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Those of us who have
had the pleasure of and good fortune to have worked at Grange over Sands
branch have often wondered – and sometimes asked – “is it a church?” No, it
definitely is NOT a church. “But are
you sure?” Yes, I am sure, -
and it is a BANK… So it’s a bank then,
and in addition to good looks, it enjoys a position in what is still a
largely unspoilt corner of old Lancashire – although these days of course, it
is part of Cumbria. Sadly Grange
closes on 1 May 2019, but in happier times – 1960 - we celebrate the retirement of someone who
spent twenty five years in this building as Manager. Martins Bank Magazine takes us to the
Hazelmere Café (which is still there today by the way) and a send off for Mr
Addison that sees him spoken of warmly by staff and customers alike…
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In Service: 1876 until 1 May 2019
Image © Barclays Ref:
0033-0237
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  On
April 28th Mr. J. D. Addison, Manager at Grange over Sands since 1935,
entertained his colleagues to a cocktail evening at the Hazlemere Cafe to
mark the occasion of his retirement after 43 years' service. In addition to
the staff of the branch, also present were Mr. Ian Buchanan, Liverpool
Assistant District Manager, and the Managers of the Barrow, Bowness,
Carnforth, Dalton, Kendal, Lancaster and Ulverston branches. The Managers of
the local branches of the Midland Bank and the District Bank also attended. A present of
sundry items of golf equipment was made on behalf of the subscribers by Mr.
J. H. Neild, the new Manager and Mr. Addison's former assistant. He referred
to Mr. Addison's excellent record of health, unbroken throughout his 25
years at the branch apart from absence due to a car accident a year ago.
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Mr. Buchanan, in conveying
the good wishes of his colleagues at Head Office, paid tribute to Mr.
Addison's service to the Bank, and Mr. Pirie mentioned the help he had
given to various local organisations. Mr. Knowles also spoke and an unusual
feature of the function was a short speech by a customer, Mr. A. W. Evans,
Proprietor of the Hazlemere Cafe, who spoke warmly of the good treatment he
had always received. Mr. Addison
entered the Bank in 1917 and, apart from war service, 1918-1920, served at
Appleby, Ambleside and in H.O. Inspection Department before his first
appointment as Pro Manager at Ambleside in 1932. He intends to commence his
retirement with a long sea cruise after which he will settle in Grange
where it is traditional for Martins' men to live well into their eighties.
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Image © Barclays
Ref: 0033-0237
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 So often, our “then and now” features are tinged with the
sadness of empty forgotten bank buildings, or the “delights” of either a
new pub or a betting or charity shop. Thankfully for Grange-over-Sands
branch, the story ends in a much better way…
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At a time when so many former bank branch
buildings are standing empty and neglected, it is wonderful to see that
Martins Bank’s Branch at Grange over Sands has one new and extremely happy
owner, David Phelan. David contacted
us having successfully bid for this fabulous old building, which he was
keen both to sympathetically restore and to re-purpose as living
space. The original business at
Grange was transacted in 1876 by the Kendal Bank, who often used agents to
act on their behalf to run a banking service in return for a commission of
some kind. Such arrangements were not without risk, and the bank had to choose an
Agent-Manager very carefully in order to prevent losses from the more
“unscrupulous types” making off with the money. This was indeed a real
threat - in 1929, a little further down the Furness Peninsula at Dalton in
Furness, the Manager William Griffin was dismissed on FIFTY counts of forgery. Business
having grown nicely at Grange, the Bank of Liverpool – which absorbed the
Kendal Bank in 1893 decided that permanent premises would be taken at
Grange over Sands, and banking continued there until May 2019. We would
like to wish David Phelan every success with this enviable project, and
look forward to updates as work nears completion.
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Image © 2020 Martins Bank Archive
Collections – David Phelan
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