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Despite
Martins Bank having historical connections back to the time of Shakespeare,
it is not until 1958 that the Bank opens up shop in the birthplace of the Bard
himself, in a former tearoom know as the Shakespeare Gallery! We can well
imagine Mr Mainwaring, Manager of Martins Bank WALMINGTON
ON SEA, visiting somewhere
just like this each day, to enjoy morning coffee with his Chief Clerk Mr
Wilson… We are lucky to hold two colour images of Stratford-upon-Avon
Branch in the Archive. Both are taken in the very early 1960s, when the
Branch had only been open for a couple of years. The first image shows the
proximity to the branch of Barclays to the left, and to the right the National
Provincial Bank. There are not many high streets left in the twenty-first
century where you could find even one bank, let alone three in a row! The close-up colour image of Stratford upon Avon branch is
taken from one of two slides of Midland District Branches kindly donated by
our good friend and Martins Colleague, the late Iris Brooks. The other colour slide image can be seen on
our SHREWSBURY page. Iris
was known and liked in the Midland District branches of the Bank, and at one
stage the Bank asked her to put together local training courses. She
established the Midland District Machine School at Derby Branch. |
In Service: September 1958 until 24 April 1998 Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections -
Iris Brooks 1962 |
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When Martins Bank Magazine visits Stratford upon Avon Branch some
seven months after it was opened, they are not even fifteen words into their
first sentence before “the Bard of Avon” himself is mentioned, and by the
second paragraph the “sudden realisation” that they are visiting the town on
Shakespeare’s birthday, sends the writer ever more into rapture… The sunshine of a perfect April day bathed the city of the Bard of
Avon as we paid our first visit to the ancient town since our branch was
opened there in September of last year. Our visit was obviously expected as
the Union Jack had been spread across the front of our building and, gazing
at the rows of flagstaffs with the flags of the nations thereon waiting to be
broken, we were most impressed with the standing of our bank in this famous
town, and with the influence of Mr. Gordon Proud, its Manager, whose position
is such that in a few short months he has only to whisper that he is
expecting a visit from a Head Office official to cause the town to put on a
display of unbridled rejoicing! And then the truth dawned. April
23rd, the day of our visit, is Shakespeare's birthday. Well, at least we had
chosen the right day on which to pay our own modest tribute, and nothing is
more pleasant than to arrive in a town which is en fete, for we like music and dancing in the streets,
processions and suchlike ceremonial. Our branch is very
well situated in the banking quarter, almost on a corner site. Although the
property has, of necessity, been converted to its present use, it has a
recorded history of five centuries. In mediaeval times it belonged to
Stratford's Guild of the Holy Cross and was occupied as an inn known as the
“Angel”. There are records of rebuilding operations during 1467-1469. Following the suppression of the Guild, the “Angel” passed into the ownership of the Corporation of
Stratford-upon-Avon, whose property it still
remains. The “Angel” was an important
hostelry in Shakespeare's time. After a period of
decay followed by rebuilding in the eighteenth century
it appears to have been used at one time as
an inn and at another as a private dwelling.
During the last century its premises were occupied by a succession of drapers until the house was restored and opened in 1913
as an antique shop and tearooms known
as the Shakespeare Gallery. The building is a half-timbered structure typical of many
to be found in the Stratford of Shakespeare.
The core of the building certainly belongs
to the late thirteenth century, although for the most part it is of later
addition and some modern imitation. The premises as existing lent themselves admirably to a
conversion of this nature and a minimum of
structural alteration proved necessary to provide the required accommodation.
The half-timbering with its lath and plaster infilling providing a contrast
in black and white, the overhanging upper
storeys and the twin gables, all contribute to a fine elevation that faces
the busiest part of the town in the centre of a predominantly business area.
The layout of the interior was governed by the
position of the existing iron and steel columns now incorporated into the
counter screen behind the cashiers.
This was successfully accomplished by casing and decorative treatment,
and another difficulty involved in concealing an irregular ceiling broken
with a mass of beams varying in depths was effectively solved by masking with
a suspended ceiling. |
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BEFORE The Branch in its days as the Shakespeare Tea Rooms |
AFTER Smooth lines, and the suspended ceiling of the new banking hall |
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The partition separating the banking hall from the waiting room
outside the Manager's Office is the focal point of the interior design. The
decorative glazing in the screen incorporating a stylized Bank Coat of Arms
as the predominant feature was designed and executed by a department of the
Kingston School of Art. Living
so far south is an entirely new experience for Mr. and Mrs. Proud, both of
whom are North-Easterners. He has worked in Newcastle, Stockton and as Pro Manager
at Durham prior to his present appointment. His
second-in-command, Mr. A. Atkin, was trained at Derby and only the junior
male member of the staff, Mr T Sumner, had previously lived in the town,
though he is actually a native of Tamworth. Miss M. Dodds, the lady member,
is Scottish and comes to us because her father is a serving officer in the
R.A.F. and has until recently been stationed at Wellesbourne. After we had
had the pleasure of entertaining Mr. and Mrs. Proud to lunch we got caught up
in the festivities right outside our branch. Following lunch at the Memorial
Theatre the visiting notabilities walked in procession to Shakespeare's
birthplace to lay wreaths and then to his burial place for the same purpose. |
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Image © Barclays Ref 0030-2816 A military band preceded them and we saw (from a distance)
Valerie Hobson, now Mrs. John Profumo, wife of the M.P. for Stratford, and
Paul Robeson. We had not seen Miss Hobson since we entertained her, on behalf
of the Bank, when she visited Liverpool some years ago. Then followed a short
drive to a quiet country lane, away from the milling crowds, for the purpose
of taking the staff photograph, and after a few very crowded hours we said a
regretful goodbye. We
were pleased to note that the new branch is making very satisfactory progress
and before long will be firmly established. |
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…and
now a word or two from our sponsor, William Shakespeare (?) We don’t know
whether or not this counts as the Bank “milking” a situation, but as ever,
they are not afraid to promote Martins as a long standing and historic
financial institution. Enter once more
the mock Tudor effect - a favourite of Martins Bank, particularly in the late
1950s - notable examples are the branches at Swansea, Prestatyn, Shrewsbury
and Nantwich, each of them looking like they have been there since the time
of William Shakespeare himself, and whilst the BUILDING at Stratford-upon-Avon
actually does go back that far, the occupier does not! In 1958 this booket is produced and offered
to customers to show off just what the bank has done to this very old
building - i.e. they turned it into a branch bank… |
Image
© Martins Bank Archive Collections |
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Stourport on Severn |
September 1958 15 December 1969 24 April 1998 |
Opened by Martins Bank Limited Barclays Bank Limited 20-83-07 Stratford upon Avon Closed |
Sunderland |
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