xA TALE OF THREE ELEPHANTS
Part I: Party Poopers… This page was formerly entitled “you can take your elephant”. Unfortunately, the British newspaper that originally featured the story about a little girl who took her elephant into our branch at York, will not allow the image of their story to be displayed here any longer without charging us an annual fee. This is despite the image being reproduced not directly from a newspaper, but from a copy article which featured in Martins Bank’s own magazine 43 years ago. As this goes completely against the spirit of our making the social history of Martins available to all, using items that have been in the public domain for more than four decades, we have reluctantly removed the image, along with the free publicity it gave the newspaper, from this page.
Part II: Rufus Returns! We previously reported that the only remaining copy of the advert that gave rise to someone actually taking their elephant to the bank is now too fragile to be scanned, we are delighted to say that our friends at Barclays have been able to photograph it for us… Image: Barclays Group Archive Ref: 25-658 Special thanks to Barclays for allowing what is now a very delicate exhibit to be photographed. x
Part III: You still CAN take your Elephant!
		In November 2009 a group of performing arts students decided to take Martins at their word, by re-creating both the iconic advert and incident mentioned above. This time, we are happy to report that we CAN show you the images, and our thanks go to Colin Eccleston and his fellow students who took over 4 Water St for a day to pay homage to the original idea that Martins Staff were so helpful and laid back, that not even an elephant would phase them. You can see a larger version of the first image shown here, on our LIVERPOOL CITY OFFICE page.
Bear faced cheek
Once upon a time, that most famous magician (and bear) Sooty went to GUISELEY Branch in the faraway land of Craven, to cash his first cheque AND meet his first bank manager, Mr Jack Hardcastle. Sooty’s companion Mr Corbett kindly gave him a hand up…
It seems Sooty’s attachment to Martins Bank was indeed very strong, dear readers, for here he is again, with his friend Mr Corbett, and his nice NEW Bank Manager at Guiseley, Mr Ken Baxter, on the occasion of Sooty’s coming of age. Martins really DO go to extremes to be helpful!
x Sooty’s twenty-first birthday – Image © David Baxter 1965
		Tiger, Tiger, sitting tight… Martins seems to have the habit of attracting animal customers. In this very early case of wildlife in the banking hall from 1956, RANEE the tigress accompanies her owner Mr James Walton. Rather oddly – and perhaps this is a disturbing thought to a big cat – Mr Walton is actually a BUTCHER (!) and a farmer. Staff at Chester Le Street branch think nothing of their office being visited by both tigress and Mr Walton. When interviewed, he commented: “It has long been a common thing for me to enter the Bank at Chester Le Street accompanied by a lion or a leopard and none of the cashiers was alarmed if either placed its paws on the counter while they checked cash” We bet you didn’t know tigers could check cash, now did you?
With Mabel, at the table… Cashing a cheque must be all the rage when you’re famous, and at London Wigmore Street Wilfred Pickles and his wife Mabel ‘have a go’ too. Meanwhile years before becoming Muhammed, Casius meets Mr D G Harris, the manager of Golders Green…				Modelling with Clay
Kitten on the Keys… 1949 - This lovable moggy was often found waiting on the steps of our branch at ALSTON, Cumberland, when the doors were opened for business. It would slip into the branch, make its way to the typewriter, in front of which it would seat itself as shown. It would then tap the space bar until the bell rang, and then look up waiting for someone to return the carriage, so that the operation could be repeated! x
Royal walkabout Princess Alexandra visits Lancaster University Branch, while King Doddy of Knotty Ash wows them with the size of his cheque book at LEWIS’S BANK Blackpool.	How tickled they are, missus! – At … © gut informiert 2007 to date