A DESCENDENT of one of the founders of Lloyds Bank joined in with the 250 year celebrations in Hereford.

Rosemary Rigby was a guest of honour at the banking group's celebrations in Hereford, Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth.

The Wormelow resident is a descendent of John Taylor, who founded Taylors & Lloyds in Birmingham with Samuel Lloyd in 1765.

Miss Rigby is a direct descendent on her mother's side of the family.

She said: "I have known the story all of my life. My mother always told me about it.

"When you think of Lloyds, you don't think that once Lloyds had a partner and he was a Taylor- that is how they started.

"They were two very Christian gentlemen with good morals. People in Birmingham thought their money would be nice and safe with them."

For the first one hundred years, the bank operated from just one office in Birmingham.

But in the 1860s, it embarked on a period of rapid expansion and growth and the Lloyds Bank name was adopted in 1889.

Miss Rigby, who runs the Violette Szabo GC Museum in Wormelow, said she was delighted to be invited to join in with the celebrations.