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Eanam is an original
sub-Branch of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank. It is opened some time
before 1922 and comes to Martins Bank through the amalgamation in 1928 of the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank with the Bank of Liverpool and Martins Ltd. The
familiar corner aspect is favoured by banks in particular as a sign of
strength, and as a way of having a presence in TWO streets at the same time!
So here, on the corner of Copy Nook and Eden Street, is one of four Martins
Bank sub-Branches to Blackburn that have existed over the years. Eanam opens
for the full six day banking week until the merger with Barclays by which
time the unions had successfully quoshed the practice of Saturday. The Branch lasts into the twenty-first
century, being closed in July 2014.
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In service: Pre 1922 – 25 July 2014
All Branch Images on this page © Barclays Ref
0030-0868 and 0030-0275
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 Mr J E Barker is a
senior cashier at Eanam Branch until he retires in the Autumn of 1964. He is one of a small number of keen amateur
photographers who have their work
exhibited regularly within the pages of Martins Bank Magazine. That the
majority are printed in colour says much about the standard of these
photographs, as the process of printing pages of the magazine in colour is
still relatively expensive in the 1960s.
Mr Barker is widely travelled, and his photos reflect ordinary life in
a number of locations at home and abroad. The picture of Mr Barker himself
(shown left) has been kindly supplied by our good friend David Baxter. Although Mr Barker retires at the end of
October 1964, his photographs continue to feature in the Magazine for several
more years. The following tribute to
Mr Barker is published in Martins Bank Magaine in the Winter of 1964.
 At the end of
October, for reasons of ill health, Mr Barker retired from Eanam Branch. Earlier in the month he and Mrs Barker
had entertained his colleagues to
dinner at the White Bull Hotel, Blackburn, where the informal evening began
with the presentation of a bouquet to Mrs Barker by Miss C M Holden. After dinner, Mr J W Hoyle (Manager,
Eanam) handed Mr Barker a gift voucher on behalf of subscribers with good
wishes for a long and happy retirement.
Mr Barker, in a few words of thanks addressed each member of the staff
individually and added that their gift would be used to buy photographic
equipment. Mr Barker’s capabilities in
the photographic field are well known to readers of the Magazine, where
examples of his colour work appear regularly.
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“Iron Curtain
Innocence”
Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections - J E Barker 1966
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He
entered the Bank at Blackburn in 1927 and, apart from a short spell at
Reading Branch and in London District Office in 1941-, and five-years’ war
service, the whole of his career was spent in Manchester District
branches. He returned to Eanam for the
second time in 1963.
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In 1969 Mr Foster,
Manager of Eanam for six years also retires due to ill-health. We hope
sincerely, that this method of leaving the Bank was the exception, rather than the rule at Eanam…
  more than forty guests, including
Mr N. E. Foster, were at the Waterloo Hotel, Blackburn, on May 29 to wish Mr
Hoyle well in his retirement and a speedy recovery of his health. Mr M. D. Parker (second-in command, Eanam)
presented a pair of binoculars and Mrs Hoyle received a bouquet from Miss J.
Monk. Thanking all who had
subscribed to the gift, Mr Hoyle recalled his early days in the Bank when his
task was to light the gas lamps, and how his superior suddenly developed
deafness when the first telephone was installed in order to avoid using
it. He thought possibly his reaction
would be similar if he were staying on to meet the many new developments
rapidly taking place. Mr Hoyle's 43 years' service were all spent in Manchester
District, with the exception of four years with H.M. Forces. He was appointed
Pro Manager at Rochdale in 1952, Manager at Hulme in 1958 and at Eanam five
years later.
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