The BBC, that most British of Broadcasting Corporations, reports today that the ‘hole in the wall’ cash dispenser is fourty years old. It’s inventor John Shepherd-Barron, 82, explains that the reason we use four digit PIN’s is because of his wife Caroline. John was citing his six digit Army number as a figure her could remember.

“Over the kitchen table, she said she could only remember four figures, so because of her, four figures became the world standard,” he laughs.

Despite the success of Mr Shepherd-Barron’s invention, first installed in a branch of Barclay’s on High Enfield Street, London, my parents never use one. Even when they got a card they left it at home, preferring to get over the counter service. That said, my Dad knows more about Teletext than I know about the Internet I think.

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