11-81-00 Blackburn

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Another fine example of a bank building from the days of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank stands at 12-14 Darwen Street in Blackburn. In the twenty-first century, the site on which this Branch was built still plays host to Barclays, although one of the most hideous of 1970s replacement buildings (as you will see below) is where today’s business is transacted.

This is a far cry from the optimism of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank, whose illustration of their new office at Blackburn is printed in The Building News in October, 1903 (below, right). According to the L and Y Bank records for 1922, the Manager at Blackburn at that time is Mr F W Shawcross, and he is also responsible for two sub-branches to Blackburn at Copy Nook, Eanam, and New Chapel Street, Mill Hill.

In the 1960s Martins Bank runs the Eanam office as a full branch with its own management. There have also been two further sub branches to Blackburn, one at Cherry Tree, the other at Novas (an area of Blackburn known as Nova Scotia) both of which are closed in 1941 for the Second World War, but not re-opened.

It is good to know that whilst the traditional industries that helped to grow the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank are no longer there, business has still been good enough to keep a number of Branches in Blackburn thriving well into the twenty-first century. Thanks to Barclays’ collection of Martins Bank Images, we can take a look inside the original Branch building; the three interiors below show what space was like both for customers and for staff. Clean lines, and bright and welcoming counter area ready for the staff to go to extremes to be helpful!

In Service: September 1903 until 10 May 2024

1922 Blackburn Branch Exterior as L & Y Bank PA

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-0274

1959 Blackburn Darwen St Interior BGA Ref 30-274.jpg

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030-0274

A more genteel age – an artists impression

of Blackburn Branch from 1903…

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections

1959 Blackburn Darwen St Interior 3 BGA Ref 30-274.jpg

1959 Blackburn Darwen St Interior 4 BGA Ref 30-274.jpg

Now, in our feature articles, we look at the retirement celebrations of two members of the staff at Blackburn. Although the two retirements take place twelve years apart from each other, the leaving gifts given to each of the retirees are curiously similar...

From the Light Programme…

1957 02 MBM.jpg At the end of April Mr. A. Spencer, Manager at Blackburn since 1950, retired, and the occasion was marked by a gathering of colleagues on the active and retired staff to witness the presentation on behalf of the subscribers of a car radio. Mr. Spencer had obligingly parked his car at the side entrance to the Bank and turned on the set so that all might satisfy themselves that their gift was in good working order. The usual crowd gathered to see what was going on and this gave added importance to the occasion. Afterwards, Mr. Spencer entertained his staff and friends to tea in the office. Mr. Harold Blundell conveyed the good wishes of everyone and apologised for the absence of Mr. Tonge. He then recounted several humorous anecdotes of his association with Mr. Spencer and finally asked him to convey to Mrs. Spencer the good wishes of all present. The gathering included Mr. H. S. Mellor, Manchester District Inspector, and the Managers at Darwen, Queen's Park, Great Harwood, Bacup, Eanam, and representatives from Manchester City Office, District Office, Accrington and Cheetham, and two retired colleagues. Mr. Spencer entered the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank in 1912 and became Pro Manager at Elton, Bury, in 1934. He was appointed Manager at Great Harwood in 1941 and at Blackburn nine years later.

...to Radio Too…

1968 02 MBM.jpg some forty colleagues, past and present, including Mr W. P. Glover, gathered in the Castle Hotel, Blackburn, on March 14 to wish Mr Holme a happy retirement. Mr Richards (Manager) welcomed Mrs Holme, her daughter and daughter-in-law, and spoke of the great affection felt for Mr Holme who was always cheerful, full of good humour and a pleasure to have in the office. His many interests as a parish councillor, church organist and school governor would keep him extremely busy in retirement. Expressing the good wishes of all, Mr Richards gave him a transistor radio and Miss Susan Williams presented Mrs Holme with a bouquet. In response, Mr Holme thanked everyone and spoke amusingly about his life in the Bank from his first branch, Shudehill, on to Eanam and finally Blackburn, where he had spent most of his extremely happy career. He concluded by thanking Mr Richards in particular and invited everyone to partake of the buffet tea which was magnificent.

Dystopia is visited upon Blackburn...

Elsewhere within this archive, and in our DESIGNING MARTINS BANK feature in particular, we have asked the question – WHY? Why did they do that? What were they thinking? How did they get away with it?

Here on the right, is a lovely colour shot from our collection which is marked simply and somewhat mysteriously: “Film Unit, Sun Morn”, and it gives us an atmospheric view of the Branch at Blackburn in the late 1950s/early 1960s. Just visible at the top of the picture are the feet of the Liver Bird at the edge of the hanging sign.

Move forward a couple of decades, and the fate of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank’s original building at Blackburn Darwen Street seems to have been to destroy it completely, and to replace it with a sort of bulging goldfish bowl, which has few or no redeeeming features at all, save possibly for a more modern setting and comforts on the inside for the staff.

The jet-setters of Blackburn – travel goods are on offer, right next door to Martins Bank…

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections

That said, if you look once more at the original interior in the photographs above, there seems to have been enough room for expansion without going to the lengths of total destruction and rebuild? Good Lord, on the outside, this new incarnation is foul to say the least, yet doubtless the design is bound to have won awards somewhere along the line. For the final years before closing this branch, Barclays did, to its credit, tone down that awful tan colour to a subtler stone/grey kind of look, which, we suppose, is something at least. If you are squeamish, may we suggest you look away now...

1959 Blackburn Darwen St Exterior BGA Ref 30-274.jpg

A great tradition…

… a dystopian vision.

Images © Barclays Ref 0030-0274



*Mr A T Love* *Joined here 1906* *Pro Manager 1950*	*Mr H M Neild* *Joined the Bank Here* *1913*	*Mr F Cowell* *Joined Here 1919* *Accountant 1947 to 1950*	*Mr R P Hargraves* *Joined the Bank Here* *1922*	*Mr R C Sharples* *On the Staff* *1923 to 1935*	*Mr R Crossley* *Joined the Bank Here* *1924*



*Mr H Slater* *Joined the Bank Here* *1926 to 1937*	*Mr F Haslam* *Manager* *1932 to 1933*	*Mr S A Buxton* *First Cashier* *1934 to 1945*	*Mr H Wilkinson* *Manager* *1935 to 1947*	*Miss I M Scotts* *On the Staff* *1936 to 1969*	*Mr W T Coupe* *On the Staff* *1941 to 1941*



*Mr A Spencer* *Manager* *1950 to 1956*	*Mr R M Heyes* *Joined here 1960* *and Staff 1963 to 1964*	*Mr I A Bremner* *Pro Manager* *1952 to 1957*	*Mr L Richards* *Manager* *1956 to 1968*	*Mr R S Hilton* *On Staff 1960 to 1963* *Deputy Manager 1969*	*Mr John E Hurst* *On the Staff* *1960 to 1966*



*Mr W F S Richmond* *Pro Manager* *1961 to 1963*	*Miss P Holt* *Cashier* *1963*	*Mr P Houldsworth* *Pro Manager* *1963 to 1968*	*Mr K O Walmsley* *Deputy Manager* *1965*	*Mr H A Holme* *Retiring Staff* *1968*	*Mr J W Twissell* *Pro Manager* *1968*



*Mr T McLeod* *Manager* *1968 onwards*

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