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Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,IMG,Metrolink,ticket,machine,Manchester,Bee,Network,tram,tickets,contactless,tap,out,public,transport,TfGM,fare,cash,travel,card,integrated,editorial,documentary,2026,British,Britain,Europe,local,community,signage,architecture,streetscape,economy
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3FCG40G - . A Manchester Metrolink ticket machine illustrates the transition from conventional paper tickets towards a more integrated Bee Network across Greater Manchester. Metrolink remains the UK's largest light-rail system and ticket machines are still a familiar part of tram stops, accepting a mix of payment methods while contactless tap-in and tap-out travel has become increasingly important. The Bee Network programme is bringing buses, trams and selected local rail services under a single public identity controlled by Transport for Greater Manchester. Further rail integration is scheduled from December 2026, when the first local rail lines to Glossop and Stalybridge are due to join and contactless payment will expand at participating stations. Ticketing is therefore a practical symbol of a much larger political and transport reform intended to make journeys easier across different modes. The image can illustrate public transport fares, cashless travel, smart cards, ticket machines, accessibility, integrated networks and Greater Manchester's attempt to build a London-style joined-up transport system. Visual historians often rely on this type of straightforward record to understand how ordinary commercial and civic landscapes changed. Relevant search and editorial concepts include local history, documentary photography, current affairs, public realm, architecture, community, social change, economic context, regional identity, Britain, 2026. Useful descriptive vocabulary for archive discovery includes Metrolink, ticket, machine, Manchester, Bee, Network, tram, tickets, contactless, tap, in, out, public, transport, TfGM, fare, cash, travel, card, integrated. The image may be useful to picture editors seeking authentic North West or British context for features on community life, economic change, heritage, services and the evolving built environment. As a visual record it preserves ordinary details that formal reports often omit, including the condition,
Greater Manchester, England, UK
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,harm,addiction,risk,of,money,cash,laundering,all day,gambling,law,laws,legislation,IMG_4179,pub,Wetherspoon,Scotland,gaming,adults,UK,IMG,4179,aged,machine,Wetherspoons,bar,are you,over,18,eighteen,only,gambleaware,gamble aware,no,under,eighteens,18s,slots,game,games,licensed,premises,danger,scourge,trade,colourful,compliance,regulation
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3FAFCH7 - Electronic gambling machine in a Wetherspoon pub displaying a clear 'no under 18s' or adults-only restriction. Gaming machines are a familiar feature of many British pubs and provide an additional source of entertainment and revenue, but their accessibility also raises questions about age checks, responsible gambling and the risk of addiction. The photograph is suitable for editorial stories about gambling regulation, pub gaming, problem gambling, youth protection, licensing, alcohol and gambling, consumer safeguards and the social normalisation of betting products. In a busy pub, enforcement depends on staff awareness, supervision and customers complying with the stated restriction, making visible age messaging only one part of harm prevention. The machine's bright screen and game interface contrast with the regulatory warning and provide a useful visual for debate about how gambling is marketed and controlled in everyday leisure environments. The wider editorial context includes the balance between commercial freedom and consumer protection in leisure venues, particularly where products are designed for quick, impulse purchases or repeated play. Regulators, operators and public-health bodies continue to debate how prominently such products should be promoted, how age and affordability controls should work and what information should be provided about potential harms. The photograph offers a recognisable real-world example of those issues in an ordinary hospitality or travel setting, making it suitable for news, feature and policy coverage rather than purely illustrative advertising use.
Scotland, UK
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,harm,addiction,risk,of,money,cash,laundering,all day,gambling,law,laws,legislation,IMG_4188,pub,Scotland,gaming,UK,IMG,4188,Regal,Technologies,machine,dangers,casual,use,gambleaware,gamble aware,slots,game,games,licensed,premises,danger,scourge,trade,colourful,technologies,compliance,regulation
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3FAFCP6 - Regal Gaming Technologies electronic gambling machine inside a pub in Scotland, photographed as an example of the gaming products available in ordinary hospitality venues. Bright graphics and easily accessible play can make machines a casual extension of a visit to the pub, which is why they feature in wider debate about gambling harm, addiction, affordability and player protection. For some customers machine gambling is occasional entertainment, but repeated or impulsive play can become problematic, particularly where alcohol is also being consumed. The image is suitable for editorial coverage of gambling regulation, gaming machines, pubs, problem gambling, addiction services, consumer protection, age restrictions, stake and prize controls and responsible gambling. It can also illustrate discussion about the normalisation of betting and gaming within everyday leisure settings rather than specialist gambling premises. Photographed in Scotland in August 2026 as a documentary view of a machine available to adult pub customers. The wider editorial context includes the balance between commercial freedom and consumer protection in leisure venues, particularly where products are designed for quick, impulse purchases or repeated play. Regulators, operators and public-health bodies continue to debate how prominently such products should be promoted, how age and affordability controls should work and what information should be provided about potential harms. The photograph offers a recognisable real-world example of those issues in an ordinary hospitality or travel setting, making it suitable for news, feature and policy coverage rather than purely illustrative advertising use.
Scotland, UK
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,harm,addiction,risk,of,money,cash,laundering,all day,gambling,law,laws,legislation,IMG_4190,pub,Scotland,gaming,UK,IMG,4190,machine,gamble,your,way,card,app,harms,everyday,Pay,Play,gambleaware,gamble aware,no,under,eighteens,18s,slots,game,games,licensed,premises,danger,scourge,trade,colourful
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3FAFCP8 - Electronic gaming machine inside a pub promoting the ability to pay and play using cash, card or an app. The colourful machine presents gambling as a quick everyday leisure activity in a familiar hospitality setting, making the image relevant to debate about gambling accessibility, digital payments, player protection and addiction. Pub machines occupy a different environment from casinos or betting shops because customers may encounter them while drinking or socialising rather than making a deliberate trip to gamble. This can be significant in discussions about impulse play, visibility to young people, alcohol-related decision making and the normalisation of gambling. The image is suitable for editorial use around gambling regulation, problem gambling, addiction, consumer protection, cashless payments, gaming technology, pubs, hospitality and responsible gambling. It can also illustrate questions about how payment methods, game speed, stake limits, age controls and venue supervision affect the risk of harm from machine gambling. The wider editorial context includes the balance between commercial freedom and consumer protection in leisure venues, particularly where products are designed for quick, impulse purchases or repeated play. Regulators, operators and public-health bodies continue to debate how prominently such products should be promoted, how age and affordability controls should work and what information should be provided about potential harms. The photograph offers a recognisable real-world example of those issues in an ordinary hospitality or travel setting, making it suitable for news, feature and policy coverage rather than purely illustrative advertising use.
Scotland, UK
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,harm,addiction,risk,of,money,cash,laundering,all day,gambling,law,laws,legislation,IMG_4198,pub,Scotland,gaming,UK,IMG,4198,age,machine,terminal,how,enforced,bar,environment,Blueprint,are you,over,18,eighteen,only,gambleaware,gamble aware,no,under,eighteens,18s,slots,game,games,licensed,premises,danger,scourge,trade,colourful
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3FAFCP9 - Over-18 gaming machine displayed inside a pub, with prominent age-restriction messaging intended to prevent underage gambling. The photograph is suitable for editorial coverage of age verification, gambling regulation, pub gaming machines, youth protection and the practical challenge of enforcing restrictions in busy licensed premises. Unlike a dedicated casino or betting shop, a pub is an open social environment in which customers may move freely around the venue, so effective supervision and clear responsibility for preventing underage play are important safeguards. The image can also support stories about staff training, test purchasing, responsible gambling, licensing, consumer protection and the relationship between alcohol and gambling. Electronic machines increasingly use bright screens, familiar game mechanics and multiple payment options, making them visually prominent within hospitality venues. The photograph records the contrast between an entertainment product designed to attract attention and the regulatory message stating that play is restricted to adults. The wider editorial context includes the balance between commercial freedom and consumer protection in leisure venues, particularly where products are designed for quick, impulse purchases or repeated play. Regulators, operators and public-health bodies continue to debate how prominently such products should be promoted, how age and affordability controls should work and what information should be provided about potential harms. The photograph offers a recognisable real-world example of those issues in an ordinary hospitality or travel setting, making it suitable for news, feature and policy coverage rather than purely illustrative advertising use.
Scotland, UK
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,ATM,cash,machine,note,UK,10,20,dispensed,dispensing,ten,twenty,English,BOE,automated teller machine,money,withdrawal,British,currency,new,royal,portrait,monarch,change,circulation,cash is king,co-circulation,cash economy,cost of living,home,budget,budgeting,banking,card,debit,cashless society,student bank account,king
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3ECEE46 - A hand holds a newly dispensed King Charles III Bank of stock-photo/gotonysmith-England.html?sortBy=relevant&pseudoid=237DAF28-A4ED-4448-8173-C0E81ABEEC6F Target=_Blank>England £10 note in front of a UK ATM cash machine, showing the new monarch's portrait entering everyday public use through ordinary cash withdrawals. The close-up view of the polymer ten pound note, cash slot and keypad makes this a strong editorial image for stories about British money, personal finance, banking, access to cash, ATM services, the cash economy and the historic currency change following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Banknotes featuring King Charles III were first issued on 5 June 2024, appearing on the existing £5, £10, £20 and £50 designs with no other design changes. The Bank of England has said Queen Elizabeth II notes remain legal tender and co-circulate with the new King Charles III notes, meaning both portraits can be used together during the gradual transition. This image is commercially useful for illustrating the first appearance of new UK banknotes in daily life, cash withdrawals, banknote security, polymer money, consumer spending, household budgets, retail payments, digital banking debates and financial inclusion. The photograph also works for articles on the continuing need for cash among older people, vulnerable households, small traders, rural communities and people who prefer physical money for budgeting. The ATM keypad, cancel and enter buttons, and the hand gripping the note add practical detail, making the image more grounded than a studio banknote shot. It can support features on the future of cash, bank branch closures, free-to-use cash machines, contactless payments, inflation, the cost of living, economic confidence and the symbolic role of monarchs on British currency. As a documentary stock image, it captures a small but recognisable moment in UK financial history, when King Charles III banknotes moved from official release into the ordinary routine of taking money out of a cashpoint.
King Charles III £10 £20 Bank of England note dispensed from a UK ATM cash machine, marking the new
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,255A0069,Bank of Ireland,ATM,cash,machine,Dublin,Ireland,banking,financial,services,withdrawals,consumer,finance,bank,high-street,contactless,payments,branch,closures,access,cards,technology,digital,graffiti,urban,money,Irish,automated,teller,inclusion,cash is king,no,cashless,society,finances,home finances
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3EM2JKA - Bank of Ireland ATM cash machine set into a stone wall in Dublin, Ireland. The familiar blue Bank of Ireland surround frames the automated teller machine and provides a clear image of everyday banking infrastructure in the Irish capital. ATMs remain an important means of obtaining cash despite the rapid growth of contactless cards, mobile payments and online banking, and their availability is often discussed in relation to bank branch closures and access to cash. The photograph is suitable for editorial coverage of Bank of Ireland, ATMs, cash machines, banking, financial services, cash withdrawals, consumer finance, Irish banks, high-street banking, contactless payments, branch closures, access to cash and changes in retail banking. Graffiti around the lower part of the surround adds an everyday urban detail and contrasts with the formal corporate branding. The close-up composition makes the machine immediately recognisable and useful for stories about cash usage, banking technology, financial inclusion, card services and the changing relationship between physical banking facilities and increasingly digital financial services.
Dublin, Ireland
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,note,notes,20,pound,pounds,holding,UK,keyboard,keys,Scots,bank,dispensed,from,a,local,Automatic Teller,machine,Glasgow,Scotland,G3 8AD,G3,network,banking,machines,BOS,polymer,plastic,cash,point,cashpoint,finance,finances,money,withdrawing,withdraw,student bank accounts,student bank account
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2PHJ91W - Scots 'battle' to get cash after banks and ATMs shut
Scots are facing an uphill battle to access their cash after a large number of bank and cash machine closures, a consumer organisation has warned.
Research by Which? found 339 Scottish bank branches had closed their doors since 2015, while 290 ATMs had been withdrawn in the past year.
It urged the UK government to appoint a regulator to protect access to cash.
HM Treasury said it recognised the continued importance of cash, especially for more vulnerable people.
It added the existing payment systems regulator was closely monitoring developments within ATM provision.
Which? said the closure of cash machines, the majority of which were free to use, had hit Scotland harder than other parts of the UK because of its many rural communities, combined with an already devastated bank branch network.
In Scotland, withdrawals from machines were down just 3.3% in 2017-18, compared with larger drops of 8.5% and 7.7% in London and the south east of England respectively.
Argyle Street, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, G3 8AD
Description
Keywords: Scotland,regional,money,note,Clydesdale,bank,banks,BOS,Halifax,exotic,tourist,travel,exchange,West,Lothian,East,machine,in Edinburgh,Midlothian,Scotland,UK,GB,united,Kingdom,Great,Britain,accepted,not,unacceptable,spend,refused,refuse,Gotonysmith different to English England currency in a shopping street,high st shopping centre,cash
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DECWAR - . Taking Scottish sterling notes from a RBS cash machine, in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. Photographed at Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. The photograph was taken on 28 August 2013. The image metadata records 1 person in the frame. This editorial stock image documents the subject as it appeared at that time, preserving a clear record of the place, its appearance and the everyday details surrounding it. The scene is closely associated with Taking, Scottish, sterling, notes, RBS, cash, ATM, regional, money and note, adding specific subject detail and useful search context without losing the documentary focus on the main subject. The scene is relevant to retail, shopping, consumer behaviour, town and city centres, independent businesses and the changing appearance of the British high street. It can support editorial stories about shops, shopping centres, retail architecture, store branding, local commerce, vacancies, regeneration, consumer spending, tourism and the pressure on traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses. Shopfronts, signs, windows, displays, arcades and surrounding public realm provide useful visual context for how retail space is designed and experienced by pedestrians. The photograph also acts as a dated record of a business or shopping location, valuable when premises later change hands, rebrand, close or are redeveloped. Search themes include retail, shopping, shopfronts, consumer behaviour, high streets, town centres, commercial property, independent business, branding and changing local economies. A dated view of a shop or shopping environment gains extra archive value when businesses rebrand, close, move or when premises are redeveloped. The combination of a named subject, precise location and capture date gives the image particular value to editors who need a real, identifiable place rather than a generic illustrative photograph. The view is firmly rooted in a real location rather than a constructed studio setting.
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Description
Keywords: Scotland,regional,money,note,Clydesdale,bank,banks,BOS,Halifax,exotic,tourist,travel,exchange,West,Lothian,East,machine,in Edinburgh,Midlothian,Scotland,UK,GB,united,Kingdom,accepted,not,unacceptable,spend,refused,refuse,Gotonysmith different to English England currency in a shopping street,high st shopping centre,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,laundering,cash,banknote design,travel in Edinburgh,student bank accounts,student bank account
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DECX4H - Close-up documentary stock photograph of Scottish sterling banknotes being taken from a Royal Bank of Scotland cash machine in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. A hand holds colourful Scottish paper money beside the ATM keypad, with the red cancel button, yellow clear button and number pad clearly visible. The image shows everyday personal banking, cash withdrawal, physical currency, retail payments and the continuing visibility of banknotes in a society shaped by contactless cards, mobile payments and online banking. The scene has strong editorial value for stories about high street banking, ATM access, cash machine closures, consumer choice, financial inclusion and the role of cash for residents, visitors and small businesses. Scottish banknotes are issued by authorised Scottish banks rather than the Bank of England, and RBS notes remain legal currency, although the Bank of England explains that Scottish notes are not technically legal tender in either England or Scotland. That distinction often creates confusion for tourists and shoppers travelling between Scotland and the UK, making the image useful for articles about acceptance of Scottish notes, currency awareness and practical travel money. The visible £20 note and other sterling notes also make the photograph relevant for themes including cost of living, cash budgeting, spending power, bank accounts, ATM networks, holiday spending, Scottish identity and the mixed currency landscape within the United Kingdom. Taken in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and a major tourist and financial centre, the image combines a recognisable banking interface with human action. The tight composition, diagonal notes and cropped keypad give it a practical, real-world feel suitable for news, finance, consumer advice, travel features and banking reports. Lighting appears to be natural or ambient ATM light, with no weather visible, and the image is best read as a candid everyday money and Scottish currency detail.
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Description
Keywords: Clydesdale,bank,ATM,cash,dispensing,machine,Scotland,UK,scottish,independance,independence,soveregn,nation,SNP,national,party,money,monetary,union,issues,problems,problem,finance,financial,vote,voting,20,10,pounds,ten,twenty,note,banknotes,official,currency,gotonysmith legal tender retail,finger,fingers,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DG374N - While provincial banks in England and Wales lost the right to issue paper currency altogether, the practice of private banknote issue has continued in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The right of Scottish banks to issue notes is popularly attributed to the author Sir Walter Scott, who in 1826 waged a campaign to retain Scottish banknotes under the pseudonym Malachi Malagrowther.
Scott feared that the limitation on private banknotes proposed with the Bankers (Scotland) Act 1826 would be have adverse economic consequences if enacted in Scotland because gold and silver were scarce and Scottish commerce relied on small notes as the principal medium of circulating money. His action eventually halted the abolition of private banknotes in Scotland.
Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are unusual, firstly because they are issued by retail banks, not central banks, and secondly, as they are not legal tender anywhere in the UK “ not even in Scotland or Northern Ireland “ they are in fact promissory notes.
Seven retail banks have the authority of HM Treasury to issue sterling banknotes as currency. Despite this, the notes can be refused at the discretion of recipients in England and Wales, and are often not accepted by banks and exchange bureaus outside of the United Kingdom. This is particularly true in the case of the Royal Bank of Scotland £1 note, which is the only £1 note to remain in circulation within the UK.
In 2000, the European Central Bank indicated that, should the United Kingdom join the euro, Scottish banks (and, by extension, Northern Ireland banks) would have to cease banknote issue. During the Financial crisis of 2007“2008, the future of private banknotes in the United Kingdom was uncertain. It has been suggested that the Banking Act 2009 would restrict the issue of banknotes by commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland by removing many of the provisions of the Acts quoted above.Banks would be forced to lodge sterling.
Dalkeith, Edinburgh, Scotland UK
Description
Keywords: Putting,a,green,Lloyds,account,card,into,a,co-op,cash,machine,green,gotonysmith,England,UK,United,Kingdom,push,pushing,chip,and,pin,hand,finger,ATM,cashmachine,Magnetic,strip,plastic,plasticcard,creditcard,credit,debit,mastercard,gotonysmith,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,student bank accounts,student bank account
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy D91FGW - . Putting a green Lloyds Avios account card into a co-op cash machine. Photographed on 8 June 2013. The recorded location is Knutsford Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 2PL, United Kingdom. From a heritage perspective, printed and graphic ephemera are highly effective dating evidence
Tickets, labels, cards, stamps, posters and logos combine wording, typography, colour and branding in forms that are often discarded after use, so surviving examples can become valuable records of popular culture and commerce. The historical context is that financial objects and premises connect economic history with daily life
Banknotes, coins, savings products, cheques, branch buildings and ATMs show how people stored and accessed money before digital banking reduced the visibility of many traditional banking services. As of 2026, digital-first communication means many everyday printed objects are disappearing
Older tickets, labels, cards and signs therefore provide useful material for stories about changing design, retail and consumer behaviour. The subject remains topical in 2026 because cash is used less often than in previous decades but remains important, particularly for vulnerable consumers and some small businesses
FCA access-to-cash rules require designated banks and building societies to assess local provision and address significant gaps, making images of ATMs, notes and former branches relevant to financial inclusion. As background, graphic design turns practical information into a visual object
Typefaces, colour, layout and printing methods can identify a period or brand, while small items such as tickets and cards preserve events, prices and messages that may exist nowhere else in physical form. In the present 2026 context, digital-first communication means many everyday printed objects are disappearing
Older tickets, labels, cards and signs therefore provide useful material for stories about changing design, retail and consumer behaviour.
Knutsford Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 2PL, United Kingdom
Description
Keywords: Putting,a,Nationwide,account,card,into,a,co-op,cash,machine,yellow,gotonysmith,England,UK,United,Kingdom,push,pushing,chip,and,pin,hand,finger,ATM,cashmachine,Magnetic,strip,plastic,plasticcard,creditcard,credit,debit,gotonysmith,Buy Pictures of,ATMs,closed,reduced,availability,local,to use,using
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy D91FHM - . Putting a Nationwide account card into a co-op ATM cash machine yellow. Photographed on 8 June 2013. The recorded location is Knutsford Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 2PL, United Kingdom. In historical terms, ephemeral design is especially useful to social historians because it was created for immediate use rather than posterity
A ticket, label or novelty card can reveal contemporary humour, branding, consumer habits and printing style in a compact object. Looking at the subject's development, cash, banknotes and banking equipment document the everyday financial system before contactless cards and mobile payments became dominant
Bank structures, notes, coins, cheques and cash machines also trace the history of regional banking, savings institutions and the changing design of money. During 2026, much ticketing, advertising and personal communication is digital, making earlier printed ephemera increasingly distinctive as evidence of pre-digital communication
Physical cards, labels and tickets also provide a contrast with QR codes, apps and paperless transactions. For the 2026 context, access to cash remains a live issue despite the growth of cards and mobile payments
FCA rules now require major banks and property societies to protect reasonable community access to cash, so photographs of cashpoints, banknotes and closed branches can illustrate the tension between digital banking and physical financial services. In the longer view, printed and graphic ephemera are highly effective dating evidence
Tickets, labels, cards, stamps, posters and logos combine wording, typography, colour and branding in forms that are often discarded after use, so surviving examples can become valuable records of popular culture and commerce. Closely related image-search terms include graphic design, visual communication, print design, retro design, consumer culture, paper ephemera, graphic history, design detail, currency, sterling, and personal finance.
Knutsford Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 2PL, United Kingdom
Description
Keywords: Putting,a,Nationwide,account,card,into,a,co-op,cash,machine,yellow,gotonysmith,England,UK,United,Kingdom,push,pushing,chip,and,pin,hand,finger,ATM,cashmachine,Magnetic,strip,plastic,plasticcard,creditcard,credit,debit,gotonysmith,Buy Pictures of,ATMs,closed,reduced,availability,local,to use,using
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy D91FJ0 - . Putting a Nationwide account card into a co-op ATM cash machine yellow. Photographed on 8 June 2013. The recorded location is Knutsford Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 2PL, United Kingdom. Historically, graphic design turns practical information into a visual object
Typefaces, colour, layout and printing methods can identify a period or brand, while small items such as tickets and cards preserve events, prices and messages that may exist nowhere else in physical form. From a heritage perspective, banking imagery can range from grand Victorian branch architecture to the small physical objects of personal finance
Together, notes, coins, cards, cheques and cashpoints chart a shift from cash and branch-based services towards electronic and online banking. In 2026, digital-first communication means many everyday printed objects are disappearing
Older tickets, labels, cards and signs therefore provide useful material for stories about changing design, retail and consumer behaviour. As of 2026, cash is used less often than in earlier decades but remains significant, particularly for vulnerable consumers and some small businesses
FCA access-to-cash rules require designated banks and building societies to assess local provision and address significant gaps, making images of ATMs, notes and former branches relevant to financial inclusion. The historical context is that ephemeral design is especially useful to social historians because it was created for immediate use rather than posterity
A ticket, label or novelty card can reveal contemporary humour, branding, consumer habits and printing style in a compact object. The subject remains topical in 2026 because much ticketing, advertising and personal communication is digital, making older printed ephemera increasingly distinctive as evidence of pre-digital communication
Physical cards, labels and tickets also offer a contrast with QR codes, apps and paperless transactions.
Knutsford Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 2PL, United Kingdom
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,hand,holding,note,notes,fresh,dispensed,from,a,cash,machine,Dublin,Eire,Irish,European,shortage,in,of,disappearing,being,removed,closed,automated,teller,machines,ATMs,Republics,network,Republic,Central Bank,ownership,retail,banks,bank,branches,Department of Finance,Retail Banking Review public consultation,cash is king
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2PJ0YXD - Cash use has been declining in Ireland in recent years, in particular during the pandemic. Central Bank statistics indicate that Irish ATM withdrawals were €13 billion in 2021, compared to €19.7 billion in 2019, a decline of 34 per cent.
The value of such withdrawals is now at about two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels, albeit they remain relatively stable at €1 billion per month.
Central Bank raises concerns at sale of Republic's ATM network
Regulator says 75% of network will be under control of unregulated entities by end of year as banks sell up
The Central Bank has raised concerns with the Government that three-quarters of Ireland's ATM network will no longer be under the control of retail banks by the end of the year.
The issue of the ATM network and the closure of bricks and mortar bank branches has been a political hot potato for the Government due to concerns around how older and more vulnerable cohorts of society might cope with such changes.
The regulator has outlined concerns on the matter in a submission to the Department of Finance's Retail Banking Review public consultation.
It said retail banks are selling their off-site ATMs to independent ATM deployers which, it noted, are unregulated . Just 25 per cent of Ireland's ATM network will be owned by retail banks by the end of the year compared to 100 per cent in 2015, it said.
In-branch services are also reducing, it said, with the number of bank branches countrywide set to reduce by 32 per cent compared to 2019.
The trend towards the withdrawal of cash and other in-branch services is being driven by commercial decision making, it said. We expect banks to ensure that the impact of their decisions are considered carefully and with a consumer-focused approach. The impact for all consumers, including those who are vulnerable, must be assessed by banks, to ensure changes to branches and in-branch services are undertaken in an orderly manner. We expect that vulnerable customers will be accomodated
Dublin, Eire, Ireland
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,note,notes,pound,pounds,holding,UK,keyboard,keys,Scots,bank,dispensed,from,a,local,machine,Glasgow,Scotland,G3,network,banking,of,machines,BOS,RBOS,polymer,plastic,cash,point,cashpoint,finance,finances,money,withdraw,fiscal,union,independence,cash is king
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2PHJ91T - Scotland sees steepest fall in cash machine withdrawals in 2021
Data from the UK's main cash machine network reveals that ATM transactions fell by up to 68% during the first national lockdown
The UK's main cash machine network LINK has published data showing that despite a 37% fall in ATM transactions in 2020, UK adults on average still withdrew more than £1,500 each from cash machines.
Scotland saw the steepest fall, with adults withdrawing almost £900 less than they did in 2019.
On average, UK adults visited ATMs 12 times less in 2020 than they did in 2019.
In recent years, as consumers use alternative payment methods such as contactless cards or online payments, ATM transactions have fallen on average around 10% year-on-year.
However, in April 2020, when the UK went into the first national lockdown, ATM transactions fell initially by up to 68%.
Despite subsequent lockdowns, on average more than £1.6bn was still withdrawn for cash machines every week for the rest of 2020.
Argyle Street, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, G3 8AD
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,Merseyside,England,UK,experience,gamble,gambling,fixed odds,betting,terminals,bandit,one armed,L1 1EF,L1,14-16,high street,machines,Novomatic,money,laundering,cash,bets,FOBT,FOBTS,slot,slots,machine,Admiral casino,shop,shops,centre,amusement,centres,gaming,facilities,safer gambling message,responsible gambling debate,compliance,regulation
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2P4JY30 - rightly illuminated Admiral Casino and slots venue stands on Richmond Street in Liverpool city centre during a rainy evening. Its black frontage carries prominent red and white Casino and Admiral branding, with a yellow illuminated strip extending above large windows through which electronic gaming machines can be seen. Signs advertise opening around the clock, while pedestrians walk along the rain-soaked pavement beneath festive overhead lights. Reflections from the shopfronts and street lighting shimmer across the wet surface, creating a vivid urban nightlife scene.
The premises operates as an adult gaming centre offering electronic slot machines and other gambling products. Its highly visible street-level position, open doorway, illuminated displays and extended opening hours demonstrate how gambling opportunities can be embedded within everyday retail, leisure and pedestrian environments. People can encounter the venue while shopping, travelling through the city centre or visiting Liverpool's bars, restaurants and entertainment areas.
Admiral is part of the international NOVOMATIC gaming group, founded in Austria by Johann F. Graf in 1980. The group manufactures gaming technology and operates gaming venues through brands including Admiral. Its activities span physical gaming premises, electronic machines, online products, management systems, lotteries and sports betting across regulated international markets.
The photograph also has editorial relevance to gambling harms and the risks associated with frequent or compulsive gambling. Harm can extend beyond financial losses to affect mental health, employment, relationships and social wellbeing. Highly accessible machines, lengthy opening hours and the opportunity for continuous play may be particularly relevant to debates about addiction, consumer protection, licensing and the normalisation of gambling in British town and city centres.
The image documents Liverpool nightlife,commercial leisure, wet-weather etc
14-16 Richmond St, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK, L1 1EF
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,hand,holding,note,notes,fresh,dispensed,from,a,cash,machine,Dublin,Eire,Irish,European,shortage,in,of,disappearing,being,removed,closed,automated,teller,machines,ATMs,Republics,network,Republic,Central Bank,ownership,retail,banks,bank,branches,Department of Finance,Retail Banking Review public consultation
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2PJ0YXH - Cash use has been declining in Ireland in recent years, in particular during the pandemic. Central Bank statistics indicate that Irish ATM withdrawals were €13 billion in 2021, compared to €19.7 billion in 2019, a decline of 34 per cent.
The value of such withdrawals is now at about two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels, albeit they remain relatively stable at €1 billion per month.
Central Bank raises concerns at sale of Republic's ATM network
Regulator says 75% of network will be under control of unregulated entities by end of year as banks sell up
The Central Bank has raised concerns with the Government that three-quarters of Ireland's ATM network will no longer be under the control of retail banks by the end of the year.
The issue of the ATM network and the closure of bricks and mortar bank branches has been a political hot potato for the Government due to concerns around how older and more vulnerable cohorts of society might cope with such changes.
The regulator has outlined concerns on the matter in a submission to the Department of Finance's Retail Banking Review public consultation.
It said retail banks are selling their off-site ATMs to independent ATM deployers which, it noted, are unregulated . Just 25 per cent of Ireland's ATM network will be owned by retail banks by the end of the year compared to 100 per cent in 2015, it said.
In-branch services are also reducing, it said, with the number of bank branches countrywide set to reduce by 32 per cent compared to 2019.
The trend towards the withdrawal of cash and other in-branch services is being driven by commercial decision making, it said. We expect banks to ensure that the impact of their decisions are considered carefully and with a consumer-focused approach. The impact for all consumers, including those who are vulnerable, must be assessed by banks, to ensure changes to branches and in-branch services are undertaken in an orderly manner. We expect that vulnerable customers will be accomodated
Dublin, Eire, Ireland
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,note,notes,20,pound,pounds,holding,UK,keyboard,keys,English,BoE,Bank of England,NE1,local,bank,Automatic Teller,dispensed,from,a,machine,network,banking,of,machines,cash,point,cashpoint,finance,finances,money,withdrawing,withdraw,free withdrawals,fresh,10
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2PHJ91P - Amount withdrawn from cash machines fell EVEN further last year and expert says usage will never return to pre-pandemic levels
Number of cash withdrawals fell 6% last year after 40% collapse in 2020
The average Briton withdrew a third less cash last year than they did in 2019
One expert says number of withdrawals won't return to pre-covid levels
People continued to use less cash last year with new figures showing the number of withdrawals from ATMs fell 6 per cent annually.
A total of £79billion was withdrawn from cash machines in 2021 compared to £81billion in 2020, according to data by Link, the UK's main cash machine network.
There was also a 7 per cent decline in cash machine transactions last year, which includes withdrawals and balance enquiries, falling from just over 1.6billion to 1.5billion.
This means the average withdrawal per person in the UK was £1,462 last year, visiting an ATM around 18 times.
In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the average withdrawal per person in the UK was £2,193 meaning the typical person is withdrawing two thirds of what they were before Covid-19, when the advice was to not use cash but contactless debit and credit card payments instead
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, NE1 5PG
Description
Keywords: GotonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,gambling,fruitmachine,keep control,control,your,gambolling,addictive,regulate,dangers,of,pokies,machine,18,year,old,bandit,casual,addiction,winners,losers,cash,video,game,games,gaming,FOBT,Fixed Odds Betting Terminals,Players Panel,compulsive,activity,habit,habits,destructive,money laundering,risk
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2JM9P39 - A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively as one-armed bandits because of the large mechanical levers affixed to the sides of early mechanical machines and the games' ability to empty players' pockets and wallets as thieves would.[1]
A slot machine's standard layout features a screen displaying three or more reels that spin when the game is activated. Some modern slot machines still include a lever as a skeuomorphic design trait to trigger play. However, the mechanics of early machines have been superseded by random number generators, and most are now operated using buttons and touchscreens.
Slot machines include one or more currency detectors that validate the form of payment, whether coin, cash, voucher, or token. The machine pays out according to the pattern of symbols displayed when the reels stop spinning. Slot machines are the most popular gambling method in casinos and constitute about 70% of the average U.S. casino's income.[2]
Digital technology has resulted in variations in the original slot machine concept. As the player is essentially playing a video game, manufacturers can offer more interactive elements, such as advanced bonus rounds and more varied video graphics.
Stafford North Services, M6, Staffordshire, England, UK, ST15 0EU
Description
Keywords: GotonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,gambling,fruitmachine,keep control,control,your,gambolling,addictive,regulate,dangers,of,pokies,machine,18,year,old,bandit,casual,addiction,winners,losers,cash,video,game,games,gaming,FOBT,Fixed Odds Betting Terminals,compulsive,activity,habit,habits,destructive,row,rows,machines
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2JM9P4H - A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively as one-armed bandits because of the large mechanical levers affixed to the sides of early mechanical machines and the games' ability to empty players' pockets and wallets as thieves would.[1]
A slot machine's standard layout features a screen displaying three or more reels that spin when the game is activated. Some modern slot machines still include a lever as a skeuomorphic design trait to trigger play. However, the mechanics of early machines have been superseded by random number generators, and most are now operated using buttons and touchscreens.
Slot machines include one or more currency detectors that validate the form of payment, whether coin, cash, voucher, or token. The machine pays out according to the pattern of symbols displayed when the reels stop spinning. Slot machines are the most popular gambling method in casinos and constitute about 70% of the average U.S. casino's income.[2]
Digital technology has resulted in variations in the original slot machine concept. As the player is essentially playing a video game, manufacturers can offer more interactive elements, such as advanced bonus rounds and more varied video graphics.
Stafford North Services, M6, Staffordshire, England, UK, ST15 0EU
Description
Keywords: Clydesdale,bank,ATM,cash,dispensing,machine,Scotland,UK,scottish,independance,independence,soveregn,nation,SNP,national,party,money,monetary,union,issues,problems,problem,finance,financial,vote,voting,20,10,ten,twenty,note,official,currency,gotonysmith legal tender retail,hand,finger,fingers,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DG373Y - While provincial banks in England and Wales lost the right to issue paper currency altogether, the practice of private banknote issue has continued in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The right of Scottish banks to issue notes is popularly attributed to the author Sir Walter Scott, who in 1826 waged a campaign to retain Scottish banknotes under the pseudonym Malachi Malagrowther.
Scott feared that the limitation on private banknotes proposed with the Bankers (Scotland) Act 1826 would be have adverse economic consequences if enacted in Scotland because gold and silver were scarce and Scottish commerce relied on small notes as the principal medium of circulating money. His action eventually halted the abolition of private banknotes in Scotland.
Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are unusual, firstly because they are issued by retail banks, not central banks, and secondly, as they are not legal tender anywhere in the UK “ not even in Scotland or Northern Ireland “ they are in fact promissory notes.
Seven retail banks have the authority of HM Treasury to issue sterling banknotes as currency. Despite this, the notes can be refused at the discretion of recipients in England and Wales, and are often not accepted by banks and exchange bureaus outside of the United Kingdom. This is particularly true in the case of the Royal Bank of Scotland £1 note, which is the only £1 note to remain in circulation within the UK.
In 2000, the European Central Bank indicated that, should the United Kingdom join the euro, Scottish banks (and, by extension, Northern Ireland banks) would have to cease banknote issue. During the Financial crisis of 2007“2008, the future of private banknotes in the United Kingdom was uncertain. It has been suggested that the Banking Act 2009 would restrict the issue of banknotes by commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland by removing many of the provisions of the Acts quoted above.Banks would be forced to lodge sterling.
Dalkeith, Edinburgh, Scotland UK
