Still going to extremes to be helpful!
We can only guess what the Martins Bank of today would look like if it still existed in its own right. Doubtless the same competition that drove so many banks into chasing savings and loans would have had some effect, but it would be nice to imagine that some of the careful lending practice from the days when the bank manager knew you, and all about you might still prevail. It would also not be beyond the realms of imagination to think that Martins would still be FIRST with a number of products and ideas…
Mergers of several banks into one became commonplace in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries. British banks (when not being propped up by the taxpayer) now seem to merge all the time - sometimes with banks from abroad taking them over, or by being taken over themselves. Indeed no sooner has one merger taken place than the newly formed company sets its sights on owning yet another.
	In 1969 a special act of Parliament had to be passed to allow Barclays and Martins to merge. The way things turned out for Martins could however, have been very different. On 16^th April 1968 the Management Services Department of Barclays Bank submitted a paper to the Monopolies Commission on the impact of its automation activities, and a proposed merger between Barclays, Lloyds and Martins Banks. The reason for proposing the merger was of course in the best tradition of companies who have to answer to shareholders - major cost cutting – and this would be achieved through the amalgamation of computer operations resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs. This was referred to as ‘savings’. In the end Barclays’ merger with Martins only was approved, (see THE BEGINNING OF THE END) and Lloyds Bank itself went on to live another day and even to perform its own mergers and acquisitions whilst preserving both the historic name of Lloyds and the iconic symbol of the Black Horse. You can read Barclays’ report to the Monopolies Commission HERE
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