Following last week’s announcement that the Isle of Man Bank would be closing their Peel and Castletown branches, we decided to ask the public about their banking habits.

Do people still feel that brick and mortar banks are important today? Do they ever use cheques? And has Covid-19 changed the way people use bank services?

June Kirby, 70, from Onchan, said: ’I do online banking but I like to go into the bank, say if I want to get English money. The face-to-face aspect is also important.’

She doesn’t bother with cheques, saying ’I mean you can send cheques, but can you imagine the horror on people’s faces: "What? I’ve got to go to the bank and cash this now?"’

She also said the pandemic has resulted in her using her card a lot more, but added: ’There’s certain things you want cash for, or certain places - like the arts and crafts markets or young farmers’ markets.’

Julie Howatson, late 60s, from Onchan, told us: ’I do online banking but I still think a physical presence is good - say if you want to pay cheques in. And also sometimes you want to speak to somebody.’

On whether the pandemic had changed people’s banking habits, she said: ’Probably, but having to use the Isle of Man Bank on Athol Street during it was a bind. The queues were right around the corner.

’I had to use contactless more in shops, but it felt silly when you were just paying £1 for something.’

Her friend Sue Watt, also late 60s and from Onchan, talked about the importance of physical banks.

’My husband’s got a business and his customers often pay by cheque, which I have to pay in at the bank,’ she said. ’So you do need it.’

Elaine McCormack, 47, from Onchan, when asked whether a physical bank is still important in 2020, said: ’I would say no. I go to the bank very, very rarely. I do most of my banking online.

’Probably the only time I go to the bank would be to talk about my mortgage, where they can’t do it over the telephone. I don’t even carry much cash anymore, now it’s not just my card. I can use my phone, or my watch to pay.’

Her daughter Jordan, 20, said: ’I’d completely agree. The only time I go is to get a statement when I haven’t had one in a while. Other than that it’s all on my phone.’

She said she wouldn’t even know what to do with a cheque, and would have to ask her mum, who hasn’t used one in a long time.

Dave Casey, 70, from Peel, said: ’I online bank, but only really since Covid-19 started. I used to have telephone banking, now I’ve gone internet banking. I’ve got used to the contactless, but I still need cash for certain things - like going down to the Peel breakwater cafe for a coffee in the morning.’

Fraser Johnstone, 22, from Douglas, does not personally to go to the bank very often, but said: ’Having that face-to-face is probably helpful for a lot of people, especially a lot of older people.’

Asked about banking during the coronavirus pandemic, he said: ’I imagine a lot of people are more apprehensive about going down to the bank, but for myself not really - because again I don’t need to, as so much of the work you can just do online.’