11-62-20 Leeds Chapel Allerton

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The Bank of Liverpool and Martins opens a Branch in the Chapel Allerton area of Leeds in March 1926. This handsome little building proves its worth, by remaining open throughout the Second World War, and surviving the Merger with Barclays by more than twelve years, being closed in 1980. Under Martins’ ownership, Chapel Allerton has a sub-Branch to maintain on Roundhay Road, which is known as Leeds Oakwood Branch.

Leeds 1

Today’s use for the former Bank building at Chapel Allerton is as an Indian Takeaway, and the pillars along the front of the building lend themselves well to this new life, having been painted black and topped with gold! it still manages to look quaint, and is the first in a row of shops that were built onto the side of Chapel Allerton’s Library – an altogether older and grander affair…

For our very short Chapel Allerton Feature, we must rewind to 1967 and the leisure time pursuits of a particular member of the staff. Many of the features in Martins Bank Magazine are about staff whose hobby or interest is not related to banking. In the case of Donald Stephenson, 1968 sees him involved in a musical performance which will be heard by people all over Britain on BBC Radio 4.

In Service: 22 March 1926 until 2 June 1980

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-1571

At this time, Radio 4 is barely a year old, the BBC Home Service having been renamed in 1967…

1968 Donald J Stephenson MBM-Au68P49.jpg 1968 03 MBM.jpg Our man at St Paul’s…

Bass-baritone Donald J Stephenson (Chapel Allerton) accepted an invitation from the Royal School of Music to join some sixty singers from all over the country in forming a choir to sing at St Paul’s Cathedral for two weeks in August while the resident choir was on holiday. On August 21, the choir broadcast evensong on Radio 4, and on the last evening they joined the Abbey choir in a recital at Westminster Abbey. Mr Stephenson’s singing interests encompass light operatic as well as church music.