MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH BUILDING SOCIETIES
Tim Harrison
- Regions:
- London, Surrey
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Published Author/Journalist/Historian
- Fee:
- Paid: £140 including travel expenses
- Category:
- Business
- Updated:
- 16th February 2026
- Tagged:
- Building Societies | Savings | High Streets | Hobbies
IN THE HEYDAY of building societies, every town in Britain had one. Back in the 1970s, a teenage Tim Harrison embarked on a mission to join as many as he could; a hobby which generated a collection of 113 passbooks – each containing £1. He watched the postie stagger up the path with a sack of letters informing him each investment had soared to £1.01. Tim explains his passion for building societies, how he persuaded The Duchess of Kent to give him its final passbook on the day it shut, and how he was arrested at gunpoint by Special Branch while trying to join the Irish Nationwide. It’s a talk illustrated with his unique collection of account books.
Views: 14 | Enquiries: 0About Tim Harrison
IN A LONG, varied career as journalist, author and local historian I have written for everyone from Private Eye and The Telegraph to Viz and The Economist. For 18 years I worked on BBC One’s Question Time, and now edit Surbiton's local newspaper, The Good Life.
I grew up next door to film star Margaret Lockwood, I've exhibited at the Royal Academy, I once lost at snooker to Hurricane Higgins and I’m president of my local historical society. I have written more than 30 stage plays as well as a book about David Bowie's launch of Ziggy Stardust.
I love sharing my knowledge and quirky adventures with a diverse array of groups and societies, and bring a PowerPoint slideshow on a memory stick/laptop for use with your inhouse projector.
I am an experienced public speaker and enjoy using humour and images to make my talks engaging and entertaining.
Each lasts around 45 minutes to leave time for audience questions.
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