Hearing late last night that Lloyds TSB was to take over Halifax Bank of Scotland has really made me think. We are living in interesting – and downright difficult – times and business casualties are inevitable. I have been trying to work out why this one has had such a personal impact on me.

I clicked on their website . The landing page probably sums it up for me. The picture is of their HQ – which sits proudly on the Mound in Edinburgh and is on the route I take when travelling into the City.  It is truly a landmark and a symbol of the history of the Bank. When I left college in the late 70s – dropping out after a year – (I was not yet ready for serious study) I was looking for my first job. As a young woman at that time in Edinburgh getting ” a job in an office” was quite an ambition – and a job in a bank was even better. I applied to the 3 main banks then – the Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale ( all of which are permitted to issue their own bank notes would you believe!?). The Royal and Bank both offered me a job.  Both interviews were held in beautiful old offices in  St Andrew Square which at that time was the financial centre of the city. I took the Royal Bank offer and lasted a whole 9 months with them before joining the Civil Service. In all of the banks in Edinburgh though there are still people of my generation who joined straight from school and have worked their entire lives with that one organisation – and my thoughts are with all Bank of Scotland employees – but them in particular today. They face an anxious time right now.

I blogged yesterday about being prepared for situations like this. I still believe that is wise advice. But who would have seen this happening  a few weeks ago? TV interviews of people who are affected cover the same ground – in a sector where there are  already many job losses and likely to be more – what kind of alternative jobs are there with so many people hitting the job market at the same time?

I have strong connections with Lloyds TSB – my own bankers – and many friends and associates working in the sector. I will watch this story unfold and develop with interest.