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Pretty as a picture…
 Martins Bank’s sub-branch at Gainford is
one of a select few of the Banks offices to have been the subject of artistic
interpretation.
There are pencil sketches of
the branches at COLCHESTER
and BANBURY,
and the artist’s full watercolour design for the new branch at EXETER is very lifelike, but this gentle oil painting of Gainford
sums up for us an age that will never be enjoyed again, an innocent view of
country life and the village with the bank at its heart.
Today restored to life as a
private residence, you would never know that this lovely house once offered
the services of Martins Bank from its front room. A similar arrangement is in place at WARCOP,
Westmorland, another “Front Room Branch”, until 1970, when that too reverts
to being someone’s house.
The painting is featured on the
front cover of the Spring 1969 issue of Martins Bank Magazine.
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In Service: 8 March 1928 until 12 December 1969 (Closed 1939-1946)
Image: Martins Bank Archive Collections -
© T R Owens 1969
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It was painted by Mr T R
Owens of Publicity Department, and maybe, just maybe it is an attempt to
show some of what will undoubtedly be lost when the Martins signage comes
down at the end of the year. So many
of the major banks have closed down hundreds of these country branches,
making those that do remain something of an endangered species.
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Image © Barclays Ref
0030-1037
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The twenty-first Century
zeitgeist for preserving the past and in many cases bringing it back to
life again would surely come to the aid of these historic buildings –
perhaps we should lobby to have them protected by law, not simply as
listing buildings, but in a way that means they must continue to offer
banking services, as some of them have done for well over one hundred
years. In practical terms, no-one
would want to run a sub branch like this.
No nightsafe facilities, and open for just one and a quarter hours a
week. Rates and utilities to pay,
cash to protect either in the building or in transit – what is nowadays
referred to as a “no brainer”. But
hey, we’re far too romantic to let practicality in the way of dreams. Gainford has a proud history, not least
falling on its sword and closing from 1939 to 1946 for the duration of the
Second World War in which so many Martins Bank Staff fought and lost their
lives to preserve villages like these.
So, long live Gainford, and all the other Gainfords up and down the
land!
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Branch Images © Barclays
Ref 0030-1037
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