11-099 Blackpool Corporation Street

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That Martins Bank has so many branches along the Fylde coast is due in no small measure to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank, who, at the time of the creation of the modern day Martins Bank in 1928 provides Martins with a number of small sub-Branches - at Cleveleys, St Annes on the Sea, Lytham Road, South Shore, and one large branch at 30 Corporation Street.

Between 1928 and 1929 the Branch is given a refit and is relaunched in the annual Report and Accounts for 1929 as a Main Branch of Martins with three sub-Branches to look after.

However, the Bank of Liverpool’s substantial property at 22 Clifton Street eventually wins out, and 30 Corporation Street is closed just nine years after the merger of the Bank of Liverpool and Martins with the Lancashire & Yorkshire Bank.

The period view of Corporation street Branch is from 1922 and is part of the W N Townson Bequest to Martins Bank Archive.

In Service: 1893 until 1937

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections - W N Townson Bequest

Seen here in 2012, 30 Corporation Street as a branch of Lloyds TSB before the splitting of the group which brings individual Lloyds and TSB Branches back to the High Street. 30 Corporation Street then trades as a branch of Lloyds Bank. With other banking reshuffles due, we were also due to welcome the return of Williams and Glyn Bank, then came more and more bank branch closures. It remains to be seen whether bringing back trusted names will be enough to restore actual trust in the organisations that own them and it seems VERY unlikely that we shall see branch banks anywhere but in the largest of towns and cities…

MARTINS BANK’S BLACKPOOL “EMPIRE” As a result of the amalgamation of the Bank of Liverpool and Martins with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank, Martins Bank Limited is created, and immediately inherits a portfolio of Branches across Britain’s favourite seaside resort. It has not been possible to identify the staff who worked at 30 Corporation Street, so our main staff gallery for Blackpool can be found on the page for 22 CLIFTON STREET	Image © Barclays 1928