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Title: STEP AHEAD, a

Reference number: 0366

Date: 1966*

Director: d. Douglas Gray

Sponsor: Royal Bank of Scotland

Production company: Park Film Studios

Sound: sound

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 20.00 mins

Description: Made to promote the effectiveness of the Royal Bank of Scotland's computers - the bank's branches in Leven, Grantown-on-Spey and at Abbotsinch airport are shown in operation.

Mr Robert Maiden, the man who features in this film as head of the computer centre (c. 15 mins in), went on to become Chief Accountant and General Manager (Financial Control) for the Royal Bank of Scotland in the 1980s.

Credits: nar. Moultrie R Kelsall

Shotlist: Credits (.09); New extension behind the Royal Bank of Scotland head office in St. Andrews Square, Edinburgh, built to house the bank's new computers. Computer parts are hoisted into the building (.34); Narrator stands on top of one of the towers supporting the Forth Road Bridge. Views of traffic below and shots of Kincardine Bridge and the bridge across the Forth at Stirling (2.08); Leven, Dalgety Bay. The narrator interviews the manager of the Leven branch. Shots of Lower Largo harbour. Tay Road Bridge (4.03); The Cairngorm mountain road. A chairlift. New hotels in the area (5.20); The Strathspey mobile branch van. Interview with Grantown-on-Spey branch manager. General views of scenery. Interview with girl skier (8.30); Oban. Cars driving onto ferry at North Pier. Interview with Mr. McRitchie, bank manager, and Provost Spence on the efffects of the new ferry service. Shots of ferry, the "Columba", as it leaves the pier (11.10); Clyde Hover Ferries hovercraft at Tarbert Argyll. Hovercraft gets underway. Shot inside the cab. Landing on a beach (12.20); "Herald" aircraft at Abbotsinch airport. Shot from plane on flight to the islands. Aircraft at Renfrew airport. Interview with Mr. Stovoe, manager of the airport bank. Shots of the bank at Abbotsinch airport (14.13); Shots of diesel train. Hawick station. A Glasgow blue train. Shots from train (15.13); The Royal Bank's computer building. Shots inside. Interview with Mr. Robert Maiden, manager of the computer centre. He explains how the computer helps the bank. Shots of various machines in the centre. (18.28); The narrator sums up and emphasises the significance of the computer revolution (19.40); ecs (19.57)