11-36-70 jersey St Helier

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Whereas the list of owners of its Isle of Man Branches goes back to 1882, Martins Bank does not have a long association with the Channel Islands – opening first of all in Jersey in 1951, Guernsey in 1955, and adding two sub branches on Jersey at St Brelade in 1960 and at Gorey in 1964. Having Branches in two offshore dependencies is very much a feather in the Bank’s cap, and both sites will go on to provide rich earnings for Martins Bank Trust Company, and its Barclays successors to this day (although the network of branches in these locations has been much reduced).

The first image of 30 Halkett Place is from 1950, when having been obtained by Martins Bank, St Helier’s Halkett Hotel is about to be transformed… The second image shows the original façade of Martins’ St Helier Branch but with business expanding, a complete makeover is on the way: In 1963 Martins Bank is riding high, celebrating 400 years of a banking business on the site of London District Office, 68 Lombard Street. No expense is spared on the upgrade of number of key branches from Kendal in the North, all the way down the country to St Helier, Martins’ Southernmost Outlet. The results for Jersey are spectacular, including a modern exterior that is still very much in keeping with the area, and a tastefully executed interior that seems to be at least twice the size of the old one.

This building In Service: 1951 until August 1988

Images © Barclays Ref 0030-1444

With the merger still out of sight a few years round the corner, these are high spending times for Martins.The Bank takes a large number of photographs both of the original and of the refurbished interiors at St Helier, and we are able to present most of them here for you, to show the transformation from a traditional bank interior to one that is ready to embrace the “Swinging Sixties”.


Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030-1444

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030-1444

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030-1444

A mural depicting a panoramic view of St Aubin’s Bay is the backdrop to the new counter, which is made from teak and is a colossal 36 feet (11 metres) long. For our features, we visit St Helier in 1966, and then wind the clock back another three years to hear more about the new counter and the logistical problems it presented, including setting a record for the largest item of furniture ever transported by air to Jersey!

1966 03 MBM.jpg St Helier branch, which opened fifteen years ago with a staff of four and today employs twenty-eight, is an excellent example of the success of an undertaking proving a spur to both management and staff. The office is such a hive of activity that by comparison the sub branches at Gorey and St Brelade appear havens of rest, but those who man them return to do their full stint of the day's work at the parent office. With the bulk of Jersey's population in the south it is understandable that the subs are situated respectively in an expanding 'new' area and in a fashionable resort. The island's prime concern from February onwards is of course the potato crop which is often followed by tomatoes. Next comes tourism and here, perhaps, lies the reason for the label 'commercialised' for Jersey certainly offers the visitor bright lights, floor shows and the top in holiday entertainment if he wants them. If he does not want them he can seek the quiet cliffs and country. Owing to a misunderstanding over flight reservations, with which nobody would dare to muck about during a shipping strike, our visit to St Helier branch was shorter than we would have liked but we met everybody except Mr Soulsby and saw enough to appreciate the problems of a self-supporting big office which in moments of real crisis can expect little but sympathy from a District Office 100 miles away from the island.

The St Hélier Staff (1966)

Front row

Mrs G L Garnham

J J Meyer Pro Manager

T Soulsby Assistant Manager

I L Chambers Manager

W E Richardson Trust Controller Executor & Trustee Company

J H Ison Pro Manager

Mrs 1 L S Mason

Second row

Miss V A Marett

Mrs E B Fortun

Mrs G Godel

Mrs D B Layton

Miss S E Blake

Miss J Shirley

Mrs L J Harris

Miss S A P Andre

Mrs J W Garrett

Third row

Miss P Mills

E J Figgett

G F Buesnel

J D R Heppolette

(Executor & Trustee Company)

A J Richardson

J A Blackwell

H S Perkins

Back row

H Siddall

P L Griffiths

P J Collins

M G Russell

S Gardner

M A Wallser

Mrs J E Norman

(Miss S Williams and Mr J Smith, Pro Manager, were away when the photograph was taken)

The staff in Jersey are a grand mixture of 'imported' and 'home-bred'. One expects to find a sprinkling of men from London District replacing those who have gone to the mainland to gain wider experience, but to find two lady Mancunians was a surprise indeed. Another point of interest was the high proportion of senior married ladies so valuable and necessary these days when girls seem to marry so much earlier and leave in their early twenties. The branch outgrew itself several years ago but now has adequate room for expansion which, judging by past records, will come sooner than expected for Mr Chambers is not one to take life easily. In 15 years he has built a business to be proud of and, with his wife, given unstintingly of time and energy in ambassadorial duties: here as in Guernsey sound banking knowledge, hard work and the ability to meet, mix and assess have proved invaluable. St Helier branch is fully mechanised—Guernsey branch partially—and at neither office would anybody be tolerated who attempted to post ledgers with his feet up. So although these islands in the sun are an open temptation to idleness you would be wise to cross them off your banking list. Sorry to disappoint but did you really want an easy way out?




		*A Premises Problem…* *(or a tight fit in Jersey!)*

The new counter for our extended premises at St Helier branch was part of the design by a local architect, Mr W. H. Davies, A.R.I.B.A., but nobody expected that it would make news. Manufactured from teak at North Acton it is 36 feet long, 3’ 9” wide, 13/8in thick and weighs 1,000 lbs. It was taken by road to London Airport and flown in a B.E.A. Argosy freighter to Jersey—the largest single piece of furniture ever carried to the Island by air. On arrival it was eased out of the aircraft on trestles to a plant service trailer, the weight of the overhang being taken by a pick-up truck, and was then moved to the contractors' Le Quennevais workshop to be worked on and polished. Early one Sunday morning, with a police escort, it resumed its journey and we are indebted to Mr B. H. E. Clarkson of London District Premises Department for providing the photographs of what might aptly be termed a tight fit in Jersey…



*Mr T W Hedges* *Pro Manager* *1951 to 1954*	*Mr D E Chalkley* *Pro Manager* *1952 to 1957*	*Mr B R du Feu* *On the Staff* *1955 to 1962*	*Mr J L Baughen* *Limited Auth then pro Manager 1957 to 1966*	*Mr J D B Heppolette* *On the Staff* *1957 to 1968*	*Mr R L Sharrock* *Assistant Manager* *1959 to 1965*



*Mr J J Meyer* *Pro Manager* *1961 to 1967*	*Mr J H Ison* *Limited Auth then Pro Manager 1964 to 1966*	*Mr T Soulsby 1965 Asst* *then Deputy, then Manager 1969 onwards*	*Mr C D Mann* *Pro Manager* *1967*	*Mr R Mahon* *Deputy Manager* *1969*

BARCLAYS BANK LIMITED 1 Branch + Trust Company	LLOYDS BANK LIMITED 2 Branches + Trust Company	MARTINS BANK LIMITED 3 Branches + Trust Company

MIDLAND BANK LIMITED	NATIONAL PROVINCIAL BANK	WESTMINSTER BANK 2 Branches

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