as the next person, but it’s still November!’ grumped the squirrel.
‘I know, the needles will be falling off the big tree up the hill before Boxing Day at this rate’ muttered Museum Assistant.
‘Handy for flossing my big front toof with, pine needles. Leaves me more foresty fresh than a gargle with Harpic. I don’t think you’re understanding me, Museum Assistant. It’s November?’
Museum Assistant stared at the squirrel in confusion.
‘Yes? It’s November? The dreariest month of the year, the no man’s land between Halloween and Christmas?’
Super Squirrel sighed.
‘It’s NOvember. Is it Christmas yet? NO. Are we allowed to be jingling our bells and hanging our stockings yet? NO. It’s an ancient squirrel by-law, as stated in the medieval text Ancient Codes and By-Laws Governing Nut Hoards and Other Stuff by the Venerable Tufty?’
Super Squirrel produced a battered book with a squirrel dressed as a monk on the cover.
‘NOvember, nofunber. If they’re not careful they’ll find their presents confiscated by a sub committee of angry badgers, and you don’t want to cross them. They’re very black and white about these things, as you might imagine.’
‘So you don’t want a go on the Ferris Wheel then Soops?’
‘Rules are there to be broken, I get my cape’ said the squirrel gleefully, running to the door.
Did you know the collective noun for pigs is 'a drift'? We're not sure if that's the same for piggy banks, but we've just had a delivery of a range of new colours for all your saving requirements!
Here's a to when the sun shone and Super Squirrel was allowed outdoors! This picture was taken at Seafest in Arbroath in 1998, and is frankly deserving of a caption competition. Stick those suggestions in the comments!
It was the last day of Museum Assistant’s trip to London. They had successfully pretended to be an adult in front of lots of other people who were probably also pretending to be adults, and now it was time to be a tourist for the day.
‘I’ve never been to Westminster Abbey before’ said Super Squirrel excitedly.
‘I can’t wait to see the graves of all the icons. Shep, Goldie, George the Tortoise, Champion the Wonder Horse!’
Museum Assistant was confused.
‘You know, at Pet’s Corner?’
‘It’s Poet’s Corner, Super Squirrel.’
Super Squirrel pouted in annoyance.
‘Anyway, there’s somewhere in particular I want to see, it’s got a sort of work, museumy, money connection.’
Museum Assistant entered the small, dark, chamber of the Pyx.
‘Isn’t is atmospheric, Super Squirrel? You can just smell the history!’
Super Squirrel inhaled. It was more like damp than history.
‘This is where gold and silver coins were kept before they could be tested. It’s called the Chamber of the Pyx.’
Super Squirrel began to shake.
‘Quick, get me in my squirrel carrier, stuff me in, and run like you’ve never run before!’
Museum Assistant stared at the squirrel quizzically.
‘The blue painted half naked people? They’re terrifying! I know you can be pretty scary when you’re angry, but these ones will have your guts for garters!’
‘Super Squirrel, what are you on about?’
‘Picts! Run while you can!’
Museum Assistant chuckled while as they walked back through the cloister.
‘Worst battle commander ever’ thought Super Squirrel to himself.
Museum Assistant was in London for work things. They hadn’t intended on bringing Super Squirrel with them, and it had certainly been a surprise when they found him in their rucksack.
‘I was recreating John Noakes spelunking in the Peak District, you should be prepared for these eventualities’ said the squirrel, removing one of Museum Assistant’s socks from his head.
‘Where are we, anyway?’
‘London, Super Squirrel.’
‘Lanhdahn! The Landahn town!’ exclaimed Super Squirrel in a cockney accent so bad it was mildly offensive.
‘Apples and pears, bananas and kumquats, I’ve never really worked out that fruity rhyming slang, but isn’t it good that people down here are getting their five a day?’
They rounded a corner and there before them was St Paul’s Cathedral.
‘Isn’t it gorgeous, Soops?’
‘Cor Blimey Mary Poppins, it’s a treat for me mince pies! Where’s the woman with her bags of breadcrumbs?’
Super Squirrel geared himself up for a song. He took a very deep breath, and began.
‘Feed the nerds, tuppence a nag, tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a nag…’
Museum Assistant looked at the squirrel in confusion.
‘Super Squirrel, neither your accent or the words of that song are correct, you do know that?’
‘Museum Assistant, I think you’ll find that my cockney accent is an exact replica of the great Dick Van Dyke’s and is totally Mary Poppins accurate?’
Museum Assistant paused. The squirrel was annoyingly correct.
‘Would you Adam and Eve it’ they muttered under their breath in annoyance.
Did you know that today is ?
If you have a need to knead, we've found a recipe for you from Lloyds staff magazine from 1977, when a baker's strike was causing folks to turn their ovens on. Let us know how you get on, if you give this one a try!
Here's a particularly moo-ving to 1975, when Bank of Scotland were sponsors of the Ayrshire Agricultural Association Show at Ayr Race Course. I suppose you could call this one a cash cow? ;)
Don't you love it when you get things sent to you through the post? We recently had an anonymous donation of a whole set of unused Super Squirrel mugs for the collection (not for our tea, although it's very tempting). To whoever sent them in, thank you!
Robert Shirlaw (1884-1930)
After the War
🌹 #
We will remember them.
Today's wartime cartoon by Bank of Scotland employee Robert Shirlaw is called 'He doesn't know where they are going' and features his bank colleague, Donald Reid. Reid began his career in Cumnock before transferring to London, and eventually joining the army. He died around the 8th of October 1916, just weeks before his 29th birthday.
🌹
Museum Assistant was very excited. They had finally made it to the last few days of the Dr Flora Murray exhibition at Dumfries Museum, after months of trying.
Super Squirrel’s head popped out of his bank bag squirrel carrier.
‘That train journey was ace! From Edinburgh to the Englandland , then back up from Carlisle to Dumfries again, hilarious! It’s 63 miles door to door and this weird way took 3 hours, I had to use the emergency litter tray in your bag twice.’
Museum Assistant held the bag of popcorn at arm’s length. They weren’t so hungry anymore.
‘So, is there a reason we’re here, apart from a chance to fully enjoy the charms of Avanti West Coast services?’
Super Squirrel spun round to see the portrait behind him.
‘Dr Flora! The woman on the £100 note!’
Museum Assistant grabbed Super Squirrel by the scruff of his neck.
‘Soops, I know what you’re like, and I’m warning you. Some things are serious and Flora Murray is one of the serious subjects?’
Super Squirrel looked at Museum Assistant contemptuously and sighed.
‘Dr Flora Murray was a pioneering female doctor and member of the suffragette movement who helped mend all the woman who had all the nasties done to them in prison. She also helped to mend lots of kids in the East end of London and then lots of soldiers in the First World War who really needed mending. She did lots of stuff lady types weren’t expected to do, she worked awffy hard and she looks a bit cross about it in her pictures. She was a CBE, an LGBTQ+ icon in the times when LGBTQ was just a really difficult set of letters to draw in Scrabble, and I WOULD NEVER BE RUDE ABOUT THE MIGHTY FLORA!’
Museum Assistant looked at Super Squirrel in stunned silence.
‘Will we look at the exhibition then Super Squirrel?’
‘They wouldn’t put you on a banknote, Museum Assistant. They don’t have a 2p banknote.’
‘Get back in your bag, Super Squirrel, and help yourself to popcorn’ said Museum Assistant.
Dumfries Museum .museums
Here's a very poignant item from our London Archives. Rather than listing those who died during war time, Capital and Counties Bank produced this plaque to list those who were alive and serving in the First World War. It would seem the plaque was probably taken down at the end of the war to be replaced by a memorial for the dead, and so the final date was never added.
The Mound
Edinburgh
EH11YZ
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October 3rd is #scottishmuseumsday and this year we're celebrating the fact that #museumsareselfcare . Sometimes we all need to take a moment, and play with an enormous bag of shredded bank notes. Ahh. That's better. @scottishmuseums Scottish Museums Federation
Tomorrow is the big 327th birthday for Bank of Scotland! Formed just a year after the Bank of England, the grand old lady of Scottish banking is the last company still in existence formed by an act of the original Scottish Parliament, the one that ceased to be in 1707. Did you know that if you joined the Bank as a partner, you became a naturalised Scot? That final and rather unusual clause wasn’t repealed until 1920! #happybirthdaytous #bankofscotland
Thanks for joining in with our #TakeoverDay with Kids in Museums! Do you think you could beat Robert's time to build the bank? Why not pay us a visit and give out? Thanks again to Robert for his excellent video editing skills, and his unique portrayal of a certain squirrel...
What's Super Squirrel up to now? He certainly seems excited about our Kids in Museums #TakeoverDay! #kidsinmuseums
Here's a great little video of Saturday's shenanigans curtesy of Jude at #gala_scout_group. What a day! #platinumjubilee2022 #scoutscot
And here's the latest weather report from the Mound. SNOW!!!
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
The Royal Mile
Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage
Dryden Terrace
Heriot-Watt University Archive
EH144AS
