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Bexley is one of the
original fifteen “Grasshopper” Branches of Martin’s Private Bank that join
with the Bank of Liverpool in 1918. To
illustrate this lovely old branch, we are once again privileged to have some
wonderful and evocative photographs on this page, both from the Geoff Taylor
Collection, and that of Jack Jaques who is Martins’ Manager at Bexley from
1965 and through the merger with Barclays.
There are no visits to
the Branch by Martins Bank Magazine, so our features further down this page
concentrate on the retirements of two successive managers of Bexley, Mr
Lawrence and Mr Kirk. First, we must
make a confession on behalf of Martins – this lovely old branch is not going
to stay lovely and old for much longer! The “alterations and improvements” hording shown here, tells us
that the culprit seems to have been Martins, which makes what is to follow
even more shocking… It does take a
moment or two to realise that this is the SAME branch, but a side-by-side
comparison does confirm our worst fears – (for proof look at the shop shown
on the left, and the small blue doors to the right of the photographs). What
was the Bank thinking? |
In Service: 1 March 1887 until
Friday 2 September 2016 Image © 1969 Martins Bank Archive Collections - Jack Jaques
(by kind permission of Michael Jaques) Just what
was the Bank thinking? Image © 1970 Martins Bank Archive Collections - Jack Jaques
(by kind permission of Michael Jaques) |
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This new and radical design is very similar to that of Martins’ Branch at LEWISHAM, which opens at the same time, but this ISN’T Lewisham, it’s a part of old Kent that whilst slowly losing its identity to become yet another London Borough, surely does not deserve such space-age alteration at this time? |
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Image
(right) © Martins Bank Archive Collections - Geoff Taylor
Mr. Lawrence expressed his thanks and
said how happy he had been in the service of the Bank, and a bouquet was
presented to Mrs. Lawrence, whom we were all delighted to see, by Miss P.
Tidy, Bexley branch. Mr. Lawrence entered the
Bank in 1915 and after service in the First World War 1915 to 1919, was
posted to Bromley in 1919, being transferred to Swanley in 1921. He was
appointed Pro Manager at Swanley in 1932, and Pro Manager at Sittingbourne
the same year. His appointment as Manager at Bexley came in 1936.
Specifically avoiding reminiscences. Mr
Kirk thanked everyone for the gift, adding that music as well as golf would
have more of his attention in the future. Mr Kirk’s 44
years’ service was spent mostly in Kent branches, beginning at Bromley in
1921. His first appointment was as Pro Manager at Mottingham in 1939,
followed by four years’ war service. After five years with the visiting
inspectors he became Pro Manager at Holborn in 1953 and Manager at Bexley in
1957. |
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