A Christmas-themed backdrop borrowed from PaperPlus Stratford adds to the festive decorations in the town's TSB branch. Photo / Ilona Hanne
A Christmas-themed backdrop borrowed from PaperPlus Stratford adds to the festive decorations in the town's TSB branch. Photo / Ilona Hanne
The Stratford branch of TSB is in the red - and the green, and the gold and all the other Christmas colours.
Nicola Lambkin, a personal banking adviser at the bank, says when she and the team read that Stratford Christmas light trail organiser Kylee Lawrence thought target="_blank">Stratford was the most Christmassy town in Taranaki, they felt inspired to help ensure the town deserved that title.
“We thought, well, let’s become the most Christmassy bank in Stratford, or even the region, so we got started.”
It began, she says, with one tree.
“Then we got another, then a third one arrived, and we kept adding more Christmas decorations.”
Lambkin says while the branch manager, Grant Commerford, is “a bit of a Christmas Grinch” he hasn’t stopped the team in their quest to claim the most Christmassy bank title.
“He hasn’t said no, so we’ve kept going.”
Keeping going has meant that as well as the Christmas trees - including a Grinch-themed one - the bank has plenty of tinsel, wrapped presents, bells and other Christmas decorations and models as well as a large Christmas-themed backdrop.
“Margie at PaperPlus Stratford loaned us that - it really adds to the overall look, as the building is a big space to fill, it really finishes it all off.”
A Grinch tree is one of several trees decorating the TSB Stratford branch in the lead-up to Christmas 2023. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Not that Lambkin is willing to commit to the Christmas decorating actually being finished.
“We do keep adding to it.”
An Elf on the Shelf is also currently living with the bank, moving daily to the delight of children coming into the bank.
“Children love walking in and seeing all the trees and Christmas decorations. That’s why we’ve done it really, it’s about bringing lots of Christmas cheer to the community.”
It’s not been an easy year for many, she says.
“So this is a way to have some fun and cheer people up.”
She says she and the team are “confident we are the most Christmassy bank in Stratford, or maybe even the most Christmassy TSB branch anywhere”, and so invited the town’s mayor to award the branch a prize.
“We decided we deserved it, so we borrowed a trophy and invited the mayor to come and present it to us.”
Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke presents a trophy to Stratford TSB team members Nicola Lambkin, Annu Martikainen and Kelsi Bailey in the name of some Christmas fun. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Mayor Neil Volzke says that while the title of “most Christmassy bank in Stratford” might be a little tongue-in-cheek given the declining number of banks in the town in recent years, he was happy to join in the fun.
“They’ve certainly made the effort to bring some cheer to the town, and yes, I think it’s safe to say they are indeed, the most Christmassy bank in Stratford.”
Lambkin says there’s still time for people to call in and admire the bank’s Christmas makeover, with the branch open daily until close of business on Friday, December 22.
“We are then closed until Monday, January 8, when our normal hours and days resume. Of course, people can also use their online and mobile banking at any time.”
