Most of our district offices are also home to branches of the bank, known as City Offices. None is larger or grander than Liverpool City Office which occupies the ground floor of 4 Water Street, and whose hive of activity – the horseshoe – can be seen by all who visit to transact business with us. Those of us who at any time have been lucky enough to be able to work at Liverpool City Office, must surely have been deeply saddened if not somewhat angered to learn that the building was sold a few years ago by Barclays. From travelling at almost breakneck speed between floors in the 1930s lifts, to eating well for next to nothing in the fantastic eighth floor restaurant, the magic of the building held something for everyone. We were therefore delighted to be contacted at the end of 2009 by a group of Liverpool University arts students, who following a visit to this online archive, obtained permission to use the building to re-stage one of Martins’ most iconic advertisements….
November 2009: At the famous Horseshoe Counter, a customer takes Martins at its word by bringing an elephant to the Bank! A bemused “messenger” looks on… Image © 2009 Colin Eccleston
			Following this newspaper advertisement in 1966 declaring that Martins’ Staff wouldn’t turn a hair if you came into your local branch with an elephant, someone actually did! The three year old daughter of the owner of Flamingo Land went into our York branch with a baby elephant. This was just the kind of stunt to attract the attention of a national newspaper at the time, but sadly we are prevented from reproducing their story. For a larger view of the original advert, please go to IN THE LIMELIGHT. Meanwhile, top marks go to our Liverpool students for such an imaginative take on the event!
Image: Barclays Group Archive Ref 25-658
1930 – This rarely seen photograph shows the site cleared and ready for the building to be known as 4 Water Street
Image: Martins Bank Archive Ref SU56P29
So much has already been said on this site about our lavish premises at 4 Water Street, that there is not much else to say. Just before we visit our Staff Gallery of faces, we couldn’t resist fitting in some larger views of our favourite part of Liverpool City Office - The Horseshoe.
Hive of Activity – the central counter area pictured in 1954.
Image: Martins Bank Archive
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A different view from 1960
Image: Martins Bank Archive
As we hold more than eighty staff photos for Liverpool City Office, we have divided this gallery into different departments for ease of reference
ACCOUNTANTS
Mr A J Wilson Accountant 1951 to 1957	Mr L Ward Accountant 1957 to 1963			1963 to 1967 Mr E Hubbard Accountant	Mr K E Buxton Accountant 1967 onwards
ACCOUNTS AND MACHINE ROOM STAFF
Miss S H Stanley Machine Supervisor 1944 to 1965	Miss Dorothy Diment Team Leader 1948-53 then Machine Supervisor 1953			Miss Nancy Stanley Machine Supervisor 1954	Miss Audrey Watson Asst Team Leader 1948
Miss Audrey McPherson Machinist 1948	Miss Betty Peter Machinist 1948			Miss Delia Davies Machinist 1948	Miss Muriel Jones Machinist 1948
Miss Winnie Winckle Machinist 1948	Miss Joan Wilson Ledger Control Clerk 1948			Miss Gladys Quayle Ledger Control Clerk 1948	Miss H K Hatto Accounts 1965
Mr T B Swift Head of Waste 1965
COUNTER STAFF
Mr A D Thomas Cashier 1932 to 1934	Mr G H Grimshaw Cashier 1932 to 1934			Mr E B Gillard First Cashier 1945 to 1947	Mr H M Shaw Chief Cashier 1947 to 1949
Mr H S Hayes Cashier 1948	Mr F J Lees First Cashier 1949 to 1957			Mr N E Cavendish Chief Cashier 1957 to 1961	Mr A J Brown Cashier 1959 to 1969
Mr L M Clay Cashier 1960 to 1968	Mr E P Chambers Chief Cashier 1961 to 1968			Miss K Barton Cashier 1963
MANAGEMENT STAFF
Mr F A Dew Pro then Asst Manager 1932 to 1933	Mr W R Woods Assistant Manager 1936 to 1937			Mr J R Whittle Sub Manager 1944 to 1948	Mr W D Armstrong Manager 1944 to 1951
Mr J V Dobie Pro Manager 1944 to 1957	Mr D E Brewis On Staff 1947 to 1961 Manager 1967 onwards			Mr L H Mills Assistant Manager 1947 to 1961	Mr A Tunnington Sub Manager 1950 Manager 1951 to 1967
Mr L Malley Head of Security and Asst Manager 1950-68	Mr L J Walton Sub Manager 1951			Mr Ian Buchanan Sub Manager 1954	Mr J W Ratcliffe Pro Manager 1956 to 1961
Mr G A Greenhalgh Pro Manager 1957 to 1959	Mr R P Williams Assistant Manager 1957 to 1962			Mr A B Stevens Assistant Manager 1962 to 1963	Mr T R Froggatt Assistant Manager 1963 to 1966
Mr J D Winckles Assistant Manager 1966	Mr R Williamson Pro Manager 1966			Mr W J Bass Assistant Manager 1966	Mr C D skelton Pro Manager 1967 Asst Manager 1968
Mr F W Samuels Pro Manager 1967	Mr H F Smith Deputy Manager 1967			Mr A J Dixon Pro Manager 1968	Mr N Atkinson Assistant Manager 1968
Mr M J Turner Assistant M anager 1969	Mr R H Davies Assistant Manager 1969
MESSENGER and PORTER STAFF
Mr W J Mantell Head Porter 1948	Mr Tommy Parsons Head Messenger 1959 to 1968
OTHER STAFF (Including those whose job role is not listed)
Mr T A Johnson Securities 1932 to 1934	Mr C A Tillotson On the Staff 1934 to 1935			Mr G S Cottier On the Staff 1937	Miss K M horsburgh Joined the Bank Here 1938
Mr A Taylor Joined the Bank Here 1939 to 1939	Miss M J Rummens Joined the Bank Here 1939			Mr G Shepherd On the Staff 1940	Miss F S A hardman Joined the Bank Here 1947 to 1948
Miss Brenda J Aked On the staff 1953	Mr K Whalley on the staff 1955			Mr F E Price On the Staff 1956	Miss M Gordon-Taylor Mr Tunnington’s Secretary 1959
Mr D Mawdsley On the Staff 1959	Mr T R Bradley On the Staff 1964
Title:		11-00-00 Liverpool City Office
Type:		Full Branch
Address:		PO Box 107, 4 Water Street Liverpool
Hours:		Mon to Fri 1000-1500
		Saturday 0900-1130
Telephone:		CENtral 5428
Services:		Nightsafe Facilities are not Listed for this branch
Manager:		Mr D E Brewis Manager
x© gut informiert! 2007 to date