Amiabankrobber

MOST IMPORTANT

2008-01-01T22:48:00.000Z

THIS BLOG IS LIKE A STORY OR A BOOK. IT READS PAGE AFTER PAGE. WHEN YOU GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST PAGE, TITLED "I THINK I'M SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES" YOU MUST CLICK "OLDER POSTS" TO PROGRESS TO THE NEXT PAGE.

Next time I.ll smile

2008-01-01T12:24:00.000Z

Why are the dates wrong?

2007-12-31T17:10:00.000Z

As you read these blogs you will notice that they are headed with a lot of apparantly meaningless dates. Bloggers will guess what they are and why I have done it. To the non-bloggers or tech savvy amongst you, take no notice at all of the dates in the headings. They are there for a computer technical reason to enable the blogs to read in a similar fashion to a book. Pay no attention to them whatsoever. Happy reading!!! Mike P.S. I.ve run out of space. When you have plodded on through these blogs, right at the end just before my final photograph, you will see a little link entitled "OLDER POSTS" Click on this and it will give you my latest posts,

Am I a Bank Robber?

2007-12-30T13:39:00.000Z

Well hello. I am very new to blogging. I've played around on three earlier blog sites, making many mistakes and hopefully learning the nuts and bolts. Time will tell whether this brand new site is any better!!! I am a tourist group leader, fairly advanced years but at this exact moment I am out of work, hence the time to start blogging. But, you will say, what about your title? Well, I am sure you would not be reading this if I had entitled it "Needatourmanager." I know, because I had a website and blogs with that name, hits ----- nil. But, everything I put on this and future blogs is 100% true. I may not give the whole truth, but it is nothing but the truth. And, to give the title some sense, some fourty years ago the most senior detective in Flintshire Police force said to me "We are convinced that if you did'nt do it, you know who did do it." That was fourty years ago. So as any readers can put it in present day perspective, I have multiplied all sums of money mentioned now and in the future by ten. This means that I am writing in terms of what the money would be worth today, after inflation. So, what was he talking about? The fact that well over a quarter of a million pounds had gone missing from Barclays Bank in Rhyl, North Wales, where I happened to work at that time. This money has never been seen to this day. It was, in my opinion a victimless crime. No individual lost any money, apart, possibly, shareholders of Barclays loosing about a half pence off their dividend. I might add, the Police did not see eye to eye with me on that point. I wonder if I have got you interested. In any event, more will be revealed!!! Mike Owen

THE BALLOON GOES UP

2007-12-29T15:26:00.000Z

Well, Ive had a hit or two, perhaps its just my friends. But never mind, I am going to carry on with writing about my job as a Tour leader ----- O.K. I heard the groans, so instead I will write a bit more about the missing quarter of a million pounds!!!! It all started on 30th November1964. Well, thats not right, it all started when someone, maybe me or maybe one of my fellow workers in the Bank, lifted the quarter million. But, as far as I told the Police, it all started on 30/11/64. I was just going out of the Bank to enjoy an unofficial coffee break in the cafe opposite. I did this most days, as did most of the shall I say middle management of the Bank staff. As I walked out I passed a Mr Eddie Myers, a local bookmaker from Rhyl, walking in. On my return to my desk, the buzzer from the Managers room rang, a message for me to go in. I knocked on the door, and entered. Behind the desk was a Mr Bryn Roberts, the Chief Clerk of the branch. To the right was Eddie Myers. On the desk was a black deed box, open. I looked from one to another, neither said anything but Myers appeared visably distressed, his face was the colour of chalk. I said "You rang?" Roberts eventually replied "Yes, this is Mr.Eddie Myers." Me "Yes, I know." Roberts "This is his deed box." Me "Yes, I know." My job as the securities clerk included looking after deedboxes. Roberts "The last time Mr Myers looked in this deedbox, it had £100,000 in notes inside it. All three of us leaned forward and looked in the deedbox. Clean as a whistle. That will have to do for now. Mike Owen

November 30th l964. A day to be remembered.

2007-12-28T14:33:00.000Z

Hello. I have read that a succesful blog always has entries made at least daily, even hourly. Well, I cannot do that. This explains why there is no new post from me yesterday. I must be fairly unique, I have two P.Cs and I have internet server access, BUT --- I havent got a phone, well not a landline phone. Ive got a mobile, of course. The reason I havent got a phone is because I live, if you can use that word, in an old mobile touring caravan, and, understandably, B.T. decline putting a line into it. So, my alternatives is satellite BT openzone, very expensive, or plugging my laptop onto my daughters phone line, and she lives 25 miles away. Yes, I know you can post blogs from a mobile, but I havent got round to sussing out how to do it yet, Im still struggling making a normal blog!!! So, please excuse me if my blog goes dead for a few days at a time, I will tell you the full story . Of course, if I told you I was telling you the full story, well I would be admitting that I had done it. Im not chancing that, not with the Police, maybe, reading it. Can a 75 year old man be sent to prison for something that happened 40 or so years ago? I dont think I will chance it. Anyway, back to Nov 30,1964. I left the Managers room and returned to my desk. After about five minutes Eddie Myers left the Bank, looking decidly unhappy. At sometime later Bryn Roberts, the Chief Clerk, came out of the Managers room and said to me Ive told L.H.O.(Local Head Office) About half an hour later the Manager arrived. Myfyr Hedd Jones Owen by name. Obviously a welshman, but one who had forsaken his Welsh background. He was even proud that he had trained himself to have no trace of a welsh accent, he spoke perfect BBC English. I never found out why he was over two hours late starting work that day. He was alcoholic, he went on terrible drinking trips virtually every night, and sometimes all day as well. However, he was always immaculately dressed in the morning, showed no signs of the night before, and, indeed, once told me that he had never had a hangover in his life. Ive been told since that is one sign of a true alcoholic, I dont know if that is correct. About two oclock in the afternoon the Bank inspectors started to arrive, in small groups. They had obviously travelled from some distance away. They started an inspection of the branch about three oclock. This involved first of all in checking the tills and the postage drawer. Inspectors always started by checking the postage drawer, they reckoned that all large time bank frauds were done by staff who had started out fiddling the postage drawer. Well, I had fiddled the postage drawer in my time, but I was never caught out. I dont know if you think that means anything. The District Chief Inspector arrived then disappeared, no doubt off to see Mr Myers. At about the usual time, we, and the inspectors, all left for home, or wherever. So that was day one. Mike

That evening. I'm keeping that to myself

2007-12-27T17:15:00.000Z

So, the evening of 30th November. I had a strong idea I might have been followed. I am not going to say what I did or where I went that night because of my honesty and truth statement. I may reveal it later, depends on how this blog site develops. The next day, Tuesday 1st December, I dont honestly remember much about this. More and more Inspectors arrived, now there were eight or nine. Everyone on the staff were looking at each other. At one time I remember the boss saying "Now, I wonder whats this guy up to." He meant Eddie Myers. No sign of Mr.Myers. Last thing in the afternoon someone told me "They are going to do a full inspection." This is what Bank Inspectors did about every five or six years, they went to town on a Branch and looked at and into everything. It took usually about three to four weeks. Little did we know that this inspection would take about seven months, and one of the inspectors was transferred permanently onto Rhyl branch staff!!! The next bombshell was about to fall the next day. Ill tell you about that later. In the meantime, i will just tell you the staff makeup. Manager, Mr Owen, Chief clerk, Bryn Roberts, First cashier a fifty years old Ceredig Lewis, me as Securities clerk, Wyn Roberts, a bit younger than me as my assistant, Margaret Brookes a local girl aged then about thirty, Secretaty and typist, Ann Kelsey, also a typist, and about five or six young ladies in the machine room upstairs in various superiority, also at least one young lad, maybe two, who were "juniors" otherwise doing all the odd jobs that needed doing, the errands to be run etc. Oh, I missed out two more cashiers, probably Wyn would also be a busy time cashier when he was not helping me. Thats just to give you a general picture. So, to Wednesday!!!

Now its a missing deedbox

2007-12-26T20:09:00.000Z

Wednesday, December 2nd Inspectors hard at work. Myers had obviously been interviewed. Wyn whispered to me "There's a deedbox missing."One of the Inspectors came to me me and said something like "We cannot find this box do you know anything about it?" I looked blank. It turned out that the deedbox belonged to a Mr. Ernie Taylor, a showman off the Rhyl fair. No sign of it. The inspectors all went into retreat, big conference. By chance, I went into the Managers room, after knocking, and inside was the District Inspector by himself on the phone, and just as I entered he said "this seems to confirm that Myers is telling the truth." It was fairly obvious that he was talking about the missing deedbox. I'll skip ahead a day or two now. News filtered back, Ernie Taylor had been seen, he claimed that the missing deedbox contained 75.000 pounds. So now the missing total was 170.000 pounds!!!! AND MAYBE RISING Mike

And my key fitted it

2007-12-25T15:18:00.000Z

This is a bit of a nuts and bolts blog for a change. Ive had an email from a Mr Dom Gabriele in the U.S.A Email Domgab1914@comcast.net. He is obviously a very experienced blogger, his blog is, in my opinion, first class. But he says he cannot post some comments here on my blog, , perhaps he wants to say its rubbish!!! Reason being he has not got an account with Google. He suggests I put my Email address on my homepage. Well, I need a bit of time to work out how I amend my homepage. I know its easy----if only I knew how!!! I will do it as soon as pos, in the meantime a couple of my Email addresses: Hellotowyntravel@aol.com and VOrigMichaelOwen@aol.com. Also I would just mention. This blog is written straight out of my mind, I dont think beforehand what I'm going to say, and I do it fairly fast. Disadvantages: I am making loads of keyboard mistakes, things are not always in the best order and spelling mistakes creep in. Advantages: Ive told you it is 100% true. Its coming straight out of my memories. Anyway, back to the missing money. Firstly, I must have made a small error in the amounts. I said Myers £100,000 and Taylor £75,000 total £175,000. But, in the middle of the night I recalled quoting a figure of £168,000 a lot later, to the Police. I am sure of this, even after 40 years, because when asked by them how much was missing, I replied "sixteen eight" and the C.I.D. man thought I said "sixtyeight." I saw the startled glance between the two top men!!! It does'ent really matter, the final figure which I will reveal was a lot higher, in any case. Another small thing has come back to me. The securities desk, which I was in charge of, had its own deedbox. I used it for keeping the more important papers together, I kept it on my desk and at night put it in the strongroom. I had the key on my bunch. The system with keys in the Bank was every member of staff was either on the "A" list or the "B" list. Once on this list, you were on it for life. When you went for lunch etc. you gave your keys to someone else on the same list as you. If you were B, you never ever touched an A key. As most important things, and most definately the strongroom, had two locks, this meant that even if you were not in the branch, the staff had access to everywhere and everything, because you had left your keys. You never had access to the other stream so as to prevent possible duplication of vital keys. Anyway, Bryn Roberts, the Chief Clerk, came to me and said "Do you know that your box key fits Eddie Myers' and opens it?" I said No. Well, I could hardly have said Yes, that would at the very least have meant I had been messing around trying to get into boxes. Not recommended. I know this may be boring, but if you stick with it, it will help to give you the big picture. We have come to the weekend, now. Time to think. No sign of the Police. I don't know if the Bank advised Myers/Taylor not to do anything, in any event, they were unlikely to call in the Police themselves. After all, what was the money doing in these deedboxes in any case? I've no doubt we all know why, both customers dealt in cash transactions. Mike Owen

I am ambushed---by Inspectors

2007-12-24T13:34:00.000Z

I am now writing about the second week. Believe it or not, nothing much seems to be happening. However, there was a very tense atmosphere in work, everyone was eyeing up everyone else, and we were all wondering what would happen next. Work was more or less the same as normal, allowing for the fact that we were in the middle of an inspection. The inspectors went about their work in the normal way, I had a lot of contact with them because I handled all the deeds, stocks and shares, life policies etc which made up a securities clerks life. The inspectors had queries, they even found some minor things not quite to their liking, but nothing much. However, one incedent jolted me a bit and showed me that, although the atmosphere was tense but normal, things were not normal at all. My boss, the Manager, was the local Treasurer for the RSPCA. He didnt want the job, it just went with the position of branch manager. On the Wednesday it was the annual general meeting in the Church hall in Rhyl. He either did'nt want or could not attend, so I was delegated to go. Why me? Well, surprisingly, Iwas fairly close to the boss. He was a very abrasive character, most of the staff and certainly all the girls were frightened of him, especially if he was in one of his frequent nasty moods. But he and I seemed to get on reasonably well. Anyway, I went off to the AGM in the afternoon, gave my report, listened to the barking of a thousand dogs which seemed to be in the hall. It finished about 5.30 p.m. I walked back to the Bank with all the RSPCA papers and accounts and arrived back just as the staff and the inspectors were leaving by the side door. I went in, put the papers in a drawer, and turned around and let myself out into Sussex Street in Rhyl. Imagine my surprise, wherever I looked in the road, in every direction,was an Inspector ---- and they were all walking towards me!!! None of them said much, they were all eyeing me up and down and eventually they dispersed to their cars. The next day Wyn Roberts, my assistant, said to me that he had overheard one of the inspectors say , when I was going in the door, "He's got an ideal chance to get it all out of the Bank." They must have thought I had a secret hoard of the £168,000 hidden inside the Bank, and I was going to come out with it stuffed in all my pockets!!!! Well, sorry, they were disappointed. I mention this little incedent to show how, under the surface, we were all suspects, but I was becoming a prime suspect. I'll tell you why I was a prime suspect when I go on the give you my profile as at that time Mike Owen

The third week

2007-12-23T15:18:00.000Z

It is almost boring, apart from the fact that the Police might walk in at any time, having been called in by the Bank or someone. The routine inspection was coming towards the end, but the senior inspectors were more at work finding out staff profiles. The second in command was a jovial, man of the world type by the unusual name of Bill Bayley. I will refrain from making any jokes in case he happens to read this blog, and no doubt he has heard them all his life. I have not heard of him for years, but I believe someone once told me he had retired to Prestatyn, just up the road from me. I cannot remember the details, he must have been talking to me, and he must have raised the question where the missing cash might be hidden. The only thing I remember properly about this is that he and I arrived at my bungalow presumably in my car. The intention. For him to "look over" where I lived. We disturbed our lodger/friend who was inside cleaning. Bill Bayley looked around, went in a bedroom or two, opened a cupboard door here and there. We returned to the Bank. If this was supposed to be a search, will it would'nt have rated high in my book. Perhaps it was just supposed to frighten me. I don't know. But, I did.nt know if my house was the only one they had been to, as far as I knew it was. So that told me that I was near enough the top of the suspects list. It was also about this time that we on the staff realised that something else was missing from the Bank. We had a very large, battered brown suitcase which we used, mainly, for carrying the HVPs (High Value Parcels) to the Post Office, sending surplus cash to Head Office. We used it constantly in the summer, but in November. out of season, not so much. Nothing was kept in it, it was just used as a carring suitcase. But --- it was gone!!! Something else for the inspectors to think about. Mike Owen

Will the robber stand up?

2007-12-22T13:35:00.000Z

The Bank and its work carried on more or less as usual. But the tension was still building up.The Inspectors were often missing for a long time. Who knows where they were going, who they were talking to. Even the customers were begining to realise that something was wrong, they were saying "Who are these strange men with briefcases?" On the Thursday the inspectors, the whole lot of them, left very early in the afternoon. About 4 o'clock the boss called about eight or nine of the more senior members of the staff into his room, very unususl. But then, loosing £168,000 was unusual!!! The gist of what he said was as follows. "After you have all finished work, I want you all to go straight home, or wherever, but don't hang around the Bank, go right away, and do not on any account come back. And do not on any account stay around outside. I will be in this room, by myself, for at least an hour after the last of you has left. I will be alone, no one else will be in the building. Then, if one of you, whoever he or she might be, would care to come back and talk to me, it could, possibly, help towards clearing up this business." So, we all went home. The next morning we all came to work. We were all looking around for a missing face {or even one in handcuffs}. But, no one was missing. The operation was obviously unsuccesful. However, at least the suspects had been narrowed. Those that were called in the room knew they were suspect, the rest, mainly the girls from upstairs, knew they were in the clear. The whole thing had obviously been set up by the Inspectors.

The week before Christmas

2007-12-21T18:26:00.000Z

Now a bit of personal issues. I was in a rather dodgy marriage. Don't forget, this was in the sixtys, free love etc. I was involved, heavily, with someone who, in my opinion and virtually every mans opinion who set eyes on her, the most attractive lady I had ever seen in my life. Emma Peel of the avengers, she was the spit image of her. She had asked me to go as her partner to the Chester Motor Club's Christmas fancy dress knees up in a nightclub in Chester. She was going as Cleopatria, me Julius Ceaser. She made the fancy dress out of bits and pieces costing next to nothing, but it was most impressive. I was worried, most of the Inspectors lived around Chester. What would they think if they saw me driving through Chester as a Roman with this exceptional beauty. Never mind, it did'nt stop me ---- and against all the expensive opposition --- we won first prize. I don't know if the judges fancied her, I suppose they did. Second, we had the Bank staffs annual Xmas party at the Kings Head, Llanrhyder. This was a strange night, there was a strained atmosphere most of the time, did'nt stop me and several others drinking too much!!! At a much later date, the police claimed at one stage I said loudely at the bar "Here's to the missing money." They asked me if I had said it, I said I did'nt know, they said if I did say it what did I mean? I said I had'nt a clue. I've still got photos of it, everyone looking at everyone else. As we were all going home on Xmas eve Mr Bayley, the inspector, said "Happy Xmas to everyone-----except one." Was he looking straight at me? Mike

The suspects

2007-12-20T16:11:00.000Z

Ive spent all day working on trying to understand blogging, i am having a lot of difficulties not least the fact that I joined Blogger and then, only the next day when I didnt understand it at all, I switched, as I thought, to Blogger Beta, and I seem to have ended up with two blog sites with different settings and I cannot cancel one of them. So I wont tell you any more of my bank fraud story, just a list of the suspects. How did I know who was on the list? I don't really remember, I suppose it was just a word or so here and there amongst the staff, the way the Inspectors treated different ones, even a gut feeling. Perhaps I should say, now, that a lot of the people I am writing about have, sadly, died. Both the people I have mentioned who had lost the cash, I know they have both died. So have two on the suspect list. The others,, I don't know. Here goes: The Manager, Myfyr Owen. Alcoholic, known to have a female friend, surprisingly never appeared to be short of cash. His bank account was always reasonably full and he wasent scraping for an income, I know. One of the perks of being Manager was that he was an agent for several insurance companies and he picked up a commission on all the premiums. But, he could not be bothered with the bookkeeping it involved and he asked me if I would do it permanently, and I could have the commission. I jumped at the chance, the work was done in the Banks time, it was a doddle. Next , Bryn Roberts, Chief Clerk. Was Treasurer of the local Round Table. Had recently bought a very grand house in Rhyl, it was in probably the best road in the town. He was married to a lady who had a reputation for being expensive. I don't know if this was true, and bank staff had mortgages at a very preferential rate of interest, but, it was grand!!! Next Ceredig Lewis, Chief Cashier. Probably the oldest of the staff. Always broke,dont know where it went. No sign of gambling, nor excessive drinking. He did spend a lot of money on travelling around, he was for ever driving to South Wales etc. but by present day standards, nothing much. He was often borrowing a few pounds before pay day. (Years later after I had left the Bank and had a shop, he would come to me to cash a post dated cheque, and ask me to hold on to it for a week or two before cashing it). Next, myself. Fond of fast cars and fast women, I did a certain amount of motor racing which cost a lot. Also had a liking for alcohol. I never had enough money, I was always flat broke by pay day, I had previously been pulled up by the Manager for going overdrawn, only by very small amounts, before pay day. So I had got in the habit, if a cheque arrived before pay day, I asked one of the younger girls to take it out of her account and I gave her the money when I was paid. It was a form of borrowing, I was always inclined to dish cheques out without thinking if I had enough money. The inspectors found out about this, of course. Next Wyn Roberts, my assistant. Apparantly very steady, fairly recently married, lived in a bungalow in Abergele. I think he ran a car, but I'm not sure. No sign of drinking or gambling, indeed none of us, as far as I know, where gamblers. Finally, Margaret Brookes. A local, home grown girl, typist, engaged to one of the Bank's inspectors (he was not on the present investigation). Why she was on the list i'll never know, I would have thought she was the last. However, apparantly she was. Six little niggers as Agatha Christie would say. Mike

A night in Payne's Corner House

2007-12-19T20:12:00.000Z

I am thinking about redoing this entire blog, and dating it as it happened in 1964. What a job!!! But, it might be simplier for anyone daft enough to read it, that is, apart from the two or three hundred from the Rhyl area who would be MOST interested, if only they knew what I was doing. However, can I go back to Boxing Day, 1964. Anyone who has read this, or who knew me from that time, will know that I was well involved with Monica, the beauty from Sandycroft with the morals of an alley cat. My Wife was delighted, we were going to spend Xmas with my Mother and Sister in Rhos on Sea, further away from Sandycroft than Rhyl where we lived. Unfortunately for her, unknown .Monica and her husband where spending Xmas at the Stanley, a rough pub in the middle of Llandudno. Her friend was manageress for a few weeks. So, Boxing night I slipped off, a night with Monica at Paynes Corner House, a sort of West Indian steel band, a nice atmosphere and I was with , without doubt, the most striking beauty in the place. We sat down, I looked up, and there, in the balcony, was Susan Jones, a young lady from the machine room in work!!! Oh dear, well never mind. Just another thing to put the suspicion more on me

THE WEEK AFTER XMAS

2007-12-19T14:08:00.000Z

Back to workl after the holiday. The pressure is building up. We are all being interviewed constantly by the Inspectors. Questions about our own lifestyle, questions about other members of the staff. One of the many things the inspectors have done is, go over our Bank accounts, our own personal ones, with a microscope. They found out that there was one of my cheques missing, from back in October. In other words, it had not been presented for payment. Would I tell them who is was payable to. I could not remember. But, in early October, my Wife , eight year old son and myself did go for a weeks holiday in London. We stayed at the small hotel that the Bank used to accomodate staff when they were on training courses in London, that is how I knew it, and when we got there we found that one of the Rhyl staff , a young lady from the machine room, happened to be there at the same time. We spoke briefly to each other. I think, what happened was I was unsure whether I had enough cash to pay the bill. Because I was afraid of being embarrased if the bill was for more than I had in my pocket, prior to going to the reception I made out a cheque payable to the hotel, so, if needs be, I could pull it straight out of my pocket. In those days, cheques were often not accepted. In fact, I had enough cash, so I tore the cheque up. The Inspectors obviously did'nt believe this story. In fact, they did'nt seem to believe anything I said. They thought I had given a big cheque out to a moneylender or something like that. Also, every day, I thought more and more of the staff were pointing the finger at me. Maybe I was paranoid, but, with hindsight I don't think so. So, about midweek, I awoke in the morning, looked at my watch, 09.45 a.m. I should have been in work at nine. I was always at the death, 5 minutes late. But, this was different, everyone was going to be stareing at me, I'd have to try and make excuses, and -- the atmosphere of suspicion ----- on my way into Rhyl in my car, on an impulse, I turned around and drove off into the country, who knows to where. Mike

Was it collusion?

2007-12-18T15:22:00.000Z

Sorry to keep the five or so readers I've got in suspense as to where I went on the morning I overslept. When the audience is bigger, you will find out. In the meantime one thing I was questioned about in detail was "Who did I think had done it?" Obviously it was an inside job, there had been no break in and it was impossible to get into the strongroom when it was locked because it needed two members of staff at the same time to produce keys.But, the next question "What about collusion?" This is where two or more members of staff get together to pull a fraud. This is always reckoned to be the worst type of inside bank fraud, I don't really know why. My reply to both questions was a rather long drawn out statement which, in effect, meant I did'nt have a clue. However, one thing I was sure of, and I told the Inspectors. If it WAS collusion, then, in my opinion, it was the manager, Myfyr Hedd and the Chief Clerk, Bryn. Why. I don't really know, just a strong gut feeling, but more, I did'nt think anyone else on the Bank's staff were close enough to do anything like this together. The Manager and C.C. spent hours together .in the office, talking. They appeared to understand each other well, I won't say they were friends, but they appeared to "get on." Not like the rest of the staff, all the girls were frightened of the Manager. I got on reasonably, but no more. Now, back to making links!!!

On the run?

2007-12-17T16:48:00.000Z

Back to the story. Its just after Xmas, I've overslept, and instead of driving to work, I am driving the opposite direction to goodness knows where. I had no iodea where I was going, I was just driving, thinking. I ended up in an area around Trelogan, if anyone klnows North Wales. I had a brilliant view accross Prestatyn and Rhyl towatrds Llandudno. I stopped the car, and just thought, and thought and thought. What a bloody mess, my life in the Bank would never be the same again whatever the outcome. Too much had already come out about my private life for me to be able to carry on in my cushy job with a good chance of promotion. Also, there had been shortfalls in some of my work, nothing too drastic, most of it to do with securityaspects. The sort of thing was the handling of keys. I have already told you that thetre were two "streams" of key holders. However, Caredog Lewis was one offender, and me I must admit. He used to keep his keys in his till drawer along side him when he was on the till. Often, if I needed to get in the strongroom, which I did several times a day, he would say"I'm too busy. Here help yourself." (to the keys). So, I had the full set. I suppose everyone on the staff knew this went on, it should'nt have, but I think we all did it at busy times when we needed to get in quick. But, the Inspectors were not amused. This was just one of many things which were going through my mind. The missing suitcase----about a year or so before I helped myself to this case to go on holiday. When I came home, I forgot to take it back to the Bank. Of course, after a few days, someone was shouting "Where's the case?" Me:- Hold on, I won't be a minute. About half an hour later I walk in with it!!! So, all the staff then knew it was easy to walk out with this case without being noticed. I had no doubt the Inspectors had been told. So, it was looking bleak for me. After about a couple of hours, maybe three, I started to drive. I remember going in a country phonebox near Tremerchion, a little hamlet. I don't remember who I phoned, remember I am telling the truth, but---I do know that I was thinking it was the most important call of my life. Who to. I don't know, it might have been my Wife who, by now, would have been wondering where I was. But, I don't think so. More likely, I phoned the Bank and told them I was'ent coming in because I thought they thought I had done it. But I don't remember who I spoke to if that was so. A bit of a mystery. Anyway, I carried on driving, further and further away. By tea time I was in Newport in Shropshire, I did'nt really know where I was. I had decided. I wrote a letter to the Chief Inspector telling him I thought I was top of the list, and I was sending the letter to his office in Shrewsbury because I was afraid if I sent it to the Bank in Rhyl, some member of staff might open it, it might be the guilty person, and they might destroy it. So, that might take a bit of suspicion off me, I did'nt know. I never heard if he received it. Anyway, back driving now, mind possibly a bit clearer. Heading back to North Wales. I stopped at a pub, always my solution to any problem, had a few pints (long before breath tests) and carried on feeling a bit better. Back close to Ewloe and into the Checkpoint Club, THE PLACE for anyone and everyone in the early swinging sixtys. I knew it well. Monica was in there with two of her lady friends and three hopeful males. You should have seen their faces drop when I walked in, I was the number one favourite at the time, and they had just lost their chance!!! After closing we all went back to one man's house near Penyffordd, and later I took Monica home, then back to Rhyl to bed, probably about 3 a.m. I wondered what the next day would bring.

Were they trying to trick me?

2007-12-16T20:53:00.000Z

The daytime of the next day I remember absolutely nothing about. No, not plastered, although I often was. Generally speaking at night!!! I must have spent the whole day driving around again, the first thing I remember was in the early evening, I was dead hungry and I went in a Chinese restaurant to eat. I must have decided that I would have to go home. I got a hot reception from my Wife when I returned. She said that everyone in the Bank were getting on at her as to where I was. They said perhaps the same thing had happened to me as happened to my Dad. In the l950's he was the Manager of Barclays Bank in Colwyn Bay. In the days when a Bank Manager was someone. He had about two years to go to a happy retirement, he owned a very nice house in Rhos-on-Sea, very happily married to my Mother with my younger Sister still living at home, everything to live for. Except one thing, he suffered from what I consider the worst illness anyone can have, depression. He could not escape the demons in his mind, he could not stop worring every single day and night over the most rediculous things. One day, walking to work, he threw himself off the Brompton Avenue railway bridge. My Wife, of course, knew me better. Fortunately, I was the exact opposite, too laid back for my own good. Next, a knock on the door. It was Caredog Lewis, the first cashier. "Please come back to work. If you come on Monday, you will find that someone is missing." Lots of knowing looks. I asked time and again, who? After an age he said "Bryn." As soon as he left, I shot up to Bryn's grand house in The Boulevard in Rhyl. I hung around outside, hidden in the dark, watching the house. Nothing seemed to be happening, a few lights inside. After a while I gave up and went home. I don't know what I expected to see, Black Maria police vans outside or what. I did'nt know what to do. I suspected I was being set up to return. I don't remember what I did then, probably alcohol in somewhere or other, that was what was keeping me going and not cracking up. Mike

I think I'm surrounded by enemies

2007-12-15T22:42:00.000Z

Saturday. I don't know how, I'm not sure if we had a phone at home, not many people did at that time. However, a message got to me. "Did I know a layby on the Rhuddlan Melidan road about half mile from Rhuddlan? I said yes. Well, tomorrow, Sunday at 11.30 a.m. the boss (it could have been him I was speaking to, i don't remember) will be parked, by himself, in that layby. Would I go there? I said I would have to think about it. I was unsure, I could see traps everywhere. In the end, I went. I nearly did'nt. His car was there, and he was by himself. I got in, and we talked. He said Bryn was suspended indefinately from work, he did'nt say what for, and would I turn up on Monday. I was still unsure, I could'nt believe what I was hearing, maybe a guilty conscience, I'll leave you to decide that. But, as we talked, I thought more and more he was telling the truth. I said O.K. I'd be there. I remember his last words well, I could do with a drink. Typical. I think if I had said yes lets go, we would have ended up in a club together!!! Thats how Barclays in Rhyl carried on at that time.

So, I'm back in work

2007-12-14T22:58:00.000Z

Monday morning, I took my courage in both hands and walked in. Within five minutes I was told by the boss to take over the Chief Clerks desk. I used to do it if Bryn was on holiday, but never in circumstances like existed then!!! From being No one suspect to Chief Clerk, on a tempory basis, in one gasp. I could'nt speak to Wyn because of all the Inspectors around, Wyn was probably the only one on the staff that I could trust to speak what I thought was the truth. Eventually a bit at a time, I found out something of what had been going on in the last few days. The inspectors had one day suddenly disappeared. The grapevine had worked, and the Rhyl staff had found out they had all gone in force to Denbigh branch. Bryn had prior to his promotion to Rhyl about ten months before, been what was called "second man" in Denbigh. The inspectors had found something wrong with the books which led them to Denbigh, they confronted Bryn on the Friday with what they thought they knew, and suspended him (on full pay, I might add). So, was I off the hook? Far from it!!!!

New Years Eve, 1964

2007-12-13T13:58:00.000Z

This short blog is not about the bank fraud directly, it is about my so called private life. This is just to show you that the mid sixtys were wild times. I was turning into Julius Ceasar again. The New Year party at the Checkpoint, Ewloe. By Roman command of Cleo herself. This time her husband, John, was also in our group. He was dressed in a bit of sackcloth and covered in some sort of expensive gravy browning. Everyone there knew Monica, several asked was I Mark Anthony, to which she said no, he's Ceasar. Well ---- who or what is John? Oh. he's just a slave!!! Some husbands are long suffering. It wasent a good night, we did'nt win first prize. I don't remember if anyone did. but it put Cleo in a bad mood. Then John came to us and said to me "Your Wife's on the phone AND SHE IS LIVID. She said if I did'nt get back to Rhyl sharpish she would be off to Ewlow with a shotgun--or words to that effect." So. exit stage left Julius Ceasar. When I got back home there was a babysitter inside, no Wife, she had gone to a party. She wasent one to stay at home moping because I was'ent there, if there was anything going on she was first in the queue. So. I sent the babysitter home. Later my Wife returned and set about ripping my roman toga, crown etc off me and tearing, smashing them up. Oh dear. And tomorrow its back into the cauldron of Barclays Bank.

Off the hook? No chance

2007-12-12T15:22:00.000Z

So, the position on New Years Day was, one of the staff suspended. presumably because of money in one way or another, again presumably 168 grand, and I was next to the boss in seniority, and surrounded by Inspectors. I did the Chief Clerks job well, although I say so myself. Bryn always had a terribly untidy desk, papers in piles everywhere, but I liked to be on top of it and anything, any problem, that arose, as they did all the time, I did everything possible to sort them out straight away, and have an empty desk at the end of the day. Indirectly, this soon put paid to my being in charge. I had about three of the more junior staff all came at me at the same time with work problems, and I was literally jumping from one to the other with instructions. I saw the boss looking at me rather strangly, and I heard him go to his phone. I think he thought I was panicking, but--I was'ent, and was more likely showing off a bit at how fast I could decide things. A few days later the Manager of Colwyn Bay branch came on the phone, and the call was passed to me. He said L.H.O. had been on to him and they wanted his second man to get to Rhyl quickly to take over the C.C's job. He, the Manager, said to me "Whats going on in Rhyl? Wheres Bryn?" I answered noncommitantly. A few days later this man arrived, and, I think, he was replaced again by someone from Mold, I may be wrong but I think that is what happened. And, of course, I was back on my own securities desk. Another day or two, and yet another question time with the Inspectors, really this was an ongoing process every day to every one, but me more than anyone. This time it was all questions about something that happened the previous September!!! At that time, Bryn was on holiday, and, as normal, I had moved up to be Chief Clerk. There is a rule in the Bank that when you are on holiday---you are on holiday. You cannot say "Oh I'll work today, never mind the pay." The reason for the rule is nothing to do with pay, it is that, over the years, banks have found out that if someone on the staff is on a fiddle, they will be in and out all the time to try to keep the guilty facts from coming out. I was constantly asked "Did Bryn come in a lot during this week or two he was off?" I said sometimes, but nothing much. But, and its a big but, while he was away I had a petty problem with a Boy Scout's account, there was some confusion about some payment out, it only involved about five pounds in 1964 money, and I cannot remember, nor does it matter, what the complicated bookkeeping problem was. But there was no way of my being sure what had happened without balancing the particular ledger. We did this to every ledger every two weeks, but there was a young lad on the staff who was underemployed, so I grabbed him and said "here take this ledger and balance it." During the next couple of days, whenever I saw him, I asked "Have you balanced that ledger yet?" His reply was, "No, its 6.000 pounds out." Well, I was'ent interestwd it that, I was looking for something like five pounds, 23 pence. That amount wasent showing up, so, as far as I was concerned, the 6,000 was just an adding mistake or something. On the Monday Bryn came back, when I was handing over his desk I told him of this ledger which did'nt balance, and then promptly forgot all about it. As far as I was concerned it was'ent my problem now Bryn was back. Oh, said the Inspectors --- long stern faces. A bit at a time it came out --- Bryn was suspended because 6,000 pounds was missing, and had been missing since his time at Denbigh. We had ten ledgers. By a ten to one shot I needed to balance that particular ledger. The young lad who I had told to balance it said that Bryn appeared very annoyed and said "I don't know what Mike (me) is doing messing around like this, it doesent need to be balanced until a week next Wednesday." No wonder he was annoyed, I had been witrhin a whisker of throwing the whole thing open. But, of course, because I did nothing in the end, it looked bad for me. The assumption amongst the Inspectors, reading between the lines, is that I had found out, and---I had, for my own reasons, decided to keep quiet about it. Oh dear, yet again

Through January

2007-12-09T17:01:00.000Z

The Bank as a whole now settled back into comparative normality. Its January, I'm on my usual desk as, indeed, were everyone else apart, of course, from Bryn Roberts the Chief Clerk. No news of him, at least, no news as far as we were concerned. The Inspectors obviously knew more, but, as far as I am aware, Bryn never set foot inside the Bank again. One week passes into another, and a third, and a fourth. One or two minor incedents. One funny one was when I took a phone call from another branch, they wanted to come over to borrow something or other, and whoever was on the phone said to me "Is the Bank still in the same place in Rhyl High Street?I said, Yes of course, why? Reply What we have heard, its a wonder that someone has'ent stolen all the bricks by now!!!" Bits and bobs came out. According to someone, after the Inspectors confronted Bryn and told him he was suspended, the last thing he did was go to the Manager and say "Well thats the end of it, its all over now." But another incedent came to light towards the end of the month, to me this was probably the most unbelievable thing of the lot. Bryn had been the Treasurer of the local Rhyl Round Table, not unusual for a bank staff member to be given a job like that. Also, every summer the Bank had a staff "Sports Day." They all came down from Liverpool, Chester etc to North Wales, the men played golf, the ladies played Tennis, everyone had a meal, drinks and a general gettogether. In 1964 it was held at the Grand Hotel, Prestatyn (now The Sands). The administration was usually done by a local branch, so Rhyl was given the job, and Bryn was given (or took) the job of looking after the finances. The bank account for this was kept in the Local Head Office in Liverpool. Some time around January, the Grand Hotel contacted the Head Office and said "How about settling your bill, its a figure of 1,600 pounds." The Bank replied "What do you mean, you've been paid by cheque and the cheque went through in September. " It turned out that the Round Table had also had a function at the Grand, and their bill was for more or less the same amount, I believe there was a small difference. Believe it or not Bryn used the Bank's cheque to pay the Round Table bill. He had obviously used the Round Table funds himself. To me, this was not a theft' There was'ent a cat in hells chance that this wouldnt be found out, probably sooner rather than later. I feel sure, and still feel now, that he only intended to "borrow" it, he must have thought that some way he would put it right in the future. This was an act of desparation. I never found out if he had put this right out of the missing 6,000 pounds that he had been suspended for, or whether it was still outstanding when he was suspended. The members of the Round Table could not believe their ears when the news trickled out, later on in the year. A lot of them took ot as a personal thing, and were very angry. Otherwise, the Bank was fairly peaceful. Towards the end of the month the more junior members of the Inspection team started to drift away, one by one, presumably to go back to their routine of checking postage stamps in other branches. But now they would have a tale or two to tell!!! My private life was exciting to say the least. One night I was having a violent row in my car with my Wife, probably over Monica. She flew at me and gouged four deep scratches right down my face with her nails. The row went on, and I shouted if she didnt stop screaming I would tip the car over. I went into an S bend at an impossible speed, unfortunately for the car there was ice on the road, a big fast spin, and the car was on its side on a bank at the side of the road. So, next day I had to explain to everyone in work why I was scarred down my face and the car smashed up right along one side. Noone believed me when I said I had to crawl out through brambles.

And into February

2007-12-08T16:35:00.000Z

Daily routine as usual. Even the senior detectives, sorry, inspectors, were becoming so well known that they were almost friends. Especially Bill Bayley, the second in command. But then, I think he was a naturally friendly man. I know that he intercepted a phone call from Monica, she often phoned me at work, and she thought he was trying to chat her up. I knew better of course, he was weighing the situation up as all the inspectors, every day, were doing. After work I had got in the habit of going for a drink in the small "snug" in the Lourne Pub in the High Street. Its still there if you fancy a drink in Rhyl, but the snug has long gone. It was used by, shall I say, professional men, i.e. local Solicitors, Managers of Marks and Spencer and the like. One evening the acting Chief Clerk, I don't recall his name, came in, presumably on his way home to Mold, I think it was. He was a very nice, peaceful old gentleman, I don't think he was particularly happy at being thrown into the boiling pot of intrege (spelt wrong I know) that was Barclays, Rhyl. He got into the habit, like me. I often wondered afterwards was he put up to this by the Inspectors. Probably. "See what you can find out---and report back." Also, about that time, Ernie Taylor, the owner of the missing deedbox, understandably started playing up, after all it was nearly three months after the loss was discovered and his claim, to me, appeared foolproof. After all, the box had gone, there was no argument about that. He said he needed the money, and fast. One day, in the Bank, I happened to be working on the enquiry desk and Ernie was there as a customer. He came over to me and started talking. He said he had heard that one of our staff was no longer there, I'm not surprised he had heard, the Barclays Bank mystery was the number one topic of conversation in every bar and cafe in Rhyl. All in very hushed tones. Ernie chatted, but his face was stern. He said he had a shooting range on the fairground, so he had easy access to guns and ammunition. He said that he was strongly tempted to use his gun on whoever had got their hands on his cash---he did'nt say me, but he did'nt say not me either. Lucky I'm not of a nervious disposition. The following couple of days a phone call came from Head Office in London. Very, very unusual. Both the Manager and acting C.C. were out, so the call ended up with me. Head Office: "We want you to transfer 75,000 pounds from Sundry Payments account (this was an internal account to cover small day to day payments like the window cleaner or some floor polish.) Put it into a temporary account with withdrawals to be made by Mr Ernie Taylor and no one else, up to the balance of 75,000. Do not charge any interest or any other charge to this account, and say as little as possible to anyone on the staff about it." O.K., I did that, and Ernie was happy again. But still gunning for me, literally. I often laughed to myself about the phone call. Whoever spoke to me from London obviously thought Rhyl branch had about 100 on the staff, not about 20 or so. They would never have instructed ME of all people to do this if they had known I was one of the prime suspects. By a strange quirk of fate, many, many years later, at least 25 years, both Ernie and I were regular customers in a social club in Kinmel Bay. One night, over a pint, he confessed that in 1965 he thought it was me, to use his words "You had the style." Do you think that was a complement?

Has the BIG ONE got away?

2007-12-01T16:31:00.000Z

Aroundabout the beginning of March, over three months after the original discovery of missing cash, rumours were spreading around the Bank. It appeared that after all this time, someone, it was suggested in wispered tones that it was our Manager, not one of the Inspectors, suggested that---would it be a good idea if the Bank very discretly asked any customers who the Bank THOUGHT, and no more than THOUGHT, had deedboxes which MIGHT contain cash or valuables, to come in and check them out. Why no one had thought of doing this earlier goodness only knows. Now, I may be treading on thin ice here. So, to my disclaimer. What I write is fact---fact from 40 years ago. Anything the reader might guess at, that is up to them. So. any legal gentlemen who might be asked to read this, any confidentiality clause I might have been bound by 40 years ago, I doubt if you are going to revive it now. In any case, I'm 75 years old, minimum pension, no capital of note. And I'll drag my heels for a few years, if I can do that until I'm 95 I won't be bothered!!! So. enter Mr Billy Williams, Son of the late, great Billy (Big Wheels) Williams, sadly deceased about 1962. Mr Billy Williams junior was probably the premier showman in Rhyl. He did'nt bank with Barclays, but he did have a large deed box deposited there. It was large, wrapped in brown paper, tied with string, sealing wax over the knots. Mr Billy Williams junior withdrew this box, rapidly, and I, personally, never saw it again. Did I sense that someone on our staff was thinking "Damn, the big ones got away?" Next, Mr J.J.Butterworth, the owner of the first (or last, depending which way you travelled) fairground on the prom in Rhyl. A customer of Barclays. He had a reasonably large holdold type of case deposited with the Bank. Wynne and I had often joked about "The Butterworth bag." In the summer, whenever JJB had access to his case, afterwards it had grown fatter and fatter. In the winter, it got thinner and thinner. Mr.Butterworth withdrew this bag. BUT, slowly, over the next few weeks, even months, a certain mystery surrounded this bag. None of the staff, and, most certainly, none of the Inspectors, would talk about it. No one knew anything, but some gave hints. Mr. Lewis, our Chief Cashier, gave hints, knowing looks remarks like "empty, its all gone." But, Mr Lewis did, to a certain extent, live in a bit of a dream world. He was prone to exagerate to give himself a bit of importance. So, you could'nt put too much faith in anything he said. But, there was this doubt amongst all of us, what had gone on?

Its coming up to 4 months

2007-11-30T13:17:00.000Z

Its coming up to the end of March, nearly four months after the first loss was found out. I was told I had to travel to the Bank's local head office in Liverpool. To be there at 10.30 in the morning. I don't recall if they paid me my expenses. probably I thought I would'nt push my luck with that one!! I remember going by car. As I walked up towards Water Street in Liverpool. after parking my car, I remember being surprised to pass a local man, I don't recall his name but I think, only think, he had a shop in Prestatyn. He was walking away from the Bank. I knew, at the time, but I have forgotten. Also, I have forgotten how he was involved, but I do remember that he was connected in some way with a lot of the Rhyl senior staff, perhaps it was through the Round Table. But, for some reason, and I cannot remember this either, I felt very apprehensive when I saw him. I thought if they are interrogating someone like him, what was waiting for me? I arrived in the Bank, was shown into a room on one of the upper floors, and waited, and waited, and waited. After what seemed like hours THEY all came into the room. The District Inspector, his deputy, Bill Bayley, and another, younger man, unknown to me, and most definately in charge of the proceedings. I am not sure to his name, I don't suppose the casual reader is interested. but for anyone who remembers these times, I think his surname was a name often used as a christian name, i.e. Mr James, Mr George, or something similar. Possibly Welsh, but he had no accent. He was most definately not friendly, his questioning went on and on about everything under the sun to do with me and Barclays Bank. At the end of the day I felt like a limp rag. Report back tomorrow here at the same time. Off to the pub, or Monicas, or both. The next day, the same thing. At this time my Wife had a small shop in Rhyl, and about a couple of years before she, and I because it was really a partnership, where short of cash for stock or something. So we took out a second mortgage on a bungalow we were buying in Rhyl. This was absolutely frowned on by Barclays Bank, however it certainly was'ent illegal in any way, it was normal business and personal practice. But the Bank absolutely forbade it, so I had'nt told them. This nasty interrogator from Head Office in London, went over and over again asking me how I had paid for some particular transaction. I told him a complicated financial deal in detail. Once, twice, after the third time he threw what is called a Land Registry search form on the desk which showed the second mortgage. "Well, what about this?" he shouted. He thought he had caught me out in a load of lies, but not really, I did'nt think. What I had told him did happen, but the second mortgage money and the other monies I had mentioned were all mixed up, who was to say which pound note went there. At last, he went. Bill Bayley came back with more questions, but THE BIG INTEROGGATOR had gone elsewhere, thank God. I was fed up with the whole thing, and I was'ent bothered about showing it. Being told off about my private life for two days was not my idea of fun. Back to Rhyl. Back to work.

Mumps,what an excuse!!!

2007-11-29T14:47:00.000Z

So I returned to the Bank in Rhyl. It was the 31st March. A few days before Monica had asked me if I fancied going in the Chester Motor Club's April Fools rally, held tonight. I jumped at the chance, mixing it with the Chester nobility (!) and being with Monica. For some reason I asked two of the ladies from the Bank staff if they would like to come, Ann Kelsey a typist and Susan Jones from the machine room, the young lady that spotted us together in Paynes Corner House on the previous Boxing night. Both said yes. Both were lively ladies to be with and good fun. I don't remember whether we went in two cars or just mine. Anyway, Monica did the navigating with an Ordnance Survey map and a lot of joke clues, like one of the checkpoints was in a cave about 300 yards from off the road. Ann and Susan were with us, we got horribly lost and after hours gave up and went back to Gordon Vickers night club in Chester, more or less the last to get back. I get a lot of leg pulls from the young lads who had been driving, got lost for hours with three attractive young ladies---Ha Ha Ha. All in all it was a great night. I got into bed in Rhyl about 3 a.m. When I woke up to go to work, I could'nt move my neck for the pain. My Wife took one look at me and said "You've got mumps." She was in the St.John's Ambulance and was very good at spotting things like that quickly. But---at 33 years old and no contact with anyone infected. However, my Doctor soon confirmed it. "Don't go near anyone for at least three weeks. and definately don't even think about going to work. So, hard luck Mr Bill Bayley and his men, where the Gods smiling on me?

An inforced rest at home

2007-11-28T22:37:00.000Z

So, this will take me right through April. It was'ent until the Easter weekend three and a half weeks later that the Doctor gave the all clear to go back to work. During this time I had virtually no contact at all with the Bank, but, I did hear that the inspection was still in progress, even if one of the main actors in the drama was away. So by Good Friday I was signed off the National health register. Strangely I felt more unwell that at any time. I found out why on the Tuesday after Easter, the day I was back in the Bank. I got up and my Wife said "Look in the mirror, you're covered in spots!!!" Doctor called again --- Chickenpox. I had been in contact, one of Monicas children had it and I saw her about four weeks before. This time I was ill, it was another four weeks before, again, I was signed off to go back to work. My Doctor pleaded with me----For God's sake don't catch anything else. The Bank had been questioning him and obviously thought he might have been giving out fake sick notes.

Back in work, after eight weeks.

2007-11-26T14:30:00.000Z

So, at last, I'm back in work. An embarrasing incedent straight away, my own fault. I was on my old desk, catching up with what had happened whilst Wynne had been doing my job. The boss came around and was talking to me, how was I feeling now, that sort of thing. A new young girl who had started in the Bank as a typist (I think Margaret Brookes, on the original suspect list, had left. She moved away and later married her boy friend, the bank inspector. I never knew why she was on the list, anyway now she was obviously in the clear). I think I'm right in saying this new girl had taken Margarets place. She said to the boss "A Mrs Payne wants to speak to you." You will recall that both the boss and I had the same surname, and, in those days in the Bank, everyone used surnames. Payne was Monicas surname. I hastily interupted and said "No, thats for me." But, instead of cutting her off and saying call back later, I was so pleased to hear from her after eight weeks I carried on talking. The boss hung around me for a few minutes and eventually walked away. I always regretted doing that, I made myself look stupid and childish. The main change in work was the temporary Chief Clerk from Mold had gone. Our new Chief Clerk was one of the middle rankers from the Inspection team, I don.t recall his name. He was with us for good. Also, a bit of news I had been half expecting ever since November. THE POLICE HAD, AT LONG LAST, BEEN CALLED IN. What the Police thought about being consulted six months after the first discovery I never found out. I would'nt think they would be very enthuastic!!! So, I sat back and awaited developments.

SIX Months After----THE POLICE ARRIVE

2007-11-25T16:30:00.000Z

The Bank was still full of rumours. Apparantly it was now thought by the Inspectors that there might have been two memebrs of the staff, both on a fiddle, both at the same time, unknown to each other. My reaction to this story was, well, no doubt it was possible, but unlikely in the extreme!!! I just thought it was too improbable to be true. But, presuming that the ex Chief Clerk, now suspended, was one, the other could only be one of the remaining four, the Manager, myself, Wynne my right hand man, and Ceredig Lewis the first cashier. So I sat back, carried on my work, and waited for the boys in blue to descend. And, again, I waited, waited, and waited. One day, two, three a week, lots of rumours but no cops. Then, one day after the Bank had closed at 3 p.m. there was a knock at the side door, and I opened it. Outside were two men dressed in suits flashing some sort of primative I.D. No one was very security concious in those days. As they passed me to enter the Bank they both gave me the most extroadanary glare I have ever had in my life. The older one, in particular, a look of almost, you could say, hatrid. They went upstairs to a spare room we had. I don't know if anyone was with them, but, after an hour or so, they left. I guessed if they were not the Police, they must have been casting for a horror movie.

On the Police Carpet

2007-11-24T14:21:00.000Z

Rumours, rumours that was all that was going around Barclays Bank, Rhyl. Most of it unconfirmed, by me at least, even until this day. Bryn Roberts, our ex Chief Clerk was still suspended, still on full pay, supposed to be working as a taxi driver in Rhyl. That should help his financies, two full time incomes. Our Manager. Believed to have been interviewed by the Police, rumour again but it was supposed to have turned nasty on one side or another, or maybe both. That did'nt surprise me, if you wanted nastiness you did'nt need to look any further than Myfyr Hedd Jones Owen full of alcohol. Ask any freemason in Rhyl. Mr Lewis, our first cashier, seemed to know most of what was going on, or was he just guessing? One fact that was definate, though, was the Police had called, at night, unannounced, at Wyn's bungalow in Abergele. He told me himself about it. He said that a lot of the questions were about me. One thing in particular I remember. They said that on the afternoon the first deedbox was discouvered missing they had been told I was in a state of panic. I did.nt think I had been, but, if I had, so what. If I was the criminal, I would have been prepared for the discovery. If I was'ent the criminal, I was supposed to be in charge of deedboxes, so it would have been understandable for me to be concerned. Another week or so, another knock on the side door, same two coppers going upstairs again. Half an hour later our new Chief Clerk, the Inspector suddenly said to me "Damn, I forgot all about them. The Police are upstairs and they want to see you." The delay? Rehearsed under orders, maybe, to try to get me in a nice state. If that was what was intended, it did'nt work. I went upstairs, went into the private room and the "fun" began. Mr Sweet, the second in command, and Mr Sour the top C.I.D. man in Flintshire Constabulary. And boy, was he Sour.. Questions began about 2.30 and finished about 5.30. I was to return to Rhyl Police Station at 6.30. I chased back to my shop in Wellington Road, dragged all the toys and fancy goods in off the stalls outside, and shut the shop. And I went and sat on the wall outside the Police Station and waited to be asked in. The present Police Station is on the original site but now it is a new building built in the 1970s. At the time I am writing about it was what had been a very large private house adapted by the Police, a few bars on the windows etc. After about a half hour I was aware that someone was standing behind me----Mr Sweet. "Come In." The questions went on. At one time "Sour" appeared to be nodding off asleep. Sometimes the questions were friendly, leading me on, at others very agressive. Suddenly a lull, "Sweet" says "Shall I bring it now?" Sour nods his head. Was I going to be offered coffee? No chance. Sweet returns carrying what I instantly recognised as the Butterworth bag. It was unmistakeable, although I had bought an identical one from Lewis's in Liverpool a few months before. XXXXXX Oh dear, I should'nt have printed that %$&*£ I cannot find the delete key!!! He placed it on the desk between us. Sour----Have a look inside." I opened it. Inside what looked like a pile of builders waste, bits of brick, small stones thick paper like the remains of a bag of cement. AND THAT WAS ALL. Total value, 5p to fill a hole in a garden. Sweet---what do you make of that? Me----not a lot, looks like bricks to me. The bag was taken away. More questions, now centering on where I thought the thief would have hidden the dosh. They told me they knew my bungalow had been searched by Mr Bayley the Inspector. Then, suddenly, they said they wanted to go over it. By now its 9.30. at night, I knew my Wife would be not pleased, I asked if there was any chance of my having a phone call to her to tell her they were on the way. They did'nt laugh, but I think they would like to have done. They let me walk back to my shop to get my car, and they followed me in another car to Ffordd Derwen where I lived. We went in, they woke my 10 old son searching around in the matress which he was lieing on in bed asleep. They tipped my wifes private drawers out i.e. where she kept her underware and all in all it decended into the most almighty row between them and my Wife who was literally spitting blood with anger. I tried to smooth things down but with absolutely no luck, my first wife in a rage was enough to frighten anyone, even Flintshire's C.I.D. finest. I don't think there was much doubt they were delibrately getting her going. Then, up a broken ladder into the loft, Sour up the ladder with a torch. Five minutes later he struggles down clutching a large, battered brown suitcase---near enough identical to the one missing from the Bank. Ah ha, whats this, case on a bed , lid open, nothing inside. My Wife screaming at me, tell them where my late Father in Law worked. I said "The Coop drapery in Colwyn Bay." She points at a label on the lid, Coop Colwyn Bay. Cops departed with case, "Stay here. We will be back in ten minutes." I went outside to let things cool down. Ten minutes later they returned with the case, chucked it out of their car, and said "Thats not the one." And then promptly said "We.re going and we will see you again." Where could they have gone to in 10 minutes to identify or otherwise the case? The only place within distance that I could think of was either Bryn Roberts or Caredig Lewis's houises. And then, at the end of this eventful day, I had to drive like hell to Sandycroft where Monica lived, I don't remember whether it was anything special or was I just on a promise.

The jokings over

2007-11-23T18:32:00.000Z

I went into work as normal the next day. I had.nt had a sleepless night, indeed I have had very, very few in my life. But, I was upset. The last words from the Police as they left me outside my house. Quote--word for word. "We are convinced that, if you did.nt do it, you know who did do it." FULL STOP. So I knew where I stood. I was one foot inside the cell. The questioning the previous day, and especially in the evening, had got fairly nasty at times. At one stage one of them, either sweet or sour, said that they had been told by someone on the Bank staff that at some time in the recent past I had said "If I own up to this, what will happen to me?" I went a bit balistic at this, I said "What the hell would I say something like that for? What is this, a conspiracy." Thats also word for word. The two cops immediately backed off, they did'nt apologise but---they backed off. Work carried on. That day, or the next, Mr Lewis, our first cashier, came to me and seemed to be on my side. He said he had seen my Wife somewhere and she told him about the fracase in my house the previous night. Considering he was a suspect himself, although down the ladder, he appeared supportive. Indeed he said words to the effect he thought the Police actions disgusting, I should take legal advice etc.etc. However, completly apart from that, I had decided that I was'ent going through an ordeal like that again by myself. Come what may, the next time the Police came calling, I was going to have a strong Solicitor by my side, and I knew just the man. The late Mr Graham Roberts, of Gamlin, Kelly and Beattie Solicitors of Rhyl. Son of a Police Inspector. Solicitor in the world famous "Mummy in the Cupboard" case in Rhyl. Anyone remember that? A worldwide first for Rhyl, in 1960. A man discovered a mummified body in a house in Rhyl. Dated back to a death in 1936. A freak current of air had mummified the body. Unfortunately the lady who owned the house had been claiming the "mummys" pension every week near enough for 25 years!!! Graham Roberts acted there, he was good enough for me, never mind legal qualifications, he was a man of the world who understood and symphasised the failings of man. And I had plenty of those failings!!! I went to see him,told him a bit about it, I think he probably had heard gossip already. But, in the event, I never needed him. I never saw the Police again.

Six months of "limbo"

2007-11-22T16:58:00.000Z

After all the drama of the previous six months, things now settled back into a situation similar to a "Phoney" war. Days, weeks, months went by, with us all at work---but that was all. Every now and then incedents cropped up, all spread out with weeks inbetween. First, I saw a copy of a letter from Rhyl Branch to Head Office. It had.nt been kept confidential, so the news, which we all suspected, was out. The "Butterworth bag" had contained cash, he claimed it had held £105,000 in cash plus about 50 golden soverigns plus a neclace or something constructed out of gold soverigns. So-----the total haul had gone well past the quarter of a million. Another copy letter, at a later date. Mr Butterworth was not worried about being reimbursed straight away so long as he got it in the end. Ernie Taylor, on the other hand, had already been reimbursed by cash out of an internal bank account, and---he was'ent going to give it back. No mention of Mr Myers at all. At some time during the long, hot summer I asked our new Chief Clerk, the previous Inspector, "Where are the Police these days, we never seem to see them." He replied in the form of a joke, something like "well they go off every now and then, solve a murder, then do a bit of work on the Bank job, then something else." If he did know what they were doing, he was'ent saying. But I, personally, never, ever saw anything of them again, apart from accidental sightings in the street or pub about two or three times. I could well be wrong, but I think, I repeat think, they thought they should have been called in much earlier and the Bank job was now down the list on their priorities. All the staff remained the same. I have been told that this is normal Bank practice. If there is a fraud that they cannot put their finger on, they leave everyone together to see who will crack. Bryn Roberts, our ex-chief clerk, was still reported to be working as a taxi driver----and still on full pay. Early in December, twelve months after the first loss was discovered, I had to report to Local Head Office in Liverpool. To be seen by no less than the Senior Local Director, Mr Big in Barclays, North Wales. I was'ent given a real telling off, more a sort of disappointed guardian who felt I had let the side down. In a way, I suppose he was right. I should'nt have been borrowing money off junior clerks, even if other members of the staff had also done it. I should'nt have been receiving frequent phone calls from attractive married women. I should'nt have taken out a second mortgage without telling the Bank, although this was certainly not illegal. But, it was all too late now. He said that Head Office stated that it was extremely unlikely that I would ever get any promotion within Barclays even if I stayed until I was 90, and I was being moved to Kirkby, Liverpool Branch, which, as I found out, was just about the worst Branch in the whole of the Liverpool/North Wales district. Not the happiest Xmas presant, but I had asked for it