The 1960s has spawned a new generation – “the getaway people” as one recent ad campaign would have it - any number of slogans spewing forth from the companies who want you to buy their “must have” products. Whoever you are, the gradual increase in personal wealth has given you aspirations unheard of even in the “you’ve never had it so good” 1950s.

Martins is blessed with the vision to tap into this new affluent society, helped in no small part by not only having three of the biggest named companies of today on its books, but also through the direct links these companies have with the “getaway” generation. Here we look at each of Martins biggest three customers, and we discover how being their banker can be both a help and a hindrance…

Up, up and away!

No self-respecting small boy in the 1960s would be without at least one model aeroplane. Whether the desire harks back to the second world war, or looks into the future of jet propulsion and the go-getting airlines of the day, there is usually either a kit, or a readymade model of the aircraft of your choice available. Model trains might be popular, yes, but surely it is the SKY that is the limit?

Martins is not simply banker to British Eagle International Airlines, it uses the connection to sell its services to the airline’s customers, in a kind of reciprocal back-scratching arrangement we don’t see much of in the twenty first century:

Your British Eagle flight pack doesn’t just contain your tickets. Martins goes to extremes to be helpful to British eagle customers, by providing a special version of its popular European destination cards complete with helpful conversion tables and handy hints to help you cope with those “foreign” weights and measures.

It’s only money…

Martins’ connection with the Moores family empire is rock solid – and what better than a national bank with a Liverpool Head Office to be banker to a hugely successful Liverpool enterprise? Martins’ branch at Victoria Street Liverpool has an entire section of staff dedicated to the banking requirements of Littlewoods Pools, as one of our former Martins colleagues recalls:

This winner’s cheque depicts one of Littlewoods major processing centres at Edge Lane in Liverpool which is now a listed building about to be converted into two schools. Once completed, the cheque would bear the lithograph signature of Cecil Moores, brother of the company's founder John Moores and be countersigned by J.Cuthbert Clegg who I knew personally in the 1960's he was head of the Littlewoods section at Liverpool, Victoria Street. The branch had a staff of around 80 and most were in a Littlewoods Pools syndicate that sought its fortune each week. I always remember that Mr.Clegg would arrive at the branch each Monday morning with very large sacks containing  thousands of cheques and usually more than a million postal orders. He was normally able to tell us by that time what sort of dividend would be payable that week based on the number of draws on the coupon the previous Saturday. I can remember one particular day when we had 23 points and him telling us that it looked as if we were likely to scoop at least £50,000, an absolute fortune. Sadly, as more coupons were checked more winners with 24 points appeared and we finally finished up with about £4.000 between us but to me my share still seemed a small fortune to a young clerk…

Sailing by…

For those in need of a somewhat gentler mode of international transportation than dashing about in a sleek jet plane, the traditional liner is just the thing. Liverpool’s ancient connection with all things maritime gives her a wealth of companies which ship either cargo or passengers to the four corners of the world. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Cunard line, another of our big business customers, capable of providing the kind of romantic setting for all kinds of adventure – inspiring lovers and authors alike with the age of the luxury ocean-going liner. It is a tradition in Britain that larger businesses have their company title or logo on their banking stationery – this is another way of selling both the products of the company, and its bank, and it also shows the value placed by the bank in be able to host the more prestigious organisations. In the case of Cunard, the humble Martins cheque, although already a classic has become something of an art form, inspiring those in receipt of one, to long for a chance to cruise in whatever liner is depicted. ( which in the case of the cheque shown above, is “The Queen Mary”)

Cap in hand.

It is not unusual for banks to be, shall we say “short of cash” on a day to day basis. In fact predicting how much physical money will be required by customers is nigh on impossible. Someone will always call in unexpectedly to cash a very large cheque, or to pay in funds at the last minute that takes a branch over its cash limit. It should come as no surprise then, to learn that banks are well used to lending each other money – often overnight and in order to balance the books on an extremely short term basis. You may have heard of the London Inter Bank Offered Rate or “LIBOR” which is the percentage that banks charge each other for this service.

As the 1960s progress, Martins is going all out for expansion – more and more new branches with lavish interiors and specially commissioned artworks. At the same time we are trying to satisfy the cash needs of customers such as those mentioned above. Something has to give. We find ourselves increasingly going “cap in hand” to the other banks, to the point where we start to appear vulnerable – perhaps we have too many fingers in too many pies? What will happen if the money runs out? It is at this point in our history that the most serious threat of takeover exists, and whilst we have been courted on other occasions by a number of bed-fellows, we now find ourselves with an offer we can’t refuse: The only way we can carry on is to provide Barclays with something it desperately desires, a huge Northern presence, in return for the majority of our network being kept open and jobs secured. Our only consolation is that we will last until the very end of the affluent 60s, which at least enables us to go out with a bang…

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