ATM Creator's Card Expires

Speaking of ATMs, John Shepherd-Barron passed away earlier this week. Sheperd-Barron is credited with having invented the machines.

Shepherd-Barron had been infuriated that he could not always gain access to his money when he needed it, especially over the weekend, when banks were closed. “It struck me that there must be a way I could get my own money, anywhere in the world or the UK. I hit upon the idea of a chocolate bar dispenser, but replacing chocolate with cash.”

Shortly afterwards, by chance, he bumped into the chief general manager of Barclays Bank, who was about to have lunch. “I said, over a pink gin, ‘Give me 90 seconds’. I told him I had an idea that if you put your standard Barclays cheque through a slot in the side of the bank, I will deliver standard amounts of money around the clock.”

Barclays bit, once again proving that almost every improvement society has seen has been hashed out over a drink.

John Shepherd-Barron was 84.