Dave Fishwick is a real person alive and well living in the town of Burnley in England. This cheerful but formulaic feel-good movie tells how he took on the established posh bankers in London to open a bank that would service local customers who were not able to get loans.
Fishwick (well played by character actor Roy Kinnear) is a self-made millionaire who made his fortune selling vans and mini buses at a time when his customers were struggling to get loans after the 2008 financial crash.
Encouraged by his wife Nicola (Jo Hartley) he decides to open The Bank of Dave which would be the first new bank in England for 150 years – and return profits to local charities. The decisions made on loans to be based on people, instead of the computers of London bankers.
To do this he must get a licence, so he employs Hugh (Joel Fry) a corporate lawyer to deal with the regulators.
Hugh initially hates the idea of the new bank, Burnley, and the people who live there, but rapidly changes his mind. In a courtroom showdown he succeeds in Dave’s case. And also falls in love with his niece.
The story written by Piers Ashwood is a much fictionalised version of what happened, but the broad outlines are true. The Bank of Dave is actually called Burnley Loans and Savings Company which opened in 2011. It is an independent lending company which has so far lent 31 million pounds.
107 minutes.
Showing at Luna Leederville and Luna SX Fremantle.
We have five double passes to Bank of Dave to give away to Starfish readers. To enter, just email us at info@thestarfish.com.au telling us in a sentence why you like reading The Starfish.
Good luck!
Watch the trailer…
