We’re celebrating a big birthday this week at Hope&Glory.
That’s right, fifty years ago today the world got its first ever ATM, changing the way we accessed and spent money forever more. But, did you know that Barclays installed the first ATM in sunny Enfield North London?
To mark the golden anniversary, Barclays has transformed original Enfield ATM gold and installed a commemorative plaque, and we’ve been celebrating in style as coverage has rolled in across the board…
We’ve seen pieces in Metro, The Guardian, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, ITV News, the Beeb Online, BBC Breakfast, Sky News, Radio 4: Today, Reuters and more, with filming taking place down at the Enfield branch throughout the day with a range of news crews.
And because we’re nice like that, here are a few fun facts and stats about cash machines for you …
– There are 70,000 ATMs in the UK
– Each UK ATM delivers on average £2.5 million a year into the community in which it is located, helping to stimulate vibrant local economies
– Today, 92% of all £10 notes in circulation are acquired through ATMs
– The first ‘drive-thru’ cash machine in the UK was opened on 22 May 1998 at Hatton Cross, near Heathrow Airport by Cheryl Baker, TV presenter
– The idea of a cash machine was first thought up by Turkish born inventor Luther George Simjian in 1939, but it didn’t get off the ground at the time
– The world’s most northerly ATM is at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
– The most southerly ATM is to be found at the McMurdo station at the South Pole
– China did not install its first ATM until 1987
– The Vatican City is home to the world’s only ATM that can give instructions in Latin
