The Brinks Mat Robbery, which was one of the largest robberies in British history happened at 6.40 am on 26 November 1983. The thieves netted £26 million of gold bullion, diamonds and cash all of which would amount to £111 million or so today.

So what has this got to do with Bemmy?

The movement of £13 million through Barclays in Bristol were allegedly brought to the attention of the police via the Bank of England though this was denied by the Bank of England. East Street in Bedminster was the preferred and perhaps only branch that Palmer used. That little tiny one on corner of the street opposite St Catherines shopping arcade. But how did the money get to that branch in the first place?

John Palmer was born in Solihull and was from a large and poor family. As a result he was known as Stinky throughout his school years. Stinky moved to Bemmy. Despite being illiterate he had made his first £100,000 by the age of 20. These days that would have made him a millionaire.

He opened a shop in North Street opposite the Spotted Cow and called it Scadlyn Jewellery. The rest, as they say is, history. Stinky became Goldfinger and, naturally, attracted an element of society who were keen to recycle their goods.

Palmer and his business associate Graham Chappell would take bags of cash into the branch – bin bags of £50 notes – and deposit the money. The branch employed extra staff to cope with the extra work and it is rumoured that the Bank had to run an extraordinary print of £50 notes as so many were out of circulation.

He moved from his mansion in Bath to somewhere equally grand in Essex where he was fatally shot by a hitman in 2015.