Times change, but on the outside, Kendal stays the same…
Kendal is regarded as the senior branch in Martins’ Northern District, and sustains five sub branches in and around the town, as well as a regional centre for Martins Bank Trust Company who have both a trustee office, and a tax office here. Kendal is a busy market town which supports many industries including the making of snuff and the famous Kendal Mint Cake, as well as being home to K Shoes and Provincial Insurance, who are both major employers in the area. Kendal is also gateway to the Lake District, and is populated by tourists for much of the year. Until the M6 motorway can be extended past the town, (which should happen in about 1970) the A6 is a heavily used route for every kind of vehicle. Consequently, patience is a virtue in great demand in the centre of Kendal. Our branch is the former Head Office of Wakefield Crewdson’s Bank, and although in the twenty-first century a cash machine will sit at the bottom of the second ground floor window, here in the 1960s the unspoilt exterior of our branch at Kendal is captured in the glorious image below. To read more about the long history of Kendal in our bank, see also KENDAL – A HISTORY LESSON…
Image Barclays Group Archive Ref: 30/1458
From an earlier age to a brand new look…
Major refurbishment of Kendal Branch in 1962, brings a stylish minimalist banking hall, with its comfy sofa, individually lit customer writing desks, and zebra crossing style vinyl floor covering. We have recently added this gallery courtesy of our friends at Barclays Group Archive:
Showing her age – Kendal in 1959						Re-born in 1962
View from the glass customer entrance			The new banking hall in colour
In 1963 Martins Bank Magazine pays Kendal Branch a visit, to see how things are going after such an amazing transformation. They also featured staff from the branch in 1968. They find well ordered notice boards, champion rose growers, and endless numbers of staff, all of whom are summed up as ‘a good lot’…
however one looks at Kendal branch it is not easy to appreciate that a lot of history is tucked away behind the new teak veneer panels, the white Italian granite and the vinyl tiled floors covering the spacious offices and rooms. The gilded 'Kendal Bank' on the exterior might, however, give one a clue.
When Wakefield, Crewdson & Company were taken over by the Bank of Liverpool in 1893, their Head Office, 'The Kendal Bank', was on the site of the present Kendal branch and, additionally, their business comprised seven full branches and fourteen sub branches in Westmorland, Furness and south-west Cumberland. Although Kendal is now yet another of our Bank's branches it is rightly regarded still as the senior branch in the Northern District and there are those of an older generation who, even now, refer to it as 'Wakefield's Bank'. Mr Charles Clark, our Manager, sits at a highly polished desk without drawers and manages to run his business efficiently, although one may suspect that somebody gets terribly tired bringing things to him. Nevertheless, the days of the sloping desks, bulky furniture, dark rooms and stairs have gone for ever. The transformation took two years to accomplish and those who worked through it must now feel that it was worth while. Any who have had experience of branch alterations 'with business as usual' will feel greater sympathy than those who have only heard about these things. Walking round the branch we thought it would have been a pleasing gesture if, in designing the new office, a place had been found to show in a panel the design of an oat sheaf surrounded by a rake, scythe and sickle surmounting an inverted cornucopia from which fall the various fruits of the earth—a design which appeared on Wakefield, Crewdson & Company's cheques and which was as well known throughout the north as the heifer was in the Craven District, or the grasshopper in the south.
			← Kendal Machine Room Left to right: D. Clark (standing), R. H. Airey, Mrs M. Sisson, Miss J. Mitchell, Miss A. P. Birkett, N. J. Wileman, Miss M. Johnstone, Miss J. M. Wilson, Miss A. E. Dixon, Miss L. A. Power
Kendal Staff → Back Row (left to right): Mr F. Smith (Pro Manager), Mr J. S. Pearson (Accountant), Mr W. H. Mashiter (Arnside Sub), Mr T. E. Wood (Milnthorpe Sub), Miss C. Parke, Miss A. M. Lanyon, Miss J. Hine, R. Thornton, K. A. Chapelhow (Relief Staff), J. H. Thompson Front Row: Mrs M. Stainton, Miss N. J. Hewertson, M. I, Colquhoun, D. V. Davies
We have so few big offices outside the industrial areas that it is always pleasant to call at Kendal and find the business efficiency and urgency of a large town branch leavened by the cheerful, friendly air of country banking at its best. The branch to-day has a predominantly young staff and it is to the credit of Mr Clark and Mr Youdell that it is a very happy office. Many of the staff are the sons and daughters of farmers or have close farming connections and it is hard to find anybody who is not interested in something outside their banking lives—golf, singing, fell-walking, tennis, farming, rugby, local societies, roses, cricket, youth clubs, music, football, church activities, motoring. What of television or the cinema? 'Well, sometimes, but there's plenty else to do', they say. They do not go in for superlatives at Kendal and they don't expect others to do so. They are a good lot.
			← Kendal Staff On left: Mr E. A, Youdell (Assistant Manager) and Mr C. Clark (Manager) with N. Chamley, R. F. Stoker, T. B. Wliitehead, Miss J. M. Benson and Mrs J.Troughton
Kendal Staff → On right: Mr G. S. Simpson-Clark with (left to right) C.Law,Mrs M. M. Parkes, J. D. H. Beck, Miss G. D. MacBryde,M. A. Watson, P. F. Homer, Miss O. M. Iredell, M. E. Bowman and A. G. Wilson
A gentleman to the corps…					Mr. R. G. Plint, Accountant at Kendal branch, was recently presented with a commemorative plaque bearing the A.T.C. coat-of-arms from the officers, cadets and committee of the 1127 (Kendal) Squadron Air Training Corps, of which he has been commanding officer, with the rank of Flight Lieutenant, for the past eight years. Mr. Plint has now retired from his command. Behind Mr. Plint is Mr. G. S. Simpson-Clark, also of Kendal branch, an instructor to the squadron, and on his left, Mr. J. W. Bargh, Manager of Kendal branch, who is Chairman of the Committee.
Things are obviously well organised at Kendal, which is just as well as the Branch is one of the largest outside the major industrial areas!
Technical advances mean that Kendal’s elegant cheques from the 1940s have to be given a make-over for the computerisation that the 1960s will bring. Still, at least at Martins you’ll always be a name, not a number…
Finest Bloom At Lakeland Rose Show…
A Norman Hartnell rose exhibited at the Lakeland Rose Show in July by Alan Robinson (Kendal Branch) earned the description 'the finest bloom I have ever seen' from one of the judges, writing a week later in Garden News. Twenty-one-year-old Mr Robinson achieved outstanding success, winning the plaque for the best rose bloom, the rose bowl for the best exhibit in the rose classes, and the silver trophy for the best exhibit in ten specified classes. His colleague at Kendal branch and a close neighbour, Alan Noble, won the class for the best single rose from growers with less than 50 trees. Both owe their enthusiasm for roses to another Martins man, Mr Philip Horner, who retired from Kendal branch a few years ago. Mr Horner and Mr Robinson have been to the home of the Bank's Chairman in order to initiate Sir Cuthbert and Lady Clegg into the art of budding roses. x
Photo: Westmorland Gazette The rose experts. In his garden Mr Alan Robinson (right) examines the blooms with, from the left, Mr Philip Homer, Mr Alan Noble and his father, Mr Jack Robinson.
Mr T E Askew Joined the bank here 1903	Mr E W Wilkinson Joined the bank here 1917			Mr J E Leake Joined the Bank Here 1918			MR I W Elliot On the staff 1918 to 1938
Mr A A Rushforth On the staff 1919 to 1926	Mr L N Cross Joined the Bank Here 1920			Mr H Sharp Joined here 1921 and also 1928 to 1949			Mr J Bainbridge Pro Manager 1928 to 1935
Mr T E Sarginson On the Staff 1930 to 1932	Me B E Jones Sub Manager 1933 to 1936			Mr E Newhouse On the staff 1934			Mr F Smith 1936 to 1964 Pro Manager from 1961
Mr J W Bargh Manager 1938 to 1958	Mr R G Plint Accountant 1940 to 1959			Mr J R K Dean On the staff 1941 to 1943			Mr N Chamley 1943 to 1946 and 1960 to 1964
Mr F J Carradus On the Staff 1945 to 1947	Mr J R Pickthall Assistant Manager 1946 to 1957			Mr T T Warriner Chief Cashier/Pro Manager 1946 to 1958			Mr R Jopson On the staff 1951 to 1953
Mr J R Hullock On the staff 1953 to 1960	Mr B D Lewthwaite On the staff 1954 to 1958			Mr R Thornton On the staff 1957 to 1964			Mr J N Edgar Assistant Manager 1958 to 1960
Mr J S Pearson Accountant 1959 to 1964	Mr T B Whitehead On the staff 1959 to 1966			Mr E A Youdell Assistant Manager 1960 to 1964			Mr G S Simpson-Clark Chief Cashier 1960 to 1969
Mr D J Corlett Deputy Manager 1964	Mr F S Pitts Accountant 1964			Angela Lanyon Machine Room 1966			Mr Alan Robinson On the Staff 1968
Mr C Clark Manager pictured in 1968	Mr J W Burnside Deputy Manager 1969
Branch Title:		11-05-50 Kendal
Type:		Main Branch
Address:		PO Box 25 9 Highgate Kendal Westmorland
Hours:		Mon-Fri 1000-1500
		Saturday 0900-1130
Telephone:		Kendal 2112 / 2910
Services:		Night Safe Installed
Manager:		Mr C Clark Manager
Branch Title:		11-05-50 KENDAL AUCTION MART
Type:		Sub to 11-05-50 Kendal
Address:		Agriculture House Appleby Road Kendal
Hours:		Mon 1000-1500 Tue-Fri 1000-1230
		Saturday 0930-1130
Telephone:		Kendal 2112 / 2910
Services:		Restricted Hours
Manager:		Mr C Clark Manager (Kendal)
Branch Title:		11-05-50 ARNSIDE
Type:		Sub to 11-05-50 Kendal
Address:		The Promenade Arnside Westmorland
Hours:		Mon-Fri 1000-1500
		Saturday 0900-1130
Telephone:		Arnside 223
Services:		Night Safe Installed
Manager:		Mr C Clark Manager (Kendal)
Branch Title:		11-05-50 BURTON IN KENDAL
Type:		Sub to 11-05-50 Kendal
Address:		Main Street Burton in Kendal Westmorland
Hours:		Tues 1030-1200
		and 1230-1400
Telephone:		Burton 495
Services:		Restricted Hours
Manager:		Mr C Clark Manager (Kendal)
Branch Title:		11-05-50 MILNTHORPE
Type:		Sub to 11-05-50 Kendal
Address:		1 Church Street Milnthorpe Westmorland
Hours:		Mon-Fri 1000-1500
		Saturday 0900-1130
Telephone:		Milnthorpe 2308
Services:		Night Safe Installed
Manager:		Mr C Clark Manager (Kendal)
Branch Title:		11-05-50 STAVELEY
Type:		Sub to 11-05-50 Kendal
Address:		75 Main Street Staveley Kendal Westmorland
Hours:		Mon & Fri 1000-1230
		and 1300-1415
Telephone:		Telephone: Kendal 2112 / 2910
Services:		Restricted Hours
Manager:		Mr C Clark Manager (Kendal)
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