ORARI I Nithdale, the two-year-old champion Hereford bull opened his own kind of deposit account in November 1979.

Standing 56ins at the shoulder, the 11,000gns bull, champion at the breed society’s autumn sale in Edinburgh had been invited to the National Westminster Bank in Broad Street to kick off a Customer Relationship Week.

For the week, the bank was decorated with certificates, rosettes, cups and photos of prize-winning Herefords, loaned by members of the Hereford Herd Book Society.

John Holland, the bank’s manager, said many of the prizes on loan were customers, including Orari’s owners, a syndicate of seven Hereford cattlemen, Circle Seven.

During the week, grade four clerks, Honor Bowker and Brian Whitticase left their side of the counter to talk to customers in the bank’s foyer.

As to Orari, he returned home to his warm shed, leaving the bank’s staff of 40 to get out the shovels.