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People love the idea of something for nothing, so what could be better than a few giveaways to entice custom from young and old? At Martins we love to give away anything that is likely to engender customer loyalty and instil the savings habit in our customers. (Beware: These are the days when your doctor might offer you a cigarette to calm your nerves, and children automatically save all their pocket money and write cheques to their parents for Christmas…)
Buy your own Martins Bank!
This is not really a giveaway, more of a 1960s collaboration with Hornby Model Railways to provide a little scale model Martins Bank to add authenticity to any model railway set. Sometimes sold alone, sometimes joined to a model shop, this special branch of Martins comes as a flat piece of cardboard that you then make into a three dimensional model. We already have one example of each of the 1960s designs in our archive, but imagine our surprise, on learning that these models have just started to undergo a renaissance, thanks to our friends at Metcalfe Models of Skipton, North Yorkshire. We recently contacted the company, and Nick Metcalfe told us how one of our branches is the inspiration for the new generation of models:
“I chose the Skipton Branch as it is a local bank to us, and also it is not over intricate in its design which made it easy to model in card. I remember going into that branch of Martins Bank when I was a small boy with my Grandmother, and the Manager gave me a bag full of Farthings, which had just gone out of circulation. I still have some of them today”.
This is the new version, just one of a whole host of intricately designed models available from the Metcalfe site. Our Archive is dedicated to preserving the memory of Martins Bank, whether by preserving items from the past, or supporting those from the present day - so naturally we are thrilled when others want to do the same. You can own your very own Martins Bank with accompanying shop – it is certainly right up our street, and you can find it at: www.metcalfemodels.com	Image © Metcalfe Models 2012
Please remember that by clicking on the link to Metcalfe Models, you will be taken directly to their site, which is not part of Martins Bank Archive.
Catching the savings bug…
In the Summer of 1968, Captain Scarlet is not the only indestructible celebrity. Perhaps the most loved of Martins’ giveaways is the coveted GRASSHOPPER money box – symbol of Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder of the first bank in Martins’ 400 year HISTORY. This sturdy little plastic box is (apparently) indestructible, a strong statement about the bank, but sadly ironic considering how these beautiful little boxes have outlasted the bank itself. The arrival of the grasshopper moneybox is celebrated by the following tongue in cheek article in Martins Bank Magazine…
Grasshoppers Under Stress… The Childproof Grasshopper Money-box has taken the nation's children by storm, replacing the traditional piggy-bank, now lying forgotten in dingy attics. In this article we describe the work of the Grasshopper Testing Establishment and pay tribute to the staff whose skill and devotion to duty have brought about this revolution in nurseries throughout the country… fatigue failures in the initial manufacturing stages of the Mark I Grasshopper brought to the fore the danger to the young saver of lethal knife-edged plastic splinters from disintegrated money-boxes.
'Safety for Savers' became the order of the day and the Grasshopper Testing Establishment was set up at Nether Hopping. The project was naturally highly secret and only after careful screening were we permitted to make our visit, travelling down with the weekly supply convoy. Arriving at the heavily guarded main gate we found the duty dog-handler Herbert Rumford-Street and his watchful tripe hound who were on special detachment from No. 2 Mobile Sub-branch (Fred's Caff, Great North Road). Our passes carefully scrutinised, we were ushered through the outer perimeter to the Admin. Office which had been skilfully disguised as a derelict Nissen hut. On the door was a weatherworn notice which we deciphered as TO LET. FOR GENTLEMEN ONLY — a cunning subterfuge.
Stepping inside we were impressed with the subtle decor, reminiscent of the later Great Western period, of chocolate and cream relieved with quaint motifs — in particular a simple but effective epitaph for the ubiquitous Kilroy. Here we met the Director of Operations, Isaac O'Kelly (Mac to his friends), who showed us an example of the Grasshoppers at that time being tested. 'These beggars nearly got the better of us' he remarked with a wry smile. Briefly he described testing methods, the ultimate aim, he assured us, being the creation of the Indestructible Grasshopper Moneybox. Donning our protective suits of imitation plastic and matching gumboots, we began our tour of the Establishment. At Econ. Inf. Pub. and Ad. we met charming Joan Farnsbarns, a prominent figure. While reluctant to reveal vital statistics of which she is in sole charge, she entertained us with several amusing anecdotes. She told us that her hobbies are numismatics, embroidery and that she is a black belt. We moved on…
Grasshopper Testing Establishment, Nether Hopping
At the reception shed we watched a consignment of Grasshoppers being carefully unpacked. Each received a sharp blow with a six-pound hammer before being forwarded to No. 2 bay where Jim Blogworthy and his happy staff select specimens at random into which are dropped foreign coins of equivalent weight to 73 6d and which are then hurled at a thick brick wall. Jim informed us that 17% of the Grasshoppers handled by his section are found defective, as was a similar percentage of his staff. Mr Blogworthy, who served his apprenticeship at Brooks's Bar, is the father of nine children. He has no hobbies. From a distance we viewed the more sophisticated techniques to test resilience. Even the ordinary domestic explosion (gas cookers, geysers, oil heaters, etc.) is simulated, thus guaranteeing that our moneyboxes (or 'bug-banks' as they are laughingly termed) are completely child-proof. Our final call was to the packaging department where the Grasshoppers are boxed together with a simple picture-leaflet explaining to the kiddies exactly what they can do with them. We were told of the grand opportunities opening up in this field for young men of muscular physique who feel perhaps that their duties in general banking do not give them sufficient outlet. A management training scheme is now in operation for men of the right calibre. It was time to take our leave of Mr O'Kelly and on our way back we recalled the words inscribed above his desk which summed up the raison d'etre of the Establishment — 'We're Bugging Britain'.
Where there’s muck… Martins also entices children to open savings accounts with this attractive golden grasshopper brooch – not really made of gold, (it’s more of a “BRASShopper” really), but nevertheless one of those lovely shiny things that kids go for in the swinging 60s.
Cash and Cheques at your fingertips…
Just in time for Christmas 1964, and perfect for aspiring little bankers everywhere, this Kiddicraft® Miniature Cheque Book comes complete with ten beautifully re-created Martins Bank Cheques, a miniature paying in book and a selection of miniature bank notes. Hours of fun!
Your Very Own Safe…
For savers of all ages, our beautiful and practical homesafes which can only be opened at the bank provide security and an incentive to be thrifty! First manufactured in the 1920s, and produced for most UK banks, these home safes remain extremely collectable, and a wide variety can usually be found on internet auction sites. Strange how they are now worth more empty than when they were full…
No smoking?
		Strike a light – this is just what the sophisticated sixties smoker needs: their very own Martins personalised matchbook which must surely be the perfect accompaniment to pipe and slippers… Matchbooks are issued by a huge number of companies as souvenir giveaways in the 1960s, including ABC Weekend Television and TV Times. See also THE BEGINNING OF THE END for an example of a combined Barclays /Martins matchbook.
I’ll just make a note of that…
In the days before laptops and mobile phones and any number of new devices for recording your every thought word and deed in the hope that someone might find it remotely interesting, we have NOTEPADS. – No, not the laptop computer variant of the same name, these notepads are several pieces of paper stuck together in a handy small book-like format. Just the thing when you want to write a shopping list (that’s a list of things to buy in shops, which is where we used to buy things before the internet came along). Martins is once again on the case with these cheerful little notepads to give away to customers.
© gut informiert 2007 to date

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