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Built to last – Martin’s Private Bank opens its Branch at Sidcup at the
beginning of 1886, and although it is merged with Barclays in 1969, the
building does not see its own centenery as a bank. The Summer 1963 edition of Martins Bank
Magazine includes a full visit to the branch, which forms our main feature
below, and which we have enhanced with some interior views from the Barclays
Collection…
We called at Sidcup in April to find Mr. Cyril Richardes, the
manager, looking more youthful than he did 20 years ago in Liverpool.
Resilience is the word which keeps recurring to us. This, coupled with
energy, the ability to unwind and an interest in other people must surely
make him one of our youngest 'old' managers.
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In Service:
1 January 1886 until 17 July 1975
Image © Barclays Ref
0030-2649
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Sidcup opened on new year's day 1886 as did Bexley Heath and
Chislehurst—they
are the oldest of our Kent branches—and Sidcup's oldest customer is still
with them. The Kentish Times Limited, which now produces nine newspapers,
opened an account in March 1886 and has stayed with us over the years. We
were delighted to meet Mr. John S. Massey, Director and Editor-in-Chief, at
the branch that morning and if time had allowed we would have been glad to
accept his spontaneous invitation to go with him to see over the works. Here
was a typical example of the relationship in which we take such pride and
illustrates the high esteem in which the Grasshopper is held in the south on
both sides of the counter. Sidcup has a soul of its own. It makes friends and
keeps them. Mr. Richardes began his
banking life with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank at St. James Street,
Burnley, in 1923 working at Burnley and Friargate, Preston, before going to
Head Office in 1937 and thence for two years to the Visiting Inspectors. |
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In 1940 he joined London District Office and after three months as
Acting Manager at Wigmore Street from September 1944 came to Sidcup as
Manager. His wide interests—from homes for old people to publicity for the Kent County
Cricket Club—make it inevitable that he should be fully occupied outside
banking hours. But he loves it and, of course, he has the support of his
wife—formerly Miss Eileen Stuart of the Sidcup staff—who joined us for a most
entertaining lunch. On our return to the
branch we met Mr. Richardes’ right hand man, Mr. J. W. Booth who, apart from
four years in destroyers and frigates during the war, has spent his banking
life in the London District. He entered Lombard Street in 1940 and has since
had experience at Tothill Street, on relief and with the Visiting Inspectors.
In September 1959 he went to Orpington and on November 1st, 1962
came to Sidcup as Pro Manager. The
branch is a busy one but Mr. Booth gets things done in the true manner of the
silent service—with
efficiency and unruffled calm. Mr. D. W.
Fortman who entered the service in 1946 has been at Sidcup since 1953 and, as
first cashier, maintains a courteous, cheerful and prompt service for which
the branch is noted. Two young men of 27 and
25 complete the male staff. Mr. P. D. Jackson, whose father is on the London
District Relief staff, was active in athletics until a recent unfortunate
motor accident put what we hope is only a temporary stop to these outside
activities. He entered the service in 1954 and spent his two years’ National
Service as a radar instructor.
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Images © Barclays Ref
0030-2649
Mr. R. C. W. Downton had joined the
branch from Bexley Heath on the day before our visit but we gained the impression
that he would have no difficulty fitting into the team. Joining the service
in August 1954 all his experience has been gained in London District
branches. There are four ladies on
the staff. Mrs. M. R. Burns, who is married and lives locally, joined us in
June last year from an Insurance Company and is a valuable shorthand typist.
Miss P. L. Fisk who has been in the service since
January 1959 also helps with the typing and machining and it is regrettable
that on the day the photograph was taken she was away. Miss B. A. Hills and
Miss B. E. Hobbs, who have been with us since August 1960 and September 1961
respectively, cope with the machines and ‘everything else which gets the
day’s work done’. During the war the branch
operated with a staff of three and the office, which could take six or seven
with comfort, now holds ten but there are plans for alterations. Why, in a tour of new branches, did we visit Sidcup ? We
felt it right that London should have priority in this issue and, knowing the
difficulties which have beset the District in recent years, we sought an
established branch which had ridden the storm yet is typical of so many
to-day where experience is limited to very few but where there is a good
spirit and where the work goes through not in spite of a young staff but because of a young staff, imaginatively led. Had we seen the branch photograph before our visit we
might have guessed that our choice was the right one and now we know it.
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