Bank employee clocks up an impressive 50 years' service

Pat Scott grew up in Latimer Road, Eastbourne, and after leaving St Andrew’s School was planning to become a teacher but her brother advised her to go into banking as it was more prestigious.

After an intimidating interview in the manager’s wood panelled office at the regional headquarters in Brighton, Pat was offered a job and started at the branch at 189 Terminus Road on January 31, 1967.

Pat said, “My first job was sorting cheques into alphabetical order using just the signatures to identify the customers.

It took me a long time to remember all the signatures and at one point I wondered if this was the job for me after all.”

Pat has worked at various branches across the South East but has mainly been based at the Eastbourne branches. During her career she has been a junior machinist, a first cashier and a branch manager. One of her favourite jobs was managing a team of 18 in the machine room.

In her current role she is a Moment Banker in Eastbourne helping customers with more complex tasks like account opening, account reviews and loan applications.

She added, “I have never regretted my decision to join the bank. Barclays has been my life and my family and I have made a lot of good friends here.

“It has been great to see customers who I helped open accounts come back later with their own children. The technology has changed but the way we help people with their financial needs hasn’t.”

Outside work, Pat has a long association with the St John Ambulance and is very interested in photography.

Pat intends extending her career indefinitely. She said, “As long as I get up and feel as passionate and enthusiastic as I do today then I will carry on, the day I don’t I will know it is time to give up.”

Her only break from Barclays was in 1980 when her daughter Hayley was born. At the time it was usual for women to leave the company when they had children but Pat was held in such high regard that the manager agreed that she could return immediately after her maternity leave.

This means it is likely that she has had longer continuous service than any other woman in the company.

Barclays community banking director Nigel Taylor said, “Pat is a pillar of the community in Eastbourne, she is trusted and valued by her customers and colleagues and we are lucky to have the benefit of her long experience.”